. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/EEC/38
17 October 2003
(03-5513)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:
European Commission,
EC-TBT Enquiry Point,
Fax:  0032 2 299 80 43,
E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [ X ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):
1. Certain motor vehicles with air-conditioning systems which contain refrigerant with
a global warming potential higher than 150.
2. Non-refillable containers containing fluorinated gases, except dose inhalers and
non-refillable containers used in laboratory for analytical purposes.
3. Non-confined direct-evaporation equipmen t and products containing fluorinated gas
refrigerants.
4. Fire protection systems and fire exti nguishers containing perfluorocarbons.
5. Windows containing fluorinated gases.
6. Footwear containing fluorinated gases.
7. One component foams containing hydr ofluorocarbons, except when the use of
hydrofluorocarbons is required to meet national safety standards.
8. Certain novelty aerosols containing hydrofluorocarbons.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposal for a
regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain fluorinated greenhouse
gases (42 pages in English - also availabl e in Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Finnish,
French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish).G/TBT/N/EEC/38
Page 2
6. Description of content:   The proposed regulation shall apply to the containment, the use
and the placing on the market of fluorinated greenhouses gases. The regulation will
introduce measures aimed at reducing emissions of fluorinated greenhouses gases, including
measures to improve the containment of fluorinated gases, data reporting requirements and
certain marketing and use restrictions.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The proposal aims at making a significant contribution towards the European Community’s
Kyoto Protocol emissions reduction target by in troducing cost-effective measures to reduce
fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions.  Assu ming no additional measures were taken,
emissions in the European Community were forecast to increase from 65 million tonnes of
carbon dioxide equivalent in 1995 to 98 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in
2010.  The proposed regulation is expected to reduce emissions by around 23 million tonnes
of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2010.
8. Relevant documents:   Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the
Council on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases (COM(2003) 492).
Related documents are available on the following internet address :
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/whatsnew.htm
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Third quarter of 2004
Proposed date of entry into force:  End of 2004
10. Final date for comments:   90 days from the date of notification.
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:
European Commission,
EC-TBT Enquiry Point,
Fax: 0032 2 299 80 43,
E-mail: ec-tbt@cec.eu.int