Europe

During the 2nd Reading by the European Parliament of the draft Regulation on F-gases (fluorinated gases), MEPs finally opted for containment measures and controls for leakage and rejected the proposals of the environment committee to impose gradual bans on F-gases (including HFCs) in refrigerators, air-conditioning systems and stationary products. The double legal base to be applied to this draft Regulation, as agreed on by EU ministers last year, has been agreed by MEPs. A provision was added to allow member states to maintain or adopt stricter F-gas controls if these are in line with their national greenhouse gas reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol. MEPs have left virtually unchanged the draft Directive, which aims to regulate the use of F-gases in vehicle air-conditioning systems: ban on fluorinated gases with a GWP of more than 150 in new cars planned from 2011 onwards and in all vehicles from 2017. This threshold would eliminate HFC-134a, but will allow continued use of HFC-152a (GWP = 120). If these measures are confirmed by the Environment Council, the texts should enter into force in 2007. MEPs also asked the Commission to develop new legislative proposals by the end of 2008 to deal with non-vehicle air-conditioning systems and refrigeration systems in modes of transport.