AS SOME expected, the European Parliament has
rejected the amendments to the F-Gas regulations
recently recommended by the EU environment
committee which could have seen HFC refrigerants
banned from 2010. The European Parliament also
rejected proposals to change the legal basis of the
regulations which would have allowed individual
member states to introduce their own selective HFC
sanctions and legalised the bans imposed by
countries like Denmark and Austria.
EPEE (The European Partnership for Energy and the
Environment) welcomed the outcome of the vote as a
significant step forward in the fight against climate
change.
Speaking after the vote, Friedrich Busch, director
general of EPEE said: 'The European refrigeration and
air conditioning industry is now ready to meet the
challenge of practical emission reduction via
containment and monitoring as endorsed by the
Parliament today.'
On the legal base decision, Friedrich Busch
commented: 'The Parliament's confirmation of the dual
Internal Market-Environment legal base as proposed by
the Council of Ministers is the best way to meet two
goals simultaneously: allowing for a high degree of
environmental protection whilst also ensuring an
efficient and competitive single market. '
Speaking on the series of product ban amendments
Friedrich Busch said: 'All additional bans would have
been completely unrealistic. The phase-out dates and
use restrictions were proposed without any serious
prior impact assessment (of social, economic and
safety feasibility and the total environmental impact
including energy efficiency). The Parliament resolutely
rejected this approach in today's vote. '
The vote by the European Parliament returned the
F-gas regulations to the original 'common position' of
being a law to contain, monitor and control the
emission of HFCs.
'It is good news that the Common Position submitted
to the Parliament resulting from extensive scientific and
objective stakeholder consultation process was
effectively supported, declared Nick Campbell, of the
European Fluorocarbon Technical Committee
(EFCTC). 'It appears that the facts demonstrating the
global benefit of HFCs, including their positive impact
on the climate, have been taken into account,' he
added.
In a statement to the press, the EFCTC stressed 'The
priority of industry now is to continue to invest in
improved HFC systems for the long-term, to drive
forward progress on containment and reducing
emissions of all greenhouse gases. Reduced leakage,
improved system design, improved efficiency and
recovery and recycle at end of life is industry's focus
ahead of the review foreseen in the Regulation after
some years time.'
'The decision taken by the Parliament is a victory for
common sense,' commented Tony Kaye INEOS Fluor's
European President. 'The Parliament resolutely
rejected any additional bans, which would have been
completely unrealistic. The phase-out dates and use
restrictions had been proposed without any serious
assessment of their impact on society, economic and
safety feasibility or the total environmental impact
including energy efficiency. Such bans are seen to be
unnecessary and unrealistic.'
INEOS Fluor also supported the rejection of the
amendments that would have changed the legal basis
of the Regulation: 'The support of a dual legal base (Art
95 and 175) as proposed by the Council of Ministers
provides a high degree of environmental protection and
ensures an efficient and competitive single market,'
added Tony Kaye.
He also paid tribute to the support of the acr industry: 'I
have the refrigeration and air conditioning industry as a
whole to thank for the important part they have played in
providing MEPs with vital information needed to come
to these sound decisions. '
Green groups were understandably outraged by the
outcome of the vote. Greenpeace described the
decision as 'a victory for multinational profits, and a
defeat for the children being born today who'll inherit a
warmer, more dangerous world. '
UK Green MEP Caroline Lucas, a member of the
Parliament's environment committee, which originally
proposed the amendments that would have seen
HFCs banned, said 'This is bad day for the EU, and the
fight against climate change, and I am deeply
disappointed. '