Introduction
2021 and 2022 have been years of intense activity within ATIEL across all committees.
Indeed, in the ATIEL ILC Committee, Acea sequences for Light Duty engines were published in June 2021 with the subsequent update of ATIEL Code of Practice in October 2022. ACEA sequences for Heavy Duty engines were published in May 2022, with the subsequent update of the Code of Practice in December 2022.
The ATIEL BOI/VGRA Committee has developed a proposal for a BOI programme on TDi3.
The ATIEL Sustainability Committee is working in close cooperation with UEIL on a way forward in harmonising the carbon footprint calculation in the lubricants industry.
The ATIEL QMS Committee hired a new SAIL Director who started in November 2021 with a view to develop tools for promoting EELQMS and the number of LoCs signatories.
The ATIEL HSE Committee faces a number of challenges due to the revision of the REACH and CLP regulation leading to defend the lubricants industry in various fora and positions papers.
On 21st June 2022, ATIEL organised its first Technical Seminar after Covid entitled “towards a Sustainable and Innovative Lubricants Industry”.
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Editorial
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Marco Digioia, ATIEL President
ATIEL Technical Seminar
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The 7th ATIEL Technical Seminar was held in Brussels on 22nd of June. The event brought together 80 participants including representatives of the European Commission, member companies and other sectoral European organisations. In his opening speech ATIEL President Marco Digioia set the tone, noting that the lubricant industry is a key player in the automotive industrial value chain. “ATIEL is ready to play its part bringing about its experience and contribution for an innovative and sustainable transport and automotive sector” he said. 
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The European Commission gave a presentation on Circular Economy and where we are in the future amendment of the Waste Framework Directive. Two roundtables “Lubricants and Sustainability” and “Global Chemical Compliance” followed, with knowledgeable panellists investigating cooperation opportunities and providing an interactive debate. In the afternoon session the chairs of ATIEL Technical Committees presented the work of their groups. All speakers emphasised the importance of continued collaboration to ensure that the lubricant industry retains its place at the centre of sustainability, to a competitive low-carbon economy and better serving manufacturers, users and the real economy. 
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ILC Committee
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Since their introduction in 1996 the ACEA Oil Sequences have been updated periodically to ACEA 2021 updates the Light-Duty Sequences to replace old engine tests that have reached the end of life, to allow a continuation of the engine oil development process for vehicles already in |
ACEA has released the new 2022 ACEA Heavy Duty oil sequences on the 1st of May 2022. For more details, please click here 
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BOI/VGRA Committee
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During the year 2021/2022, the BOI/VGRA Committee developed a new VGRA matrix fro VW TDI3 and run engine tests with ATC. This resulted in a VGRA Guideline 10 VGRA Guideline for the VW TDI3 test (*) (Applicable only to engine lubricant with non-dispersant type of viscosity modifier) VGRA is permitted if the Base Oil Viscosity (BOV) at 100°C of the read across viscosity grade is equal to or higher than that of the tested viscosity grade. Base oil viscosity at 100°C is the kinematic viscosity of the base oil blend at 100°C of the formulation before additives, viscosity modifier and pour point depressant are added.
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VGRA is permitted if the viscosity modifier treat-rate is decreased, or if the increase in viscosity modifier treat-rate in the read-across viscosity grade vs the tested viscosity grade is less than 15% mass fraction relative. If the viscosity modifier treat-rate increase is greater than 15% mass fraction relative, VGRA can be permitted if technical support data (as defined in Section h.16 of the ATC Code of Practice) is available to justify read across. This VGRA Guideline is the result of a statistically designed matrix of VW TDi3 tests run by ATC and ATIEL on a diverse range of technologies. (*) ACEA 2021 LD sequences state that, alternatively to CEC L-117-20, CEC L-78-99 (TDi2) results can be used provided the results meet given levels of performance described.
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CoP Committee
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On 25th October 2021, ATIEL released Code of Practice issue 22 further to the publication of the ACEA sequences 2021 for Light Duty Vehicles. The main changes are: 
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On……. December 2022, ATIEL released the Code of Practice issue 23 further to the publication of the ACEA sequences 2022 for Heavy Duty Vehicles. As of ……….December 2022, Issue 23 of the Code of Practice supersedes Issue 23. The latter, however, remains available on the ATIEL website, for valid claims against ACEA 2016 heavy duty sequences, until 30th April 2023. This issue considers the ACEA sequence 2022 for Heavy-Duty engine oil. The other main changes are:
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QMS Committee
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SAIL operates the registration system of the signatories of the Letter of Conformance and on behalf of ATIEL, in association with ATC and ACEA, licenses the use of the EELQMS logo. SAIL is also responsible for ATIEL’s product compliance monitoring programme and coordinates the activities and communications of all stakeholders involved in the programme.
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Sustainability Committee
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The Sustainability committee is studying the way forward in harmonizing the carbon footprint calculations in the lubricants industry. The Committee relies on the works of others organisation as:
The next step is to assess all these initiatives, find the gaps that prevent generating comparable results and prepare a harmonized standard with the support of a consultant.
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Re-refined base stock (RRBS) sub-group The key objective of the RRBS sub-group is to ensure a favourable outcome regarding any changes to how waste oil is incorporated into the update of the Waste Framework Directive. The Sub-Group did so by developing a consensus view on waste oil collection, RRBSs and inclusion in finished lubricants. In addition, the Sub-Group aligned with with Concawe position, participated in the EPR stakeholderworkshop commissioned to a consultant by the European Commission and enhanced relationship with the EC policy officer responsible for waste oil in DG Environment.
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Health and Safety Committee
Activities of HSE Committee in 2022
