BETA


2022/0100(COD) Ozone depleting substances
Next event: Debate in plenary scheduled 2023/03/29

Progress: Awaiting Parliament's position in 1st reading

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead ENVI POLFJÄRD Jessica (icon: EPP EPP) PLUMB Rovana (icon: S&D S&D), KNOTEK Ondřej (icon: Renew Renew), HOLMGREN Pär (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), ZALEWSKA Anna (icon: ECR ECR), HAZEKAMP Anja (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Committee Opinion JURI
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
TFEU 192-p1

Events

2023/03/29
   Debate in plenary scheduled
2023/03/07
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading
Details

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Jessica POLFJÄRD (EPP, SE) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on substances that deplete the ozone layer and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:

Subject matter

Members clarify that this Regulation lays down rules on the production, import, export, placing on the market, storage and further supply as well as use, recovery, recycling, reclamation and destruction of ozone depleting substances, on the reporting of information related to those substances and on the import, export, placing on the market, further supply and utilisation of products and equipment containing ozone depleting substances or whose functioning relies upon on those substances.

It should also apply to products and equipment, and parts thereof, containing ozone depleting substances or whose functioning relies partly or entirely on those substances.

Feedstock

The report includes additions and clarifications on feedstocks. It suggested that:

- the Commission should by 12 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation, adopt delegated acts to supplement this Regulation by establishing a list of ozone depleting substances listed in Annex I for which the use as feedstock is permitted, the respective feedstock uses

for each of those substances, and their emission level;

- by 1 January 2025 and every 2.5 years thereafter, the Commission should assess the current and future availability of alternatives to ozone depleting substances listed in Annex I for which the use as feedstock is permitted within the Union, taking into account scientific recommendations, the impacts in terms of ozone-depleting potential and the availability of more precise data on the greenhouse gas emissions from feedstock, technological developments resulting in the availability of technically feasible alternatives, and the energy use,

efficiency, economic feasibility and cost of those alternatives;

- containers containing ozone depleting substances intended for such uses should be labelled with a clear indication that the substance may only be used for the applicable purpose.

Declaration of conformity

Members also stated that undertakings which place on the market refillable containers for ozone depleting substances should produce a declaration of conformity that includes evidence confirming the arrangements in place for the return of that container for the purpose of refilling. Those arrangements should contain binding obligations for compliance by the supplier of those containers to end-users.

Release of ozone depleting substances and leakage checks

The report stressed that undertakings operating refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pump equipment, or fire protection systems, including their circuits, which contain ozone depleting substances should ensure that the stationary equipment or systems with a fluid charge of:

(a) 3 kg or more of ozone depleting substances are checked for leakage at least once every 12 months; this should not apply to equipment with hermetically sealed systems, which are labelled as such and contain less than 6 kg of controlled substances;

(b) 30 kg or more of ozone depleting substances are checked for leakage at least once every 6 months;

(c) 300 kg or more of ozone depleting substances are checked for leakage at least once every 3 months; and any detected leakage is repaired as soon as possible and in any event within 14 days; the equipment or system should be checked for leakage within 1 month after a leak has been repaired to ensure that the repair has been effective.

Penalties

In cases of unlawful production, import, export, placing on the market, or use of ozone depleting substances listed in Annex I or of products and equipment containing those substances or whose functioning relies upon those substances, Member States should envisage set out minimum administrative fines of at least four times the market value of the ozone depleting substances or products and equipment concerned and maximum administrative fines of at least six times the market value of the concerned substances or products and equipment concerned.

Review

By 1 January 2030, the Commission should present a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the implementation and effectiveness of this Regulation. The Commission should assess in particular the availability of alternatives to ozone depleting substances for which a derogation is granted under the Regulation. The Commission should also assess the impact of this Regulation on the fight against the illegal trade of ozone depleting substances.

