Deal Reached On 2020 Phase-out Of Hcfcs

摘要

EU member states must cease production of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 2020, under an agreement reached by MEPs and national governments in early March. The rules set in a 2000 Regulation on ozone-depleting substances needed updating to reflect an accelerated HCFC phase-out under the Montreal Protocol, which commits developed countries to end production and use by 2020. MEPs had hoped for phase-out in the EU by 2015 (ENDS Report 407, pp 55-56), but the Czech Presidency argued this would deprive already-suffering European chemical manufacturers of valuable exports to developing countries, which have until 2030 to enact the HCFC ban.