Fluorinated greenhouse gases (Regulation No. 517/2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases and repealing Regulation (EC) No 842/2006)

20.5.2014           EN                           Official Journal of the European Union                                            L 150/195


             REGULATION (EU) No 517/2014 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
                                                            of 16 April 2014
                         on fluorinated greenhouse gases and repealing Regulation (EC) No 842/2006
                                                        (Text with EEA relevance)


     THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

     Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1) thereof,

     Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

     After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

     Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1),

     After consulting the Committee of the Regions,

     Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (2),

     Whereas:

     (1)    The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (‘IPCC’) of the United Nations
            Framework Convention on Climate Change (‘UNFCCC’), to which the Union is party (3), stated that, on the basis of
            existing scientific data, developed countries would need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 % to 95 %
            below 1990 levels by 2050 to limit global climate change to a temperature increase of 2 °C and thus prevent
            undesirable climate effects.

     (2)    To reach this target, the Commission adopted a Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in
            2050, which was noted by the Council in its Conclusions of 17 May 2011, and endorsed by the European
            Parliament in its Resolution of 15 March 2012. In that Roadmap, the Commission laid out a cost-effective way of
            achieving the necessary overall emission reductions in the Union by 2050. That roadmap establishes the sectoral
            contributions needed in six areas. Non-CO2 emissions, including fluorinated greenhouse gases but excluding non-
            CO2 emissions from agriculture, should be reduced by 72 % to 73 % by 2030 and by 70 % to 78 % by 2050,
            compared to 1990 levels. If based on the reference year 2005, a reduction in non-CO2 emissions, except those
            from agriculture, of 60 % to 61 % by 2030 is required. Fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions were estimated at 90
            million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 equivalent in 2005. A 60 % reduction means that emissions would have to be reduced
            to approximately 35 Mt of CO2 equivalent by 2030. Given estimated emissions of 104 Mt of CO2 equivalent in
            2030 based on the full application of current Union legislation, a further decrease of approximately 70 Mt of CO2
            equivalent is required.

     (3)    The Commission report of 26 September 2011 on the application, effects and adequacy of Regulation (EC) No
            842/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) concluded that the current containment measures, if
            fully applied, have the potential to reduce emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases. Those measures should
            therefore be maintained and clarified on the basis of the experience gained in implementing them. Certain
            measures should also be extended to other appliances in which substantial quantities of fluorinated greenhouse
            gases are used, such as refrigerated trucks and trailers. The obligation to establish and maintain records of