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COM(79)242
Vol.1979/0097

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(79)242 final.
Brussels,14May1979
Proposalfora
COUNCILDECISION
concerningchlorofluorocarbons intheenvironment A
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission )
/ζ" "'Α
As -V;sJv,-a
'i- -•
V ■I-,
COM(79)242final.

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. Council Resolution of30May 1978 onfluorocarbons inthe environment .
On30May1978,theCouncil adop|e ^thefollowing resolution on
fluorocarbons inthe environment :
(i) Theproblems oftheeffects offluorocarbons ontheozone
layer and ofultraviolet radiation onhealth cannot be
ignored .Insofar asMember States arecarrying out
research onthese problems nationally ,itisdesirable
that they should cooperate onaCommunity basis in
planning this research andinmaking available and
interpreting theresults .TheCommunity ofcourse
recognizes theoverall coordinating role ofUNEP (United
Nations Environment Programme )inrelation ,toresearch .
(ii) Immediate steps should betaken toencourage alltheaerosol
andplastic foam industries using chlorofluorocarbons P–11
(CC13F )andF-12 (CC12F2 )tointensify research into
alternative products and topromote thedevelopment of
alternative methods ofapplication .
(iii) Immediate steps should betaken toencourage themanufacturers
andusers ofequipment containing chlorofluorocarbons F–11
andF-12 toeliminate thedischarge ofthese compounds .
•••/•••
(*) O.J. No.C133of7June 1978 .

(iv; Allappropriate measures should "betaken toensure that
theindustry situated within theCommunity does not increase
itsproduction capacity inrespect ofchlorofluorocarbons
F–11and F-12 .
(v) Inthesecond half of1978 theeffect offluorocarbons on
theenvironment will "bere-examined inthelight ofthe
information then available with aview toarriving ata
Community policy .
2. Common position of6December 1978 *
Inthelight ofpoint (v)oftheresolution andwith aview totaking
aconcerted line attheInternational Conference onChlorofluoromethanes ,
held inMunich from 6–8December 1978 ,thefollowing common position
wasagreed byMember States on6December ,1978 /
(i) Thestarting-point foracommon position should bethe
Council Resolution of30May1978 .
(ii) Point 5of Council Resolution states that "inthesecond
half of1978 theeffect offluorcarbons ontheenvironment
will bere–examined inthelight ofthe information then
available with aview toarriving ataCommunity policy ".
Member States declare that areduction inthe use ofCPC's
isdesirable asaprecautionary measure .
Within theframework oftheEuropean Economic Community such
areduction will besought onthebasis ofaCommunity policy
aimed particularly ataerosols .(iv
(v
«
•••/•••
YR/335V78(ENV208),8December 1978 .

(iii Member States are confident that
achieving areduction intheuse
taken "byother countries .measures aimed at
ofCFC*s will also "be
(iv) Continuing consideration vail hegiven bytheCommunity
tothefluorocarbon question ,which maylead tothe
adoption offurther appropriate measures inthelight of
the scientific and economic evidence available .
Results ofInternational Conference onChlorofluoromethanes ,held
inMunich 6–8 December 1978 .
TheInternational Conference onChlorofluoromethanes took place in
Munich ,December 6–8 ,1978 attheinvitation oftheFederal Republic
ofGermany .Thefollowing countries andorganizations participated :
Australia ,Belgium ,Canada ,Denmark ,France ,Italy ,Netherlands ,Norway ,
Sweden ,Switzerland ,United Kingdom ,United States ofAmerica ,
Yugoslavia ,OECD ,UNEP andtheCommission oftheEuropean Communities .
TheConference adopted recommendations relating to :
(i) Theproblem ofozone depletion andassociated hazards .
(ii) Economic questions andanalysis ofeconomic consequences ;
questions oftrade ,and
(iii) Alternatives forPoliticai Decisions .
Thefull text ofrecommendation (iii),which like theother
recommendations ,wasadopted unanimously ,wasasfollows :

4.
(i) Theproblems oftheeffects ofchlorofluorocarbons onthe
ozone layer and ofultraviolet radiation onhealth cannot
"beignored .Theconference recommends that ,asa
precautionary measure ,there should "beaglo"bal reduction
inthe release ofCFC's.Ittherefore calls onall
governments ,industry andother "bodies towork towards the
goal ofachieving asignificant reduction intherelease
ofCFC*sinthenext fewyears inrelation to1975 data .
(ii) Theconference recognizes that intheli^rt ofnewand
convincing scientific evidence decisive reductions intheuse
ofCFC'swill "benecessary .
c>
(iii) Inseeking thereductions inCFCreleases mentioned above ,the
governments concerned should attempt toachieve themaximum
possible international harmonization ofmeasures toensure ,
byjoint efforts ,themost effective approaches totheproblem
and toavoid barriers totrade .
(iv) Immediate steps should betaken toencourage alltheaerosol
andplastic foam industries using chlorofluorocarbons F–11and
F-12 tointensify research into alternative products andto
promote thedevelopment ofalternative methods ofapplication .
(v) Immediate steps should betaken toencourage manufacturers
andusers ofequipment containing chlorofluor carbons F-11 and
F-12 toeliminate thedischarge ofthese compounds .
ι
•••/•••