Documents
2023/03/01
   EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading
2022/11/16
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2022/10/06
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2022/07/12
   CZ_SENATE - Contribution
Documents
2022/07/06
   RO_SENATE - Contribution
Documents
2022/06/24
   EP - POLFJÄRD Jessica (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2022/06/15
   ESC - Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report
Documents
2022/05/02
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
2022/04/06
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2022/04/06
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2022/04/06
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2022/04/06
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2022/04/05
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Details

PURPOSE: to introduce new measures on substances that deplete the ozone layer to achieve a higher level of additional emission reductions and to align them with the European Green Deal.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: due to global action taken against ozone depletion through the adoption of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987 (the Protocol), the ozone hole is on the way to recovery, provided that compliance with existing measures is ensured and any new challenges are swiftly addressed. Most ozone depleting substances have high global warming potential and are contributory factors towards increasing the temperature of the planet.

Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer (ODS Regulation) is the main instrument targeting ozone-depleting substances in the EU. While the ODS Regulation is still considered generally fit for purpose, it has been suggested that it could be better aligned with the European Green Deal and its design could be slightly improved.

A significant focus of the proposal is on increasing efficiency of the existing measures, rather than creating new ones. Therefore, by introducing new measures targeting products in which ODS were legally used in the past, the EU wants to prevent the equivalent of 180 million tonnes of CO2 and 32 000 tonnes of ozone depleting potential (ODP) emissions by 2050 .

This proposed Regulation has many similarities with the proposed Regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gas which is being revised in parallel. These two Regulations must jointly ensure that the Union complies with its obligations relating to hydrofluorocarbons and ozone depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol.

PURPOSE: the draft Regulation proposed by the Commission lays down rules on the production, import, export, placing on the market, further supply as well as use, recovery, recycling, reclamation and destruction of ozone depleting substances, on the reporting of information related to those substances and on the import, export, placing on the market, further supply and use of products and equipment containing ozone depleting substances or whose functioning relies upon on those substances.

It should apply to the ozone depleting substances listed in Annexes I and II and their isomers, whether alone or in a mixture and to products and equipment, and parts thereof, containing ozone depleting substances or whose functioning relies upon those substances.

More specifically, the proposal:

- maintains the current control system envisaged under the ODS Regulation, namely the general prohibitions on production, use and trade of ODS and products and equipment using ODS, and the applicable exemptions on a few uses where alternatives are not yet available (feedstock, process agents, essential analytical and laboratory uses);

- ensures the necessary alignments with more recent EU legislation , in particular Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases. To ensure consistency with this Regulation, importers and producers must provide eviden ce of destruction or recovery for subsequent use of trifluoromethane produced as a by-product in the production of ODS. The proposal also clarifies that, in general, the entry in the territory of non-refillable containers is prohibited, thus under any customs procedures;

- modernises the licensing system set out in the ODS Regulation to take into account its interconnection with the European Single Window Environment for Customs, which will allow for automatic customs controls per shipment. In this setup, importers and exporters of ozone depleting substances and products using such substances will only need to apply for ‘traders’ licenses , instead of per shipment licenses, since the European Single Window Environment for Customs, enables real-time checks on each shipment automatically. Industry and authorities would benefit from cost savings due to a modernised licensing system and the end of obsolete quota and registration requirements;

- clarifies the role of customs authorities and, where relevant, of market surveillance authorities, in implementing the prohibitions and restrictions set out in the proposed Regulation and strengthens their powers to prevent illegal trade of ODS ;

- requires the recovery or destruction of ODS contained in certain types of foams used as isolation materials in building, from construction and demolition. The destruction of halons is prohibited under the proposal to ensure that, where possible, it is recovered and re-used thereby preventing the need for future production of halon for critical uses. The leakage obligations set out the ODS Regulation have been simplified taking into account the prohibition to use ODS to refill products and equipment except for the use of halons in fire protection systems for critical uses;

- improves enforcement and monitoring : measures would be introduced to tackle illegal activities, similar to those proposed in the F-gases Regulation. The scope of reporting would be extended to a wider range of substances and activities to better understand residual ODS trade, emissions and future risks;

- establishes that the level and type of administrative penalties for infringements of the Regulation must be effective, dissuasive and proportionate and should also take into account relevant criteria (such as the nature and gravity of the infringement).

