In adopting the report by Robert GOODWILL (EPP-ED, UK), the European Parliament
made a large number of amendments to the draft Regulation on fluorinated
gases. On the vexed question of imposing quotas on manufacturers for the
use of fluorinated gases in new air-conditioned cars, Parliament supported
its rapporteur and rejected the new quota system proposed by the
Commission. Instead MEPs demanded the introduction of limits for car
air-conditioning systems from January 2011 and the phasing-in by
manufacturers of alternatives for HFCs, PFCs and sulphur hexafluorides
(SF6). Whereas the Commission proposed banning gases with a global warming
potential higher than 150 from 2009, MEPs wanted the limit to be tightened
to 50 from 2011. For small-scale manufacturers, this provision would apply
from 1 January 2013. From 1 January 2014, Member States
should prohibit the sale or placing on the market of new vehicles fitted
with an air-conditioning system using gases with a global warming
potential higher than 50. Member States should also seek to promote the
installation of air-conditioning systems using an efficient gas such as
CO2 which had a global warming potential of less than 100. They should
also be able to introduce fiscal or financial incentives for the
conversion of existing vehicles in operation, provided that
air-conditioning systems using gases with a global warming potential of
less than 50 were installed. Another important amendment concerned the
prevention of the leakage of fluorinated gases. According to this
amendment, all measures which were technically and economically feasible
should be taken to prevent and minimise emissions of fluorinated gases.
This obligation should be applicable to more sectors and not just cover
refrigeration, heating and air-conditioning but all sectors where these
gases were used. Parliament also wanted to enlarge the scope of the
Regulation by introducing measures concerning recovery and placing on the
market of these gases, use of products and equipment containing these
gases and reporting of data on these gases. In addition, it introduced a
number of amendments on inspections for the leakage of these gases.
Parliament also demanded that consumers and citizens be informed of the
global warming potential of products containing fluorinated gases.