FL-gases in vehicle air conditionings in the dock

Publication date: 26 October 2005

Fluorinated gases are less well known than CO2 but they are responsible for at least 5 per cent of the greenhouse effect. The EU - and Parliament in particular - are planning rules drastically to reduce their use. This is the implication of a second reading report (A6-0294/2005) by Avril Doyle which was adopted by MEPs today.
report_final_doyle_mac.pdf (159 KB) 

Fluorinated gases are widely used in air conditioners, refrigerators and insulating foam.  They are even present in the soles of some trainers.  If they escape into the atmosphere, their damaging effects can last for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.  Their harmfulness or "global warming potential" (GWP) is measured on a scale from 1 (equal to CO2) to more than 20 000 for sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

 
The report adopted by Parliament deals with a directive which aims to regulate the use of these gases in vehicle air conditioning systems.  Parliament opted for a ban on fluorinated gases with a GWP of more than 150 in new models planned from 2011 onwards and in all vehicle from 2017. This threshold would eliminated some gases currently used by manufacturers, notably HFC-134a, but will allow continued use of HFC-152a, which has a lower GWP (120) and should encourage technical innovation.  Just one amendment was adopted to this directive: it allows Member States to promote other air conditioning systems through tax incentives.  A second reading agreement with the Council therefore seems likely.

Related News Items:
- Ban on Fluorinated Gases in Cars (12 October 2005)
- ENV Council: Agreement to reduce Emissions of F-gases (14 October 2004) 
- F-Gases in Cars' Air Conditioning Systems banned from 2014 (31 March 2004)  
- MEPs for cleaner Air Conditionings in Cars (15 March 2004) 
- Commission tackles fluorinated gases in air-conditionings (11 August 2003)