Documents

  • Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading: A9-0050/2023
  • Amendments tabled in committee: PE738.632
  • Committee draft report: PE737.214
  • Contribution: COM(2022)0151
  • Contribution: COM(2022)0151
  • Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report: CES1947/2022
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex
  • Document attached to the procedure: SEC(2022)0157
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex
  • Document attached to the procedure: SWD(2022)0098
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex
  • Document attached to the procedure: SWD(2022)0099
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex
  • Document attached to the procedure: SWD(2022)0100
  • Legislative proposal published: COM(2022)0151
  • Legislative proposal published: EUR-Lex
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex SEC(2022)0157
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex SWD(2022)0098
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex SWD(2022)0099
  • Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex SWD(2022)0100
  • Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report: CES1947/2022
  • Committee draft report: PE737.214
  • Amendments tabled in committee: PE738.632
  • Contribution: COM(2022)0151
  • Contribution: COM(2022)0151

Activities

AmendmentsDossier
174 2022/0100(COD)
2022/11/16 ENVI 174 amendments...
source: 738.632

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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  • The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Jessica POLFJÄRD (EPP, SE) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on substances that deplete the ozone layer and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009.
  • The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:
  • Subject matter
  • Members clarify that this Regulation lays down rules on the production, import, export, placing on the market, storage and further supply as well as use, recovery, recycling, reclamation and destruction of ozone depleting substances, on the reporting of information related to those substances and on the import, export, placing on the market, further supply and utilisation of products and equipment containing ozone depleting substances or whose functioning relies upon on those substances.
  • It should also apply to products and equipment, and parts thereof, containing ozone depleting substances or whose functioning relies partly or entirely on those substances.
  • Feedstock
  • The report includes additions and clarifications on feedstocks. It suggested that:
  • - the Commission should by 12 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation, adopt delegated acts to supplement this Regulation by establishing a list of ozone depleting substances listed in Annex I for which the use as feedstock is permitted, the respective feedstock uses
  • for each of those substances, and their emission level;
  • - by 1 January 2025 and every 2.5 years thereafter, the Commission should assess the current and future availability of alternatives to ozone depleting substances listed in Annex I for which the use as feedstock is permitted within the Union, taking into account scientific recommendations, the impacts in terms of ozone-depleting potential and the availability of more precise data on the greenhouse gas emissions from feedstock, technological developments resulting in the availability of technically feasible alternatives, and the energy use,
  • efficiency, economic feasibility and cost of those alternatives;
  • - containers containing ozone depleting substances intended for such uses should be labelled with a clear indication that the substance may only be used for the applicable purpose.
  • Declaration of conformity
  • Members also stated that undertakings which place on the market refillable containers for ozone depleting substances should produce a declaration of conformity that includes evidence confirming the arrangements in place for the return of that container for the purpose of refilling. Those arrangements should contain binding obligations for compliance by the supplier of those containers to end-users.
  • Release of ozone depleting substances and leakage checks
  • The report stressed that undertakings operating refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pump equipment, or fire protection systems, including their circuits, which contain ozone depleting substances should ensure that the stationary equipment or systems with a fluid charge of:
  • (a) 3 kg or more of ozone depleting substances are checked for leakage at least once every 12 months; this should not apply to equipment with hermetically sealed systems, which are labelled as such and contain less than 6 kg of controlled substances;
  • (b) 30 kg or more of ozone depleting substances are checked for leakage at least once every 6 months;
  • (c) 300 kg or more of ozone depleting substances are checked for leakage at least once every 3 months; and any detected leakage is repaired as soon as possible and in any event within 14 days; the equipment or system should be checked for leakage within 1 month after a leak has been repaired to ensure that the repair has been effective.
  • Penalties
  • In cases of unlawful production, import, export, placing on the market, or use of ozone depleting substances listed in Annex I or of products and equipment containing those substances or whose functioning relies upon those substances, Member States should envisage set out minimum administrative fines of at least four times the market value of the ozone depleting substances or products and equipment concerned and maximum administrative fines of at least six times the market value of the concerned substances or products and equipment concerned.
  • Review
