On Wednesday 5 April, the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper I) approved the negotiating mandate for the proposed revision of the EU Regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases).
This text aims to reduce emissions of these man-made gases, which have a high global warming potential. They are used in common devices such as refrigerators, air conditioning, heat pumps, fire protection, foams and aerosols.
Contrary to the European Parliament (see EUROPE 13153/10), the EU Council made the provisions on sanctions “less prescriptive in order for them to better fit different national systems”. For example, Member State ambassadors to the EU have spoken out in favour of postponing various bans proposed by the European Commission.
In addition, Member States agreed to an extension of the phase-down schedule.
The EU Council also included bans on the use of the very potent greenhouse gas SF6, used in electrical equipment, while adding a number of safeguards to ensure that these bans do not compromise the operation of electricity grids.
The proposals also include a reduction in the allocation price for HFCs from €3 to €2.
The Swedish Presidency concluded that there was agreement on the basis of its proposals (see EUROPE 13156/12) and one additional change: a safety clause in Article 35 to allow the Commission to react, through delegated acts, by releasing a limited number of additional allowances, if the proposed bans would jeopardise the achievement of the heat pump deployment target, required under REPowerEU.
Negotiations can now start with the European Parliament, which adopted its position on 30 March (see EUROPE 13153/10).
Link to the agreement: https://aeur.eu/f/68b (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)