Notice to users of controlled substances in the European Community allowed for essential uses in the Community in 2004 under Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council on substances that deplete the ozone layer(1)

(2003/C 162/08)

This Notice concerns the following substances:

- chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 11, 12, 113, 114 and 115,

- other fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons,

- carbon tetrachloride,

- halons,

- 1,1,1 trichloroethane,

- hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs).

This Notice is addressed to undertakings that intend to:

1. use the above substances within the Community for the manufacture of metered dose inhalers (MDIs);

2. acquire the above substances for laboratory and analytical uses directly from a producer or by import into the Community.

Controlled substances for essential uses may be obtained from production within the Community and if necessary by import from sources outside the Community.

Decision IV/25 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer sets out criteria and a procedure for determining "essential uses" for which continued production and consumption would be allowed after phase-out.

Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 as amended in Regulation (EC) No 2038/2000, requires the determination of quantities for essential uses of the abovementioned controlled substances which may be permitted in the Community in 2004, in accordance with Decision IV/25 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.

Decision XIV/14 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol authorised the levels of production and consumption necessary to satisfy essential uses of CFCs for metered dose inhalers (MDIs) for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. For the production of MDIs in the European Community in 2004, the quantity of CFCs 11, 12, 113 and 114 authorised by the Parties is 1884000,00 kilograms (one million eight hundred and eighty four thousand).

In accordance with Decision VI/9 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, the purity of controlled substances for laboratory purposes should be at least 99,0 % for 1,1,1-trichloroethane and 99,5 % for CFCs and carbon tetrachloride.

The procedure allocating quantities of controlled substances for the above essential uses carried out under Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 and Regulation (EC) No 2038/2000 is the following:

1. An enterprise that has not been issued with a quota in 2003 and that requests consideration by the Commission for an essential use quota for the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 should make itself known to the Commission no later than 22 August 2003: Ozone Layer Protection European Commission Directorate-General Environment

Unit ENV.C.2 - Climate change

BU5 2/27

B - 1049 Brussels Fax (32-2) 299 87 64 E-mail: env-ods@cec.eu.int

2. Essential use applications may be made by any user of substances listed at the beginning of this Notice for MDIs or for laboratory uses. For CFCs for MDIs, each applicant should provide the information requested on the spreadsheet available on the website http://europa.eu. int/comm/environment/ods/home/home.cfm. For laboratory uses, each applicant should provide the information requested in the spreadsheet on the website.

A copy of the application should also be sent to the competent authority of the Member State (refer to Annex I for appropriate address).

3. Only applications received by 22 August 2003 will be considered by the Commission in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000.

4. Following the above procedure, the Commission on the basis of a Decision will notify applicants of the quantities of controlled substances authorised in the Community for 2004 for which production and importation of controlled substances will be permitted.

5. The Commission will then issue quotas to those users and shall notify them of the use for which they have authorisation, the substance they are authorised to use and the quantity of the controlled substances concerned.

6. Those users holding an essential use quota for a controlled substance for 2004 will be able to make a request to a Community producer via the website or, if necessary, request an import licence from the Commission for a controlled substance up to their quota limit. The producer may be authorised by the competent authority of the Member State in which its relevant production is situated to produce the controlled substance for meeting that licensed demand. The competent authority of the Member State shall notify the Commission well in advance of any such authorisation.

(1) OJ L 244, 29.9.2000, p. 1, as last amended by Regulation (EC) 2039/00 (OJ L 244, 29.9.2000, p. 26).

ALLEGATO I / /ANEXO I / /ANEXO I / /ANNEX I / /ANNEXE I / /ANHANG I / /BIJLAGE I / /BILAG I / /BILAGA I / /LIITE I / /ΠΑΡΑΡΤΗΜΑ I

ÖSTERREICH

Herrn Dr. Paul Krajnik Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft Abteilung Chemikalien Stubenbastei 5 A - 1010 Wien

BELGIQUE/BELGÏE

Mr Roland Marijnissen Ministère fédéral des affaires sociales de la santé publique et de l'environnement Cité administrative de l'État 19, boulevard Pacheco - boîte 5 B - 1010 Bruxelles/Brussels

DANMARK

Mikkel Aaman Sørensen Miljøstyrelsen (EPA) Strandgade 29 DK - 1401 København K

SUOMI/FINLAND

Eliisa Irpola Suomen Ympäristökeskus (SYKE) Kemikaaliyksikkö Kesäkatu 6 FIN - 00121 Helsinki

FRANCE

Mme Claude Putavy Ministère de l'écologie et du développement durable DRPR/BSPC 20, avenue de Ségur F - 75302 Paris 07 SP

DEUTSCHLAND

Herrn Rolf Engelhardt Bundesministerium für Umwelt Abteilung IG 11 5 Postfach 120629 D - 53048 Bonn

ΕΛΛΑΣ

Mrs Elpida Politis Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works International Activities and EEC Department 17 Ameliedos Street GR - 115 23 Athens

IRELAND

Mr Patrick O'Sullivan

Inspector (Environment)

Dept of Environment and Local Government Custom House Dublin 1 Ireland

ITALIA

Mr Alessandro Peru Dept of Global Environment, International and Regional Conventions Via Cristoforo Colombo 44 I - 00147 Roma

LUXEMBOURG

Mr Pierre Dornseiffer Administration de l'Environnement Division Air/Brut 16, rue Eugene Ruppert L - 2453 Luxembourg

PORTUGAL

Dra. Cristina Vaz Nunes Ministério do Ambiente Rua da Murgueira-Zambujal P - 2721-865 Amadora

ESPAÑA

Sra D.a María Teresa Barres Dirección General de Calidad y Evaluación Ambiental Ministerio de Medio Ambiente Pza. San Juan de la Cruz s/n E - 28071 Madrid

SVERIGE

Ms Maria Ujfalusi Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Naturvårdsverket Blekholmsterassen 36 S - 106 48 Stockholm

NEDERLAND

Mr M. Hildebrand Ministry of Environment Rijnstraat 8 2500 GX Den Haag Nederland

UNITED KINGDOM

Mrs Maria Nolan Global Atmosphere Division

UK Dept of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

3rd floor - zone 3/A3

Ashdown House

123 Victoria Street

London SW1E 6DE United Kingdom