  • By 1 January 2030, the Commission should present a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the implementation and effectiveness of this Regulation. The Commission should assess in particular the availability of alternatives to ozone depleting substances for which a derogation is granted under the Regulation. The Commission should also assess the impact of this Regulation on the fight against the illegal trade of ozone depleting substances.
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docs/0/summary
  • PURPOSE: to introduce new measures on substances that deplete the ozone layer to achieve a higher level of additional emission reductions and to align them with the European Green Deal.
  • PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament.
  • ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
  • BACKGROUND: due to global action taken against ozone depletion through the adoption of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987 (the Protocol), the ozone hole is on the way to recovery, provided that compliance with existing measures is ensured and any new challenges are swiftly addressed. Most ozone depleting substances have high global warming potential and are contributory factors towards increasing the temperature of the planet.
  • Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer (ODS Regulation) is the main instrument targeting ozone-depleting substances in the EU. While the ODS Regulation is still considered generally fit for purpose, it has been suggested that it could be better aligned with the European Green Deal and its design could be slightly improved.
  • A significant focus of the proposal is on increasing efficiency of the existing measures, rather than creating new ones. Therefore, by introducing new measures targeting products in which ODS were legally used in the past, the EU wants to prevent the equivalent of 180 million tonnes of CO2 and 32 000 tonnes of ozone depleting potential (ODP) emissions by 2050 .
  • This proposed Regulation has many similarities with the proposed Regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gas which is being revised in parallel. These two Regulations must jointly ensure that the Union complies with its obligations relating to hydrofluorocarbons and ozone depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol.
  • PURPOSE: the draft Regulation proposed by the Commission lays down rules on the production, import, export, placing on the market, further supply as well as use, recovery, recycling, reclamation and destruction of ozone depleting substances, on the reporting of information related to those substances and on the import, export, placing on the market, further supply and use of products and equipment containing ozone depleting substances or whose functioning relies upon on those substances.
  • It should apply to the ozone depleting substances listed in Annexes I and II and their isomers, whether alone or in a mixture and to products and equipment, and parts thereof, containing ozone depleting substances or whose functioning relies upon those substances.
  • More specifically, the proposal:
  • - maintains the current control system envisaged under the ODS Regulation, namely the general prohibitions on production, use and trade of ODS and products and equipment using ODS, and the applicable exemptions on a few uses where alternatives are not yet available (feedstock, process agents, essential analytical and laboratory uses);
  • - ensures the necessary alignments with more recent EU legislation , in particular Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases. To ensure consistency with this Regulation, importers and producers must provide eviden ce of destruction or recovery for subsequent use of trifluoromethane produced as a by-product in the production of ODS. The proposal also clarifies that, in general, the entry in the territory of non-refillable containers is prohibited, thus under any customs procedures;
  • - modernises the licensing system set out in the ODS Regulation to take into account its interconnection with the European Single Window Environment for Customs, which will allow for automatic customs controls per shipment. In this setup, importers and exporters of ozone depleting substances and products using such substances will only need to apply for ‘traders’ licenses , instead of per shipment licenses, since the European Single Window Environment for Customs, enables real-time checks on each shipment automatically. Industry and authorities would benefit from cost savings due to a modernised licensing system and the end of obsolete quota and registration requirements;
  • - clarifies the role of customs authorities and, where relevant, of market surveillance authorities, in implementing the prohibitions and restrictions set out in the proposed Regulation and strengthens their powers to prevent illegal trade of ODS ;
  • - requires the recovery or destruction of ODS contained in certain types of foams used as isolation materials in building, from construction and demolition. The destruction of halons is prohibited under the proposal to ensure that, where possible, it is recovered and re-used thereby preventing the need for future production of halon for critical uses. The leakage obligations set out the ODS Regulation have been simplified taking into account the prohibition to use ODS to refill products and equipment except for the use of halons in fire protection systems for critical uses;
  • - improves enforcement and monitoring : measures would be introduced to tackle illegal activities, similar to those proposed in the F-gases Regulation. The scope of reporting would be extended to a wider range of substances and activities to better understand residual ODS trade, emissions and future risks;
  • - establishes that the level and type of administrative penalties for infringements of the Regulation must be effective, dissuasive and proportionate and should also take into account relevant criteria (such as the nature and gravity of the infringement).