§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department has made to the European Commission seeking the promotion of non-ozone depleting alternative refrigerants. [60880]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Department has not made any direct representations to the Commission on this issue. However, my officials meet regularly with counterparts from other EC member states and the European Commission to discuss issues arising from EC Regulation 2037–2000 on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. They are taking an active part as members of the European Commission's "European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) Working Group Industry, Work Item Fluorinated Gases", which considers policies and 205W measures on fluorinated gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to enable the European Community to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
On 23 October 2001, the Commission adopted the Communicati n on the implementation of the first phase of the ECCP. This includes a proposal to bring forward legislation designed to reduce emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases, including HFCs, along the lines recommended in the report of the Working Group. The Environment Council, at its meeting of 12 December 2001, supported the Commission's proposal for legislative action.
The European Commission expects to publish a first draft of the legislation this Autumn. By implementing regulatory action on ozone depleting substances, as well as on HFCs which replace them in applications such as refrigeration, I anticipate a greater use of refrigerants which have no ozone-depleting potential and do not significantly contribute to climate change.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action her Department is taking to persuade the European Commission to accelerate the phase-out dates for ozone depleting substances. [60879]
§ Mr. MeacherMy officials meet regularly with counterparts from other EC member states and the European Commission to discuss issues arising from EC Regulation 2037–2000 which implements the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Together with the European Commission, the UK and other member states consider possible EC proposals for improving and strengthening the Protocol.
EC Regulation 2037–2000 already imposes on the UK and other member states significantly stricter controls on the production, sale and use of ozone-depleting substances than are required of other Parties to the Protocol. For example, the Regulation bans the use of CFCs in the servicing of existing equipment, where the Protocol only concerns itself with their production and supply to the market and imposes no use controls. Also, HCFCs are to be phased out under the Protocol by 2030, but under the Regulation they must be phased out by 2010 for newly-produced material and 2015 for recycled material.