ENVIRONMENT : NEW REGULATIONS SEEK TO CONTROL FLUORINATED GREENHOUSE GASES.

Controlling fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions contributes to efforts to achieve the objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GGEs) in respect of the Kyoto Protocol. For this reason, four regulations, adopted by the European Commission at the end of December 2007, specify the requirements in terms of the control and labelling of equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases. Added to this is a decision authorising Austria to maintain more binding national measures than the Community legislation.

The regulations and the decision in question all rest on Regulation EC 842/2006. Regulation C(2007)6324 defines the standard requirements applicable to the control of the safety of fixed fire protection systems containing certain fluorinated GGEs, while Regulation C(2007)6375 does the same for safety controls for refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment containing these gases. Regulation C(2007)6305 specifies the additional requirements in terms of the labelling of products and equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases and more specifically the exact wording of the information which must appear on the labels in terms of the type and quantity of fluorinated GGEs contained if they are covered by the Kyoto Protocol.

Lastly, Regulation C(2007)6304 defines the format and specifies the information required in the report to be presented by producers, importers and exporters of certain fluorinated greenhouse gases. It is thus appropriate, specifies the Commission, for importers...