The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on fluorinated greenhouse gases.
The committee recommends that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading, following the ordinary legislative procedure, should amend the Commission proposal as follows:
Scope: the objective of this Regulation should be to protect the environment by reducing emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases and to stimulate innovation in sustainable technologies. Accordingly, this Regulation should:
- lay down rules on containment, use, recovery and destruction of fluorinated greenhouse gases;
- prohibit specific uses of such gases, whilst setting out quantitative limits for the placing on the market of HFCs;
- provide valuable input for the adoption of a future international agreement.
The regulatory approach used for ozone-depleting substances under Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on substances that deplete the ozone layer, should also be used to regulate HFCs.
Limits and bans on placing on the market (POM) of HFCs: the committee stated that placing on the market (POM) prohibitions are appropriate when sustainable alternatives can meet the demand for new equipment in a certain subsector. Such as:
- Solvents that contain fluorinated greenhouse gases except for precision cleaning of electrical and other components in aerospace and aeronautics applications and in the manufacture of semiconductors : POM from 2020.
- Fire protection systems and fire extinguishers (except for certain applications):POM from 2020.
- Foams: POM prohibition in 2016 for extruded polystyrene foams (from 2020 for other foams).
- Technical non-medical aerosols that contain fluorinated greenhouse gases from 2018.
- Refrigeration: POM prohibition in 2020 on stationary refrigeration. POM prohibition in 2025 on mobile refrigeration. Refrigerators and freezers for the storage, display or distribution of products in retail and food service - hermetically sealed systems that contain HFCs from 2018.
- Air-Conditioning: POM prohibition in 2020 for stationary air conditioning and cargo ships.
According to Members, the overall use of HFCs should be reduced to 16% of the current consumption by 2030 (against 21% suggested by the European Commission).
By 1 January 2018, the Commission should assess whether effective, reliable alternatives exist which:
- make the replacement of SF6 possible, at a reasonable cost, in new medium-voltage secondary switchgear;
- make the replacement of fluorinated greenhouse gases possible, at a reasonable cost, in fire protection systems.
Allocation Fee: the report stipulated that each producer and importer shall transmit, prior to accessing their allocated quota or portion thereof, an allocation fee of EUR 10 per tonne of CO2 equivalent of HFCs for the quantities of HFCs to be placed on the market during the upcoming year.
The revenues collected shall be used to support the implementation of this Regulation and to address regional divergences especially targeted in countries with high temperatures, in relation to the extent of use of fluorinated greenhouse gases per capita, the cost of replacement technologies due to climatic conditions, creation of incentives for the proper recovery of fluorinated greenhouse gases and market surveillance to counter illegal trade.
The Commission should publish a report on the use of revenues on 1 January 2017.
Producer Responsibility Scheme: Members suggested that Member States shall ensure that producer responsibility schemes are in place for the recovery of fluorinated greenhouse gases and their recycling, reclamation or destruction. Such schemes shall be adopted by 1 January 2016. They should:
- enable operators and persons to discard recovered fluorinated greenhouse gases, including products and equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases, at an accessible collection point in their vicinity at no charge;
- require operators and persons decommissioning equipment to discard recovered fluorinated greenhouse gases at an accessible collection point.
Review: Members requested that no later than 31 December 2022, the Commission should publish a comprehensive report on the effects of this Regulation, including: (a) a forecast of the expected demand for HFCs in 2024, 2027, 2030 and after 2030, (b) an assessment of the potential phaseout of HFCs by 2030 or soon thereafter.