MEPs consider possible ban on fluorinated gases in car's air conditioning systems

The Environment Committee is set to examine in first reading the report by MEP Robert Goodwill on the control of fluorinated gases (F-gases) - a type of product most commonly used in refrigirators, air conditioning systems and aerosols.

The rapporteur's most controversial amendments propose a complete ban on the use of HFC-134a in car's air conditioning systems. The initial proposal from the Commission was to introduce a phase-out system using quotas but the rapporteur felt it would have proved too bureaucratic and hard to implement. He therefore suggested an outright ban of HFC-134a by 2011 instead. The initial proposal also aims at controlling emissions by introducing inspections in manufacturing plants and by limiting the use of HFCs in aerosols. Others introduce restrictions on the marketing and use of F-gases (for a complete round-up on the proposed regulation, see EurActiv's fully updated LinksDossier on

Fluorinated gases and climate change).

Producer organisations have generally welcomed the Commission proposal on F-gases regulation but have warned about the phase-out of HFC134a in car's air conditioning systems (see

EurActiv, 3 September 2003). According to the EFTCTC (European fluorocarbons technical committee), "given the lack of a proven alternative that is commercially operating, [...] the setting of a phase out schedule for enhanced HFC134a systems in cars is inappropriate" .