Czech Presidency leads EU to ozone protection deal
The European Union will take another step contributing to the global effort to stop the depletion of the ozone layer.
Brussels, 24 March 2009
This will be achieved thanks to an amendment to the Regulation on substances that deplete the Earth’s ozone layer. The Czech Presidency has managed to obtain agreement between the Member States and the European Parliament on the text of this proposal. This compromise is expected to be confirmed by the plenary vote of the EP on Wednesday 25 March.
“This amendment will not only improve the standards of protection of the environment and human health but will also simplify an entire bulk of legislation. This will reduce the administrative burden faced by EU businesses”, says Deputy Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU Jana Reinišová, who, together with her team, reached this compromise between the EU Council and the European Parliament.
The objective of the amendment is to clarify the conditions under which ozone-depleting substances will cease to be used. At the same time, the text reflects the progress already achieved by the EU in this area – it abolishes the outdated conditions which had to be met by EU industry.
Moreover, thanks to the amendment, Community legislation will be more in line with applicable global agreements limiting the use of harmful substances, such as the Montreal Protocol. The aim is above all to ban the usage of “soft CFCs” (hydrochlorofluorocarbons, HCFC), which deplete the ozone layer in a significant way. Their use will be considerably restricted and they will be banned altogether as of 2020 on the basis of the agreement. A ban on methyl bromide will enter into force as soon as 2010.
Additional information:
On 1 August 2008 The European Commission issued a draft Regulation on substances that deplete the ozone layer amending the existing regulation 2037/2000/EC. This draft regulation is a legal measure of the European Union enabling gradual limitation of the use of such substances.
The agreement between the EU Council and the European Parliament, mediated by the Czech Presidency was adopted by the COREPER I committee on 11 March 2009. The plenary vote of the European Parliament will confirm the resulting agreement at its second March part-session on 25 March 2009.
Contact:
- Radek Honzák, Spokesman for Coreper I
Tel.: +32 2 2139 245, GSM: +32 475 734 018, E-mail: radek_honzak@mzv.cz - Jakub Kašpar, Spokesman of the Ministry of the Environment
Tel.: +420 267 122 040, GSM: +420 724 175 927, E-mail: jakub.kaspar@mzp.cz
Last update: 16.8.2011 15:40
