Within 25 years, the so-called F-gases will no longer be permitted in the EU. On Tuesday, the European Parliament in Strasbourg approved an agreement previously reached with European environment ministers, prepared by Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout (GreenLeft). The text provides for a gradual reduction and complete phase-out of "chlorofluorocarbons" by 2050.
Strict requirements will also be introduced to ban products with F-gases on the EU market. This will apply in sectors where it is technologically and economically feasible to switch to alternatives. These sectors include air conditioning, heat pumps, and household refrigeration, according to the new European legislation.
In its original proposal, the European Commission did not push for a complete phase-out of F-gases. For Eickhout, a full stop was one of the most important additions. The MEPs also approved an agreement to reduce ozone-depleting substances.
Eickhout emphasized the importance of the legislation: “We are now sending a clear message to the market: switch to clean alternatives. This is not only crucial for the climate but also beneficial for the European industry, which can maintain its leadership in producing clean products.”
The phase-out of F-gases is also linked to the ongoing discussion about PFAS, a group of chemicals that barely decompose in the environment and are harmful to health. As alternatives to now-banned F-greenhouse gases, the chemical industry introduced a new generation of gases, often containing PFAS.
The Parliament wanted to eliminate these, but some EU countries strongly opposed this. In the end, a compromise was reached whereby a ban on PFAS gases will apply primarily to smaller household appliances but not for industrial use.