5-
4. Meeting ofCouncil of18and 19December 1978 .
Atthemeeting oftheEnvironment Council ,held on18and19December
1978 ,theGerman Delegation reported ontheresults oftheInternational
Conference onChiorofluorome thanes ,which washeld inMunich ,
6–8 December 1978 .
TheCouncil noted this report "bytheGerman delegation .Onthe "basis
ofthescientific data andrecommendations put forward attheMunich
Conference ,theGerman delegation requested theCouncil toaskthe
Commission tolook into thepossibilities ofharmonizing themeasures
aimed atreducing theuseoffluorocarbons ,while "bearing inmind
the following factors :
(a) theMember States could take allnecessary steps to
reduce theuseoffluorocarbons inaerosols by3055
compared tothe1975 level ,before 1January 1981 ;
(b) during thefirst sixmonths of1981 »a-*1examination
should becarried outatCommunity level toseewhether
thereduction suggested in(a)above hadbeen achieved ;
(c) during thefirst sixmonths of1981 ,anexamination
should also becarried out tosee what new measures should
beenvisaged inthe light ofthe latest available
scientific data ;
(d) ifnewscientific data should suggest anincrease
ofthedanger ofpollution byfluorocarbons ,measures
should beadopted toreduce still more theuse of
products containing fluorocarbons .
•••/•••(a)
0>)
(e)
(d)

TheCouncil asked theCommission tomake concrete proposals ,
attheearliest opportunity ,tearing theresults oftheMunich
Conference inmind .These proposals oraprogress report could
hesubmitted tothenext meeting oftheEnvironemnt Council .
The draft décision .
Inthe ligjit oftheCouncil 'sinvitation referred toinparagraph
4above ,adraft Council decision has "been prepared .Given that
this proposition is "based onArticle 235oftheEECTreaty ,the
European Parliament must "beconsulted .The consultation ofthe
Economic and Social Committee issuitable . .

PROPOSAL FORA
CouncilDecisionconcerningChlorofluorocarbons mtheEnvironment
TIHDCOUNCILOPTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomic
Community,andinparticularArticle235thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropeanParliament,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
Whereas,asstatedintheresolutionoftheCounciloftheEuropean
Communities andoftheRepresentatives oftheGovernments ofthe
MemberStatesmeetingwithintheCouncilof17May1977onthe
continuation andimplementation ofaEuropeanCommunitypolicyand
actionprogrammeontheenvironment (l),itisnecessarytoreview
continuously atCommunityleveltheimpactofchemicalsonthe
environment ;
WhereastheResolutionoftheCouncilof30May1978onfluorocarbons
intheenvironment (2)statesthattheproblemsoftheeffectsof
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)ontheozonelayerandofultraviolet
radiationonhealthcannotbeignored;
WhereasareductionintheproductionofCFCshasalreadybeenachieved;
(1)O.J.vo.C139of13June1977,p.1
(2)O.J.No.C133of7June1978,p.1

WhereastheMemberStates,inaccordancewiththetermsofthe
Resolutionof30May1978,adoptedacommonpositionon6December1978concerni
CFCs_intheenvironment,tobeputtotheInternational Conferenceon
Chiorofluoromethanes heldinMunich6-8December;andwhereasthat
Conferenceadoptedcertainrecommendations ,andinparticular
Recommendation IIIrelatingtoalternatives forpoliticaldecisions:
Whereas,inaccordancewiththecommonpositionofMemberStates
of6December1978andinaccordancewithRecommendation IIIofthe
MunichConference ,asignificantreductionintheuseofCFCsgiving
risetoemissionsshouldbeachievedinthenextfewyears;and
whereas suchareductionshouldbesoughtonthebasisofa
policywithreferencetotheuseofCFCsinaerosols;
Whereas,inmakingthereductionintheuseofCFCs,Member
StatesshouldconsultwiththeCommissioninordertosecurethat
theirmeasuresareinharmony,donotadverselyaffecttheproper
functioning ofthecommonmarketandavoidthecreationofbarriers
totrade;
Whereas,sincethe
provisionsinthis
itisnecessarytospecificpowersofactionrequiredtoadoptthe
DecisionhavenotbeenprovidedforintheTreaty,
invokeArticle235thereof;

HASADOPTEDTHISDECISION :
Article 1
MemberStatesshalltakeallappropriate measurestoensure
thattheindustrysituatedintheirterritorydoesnotincreaseits
productioncapacityinrespectofchlorofluorocarbons ;
Article2
MemberStatesshalltakeallnecessarystepstoachieve
by31December1981areductionof30$intheuseofchlorofluoro­
carbonsinaerosolsinrelationto1976levelsofuse.
Article3
IntakingthemeasuresforthereductionmentionedinArticle2,M-ember
StatesshallconsultwiththeCommissionwithaviewtoensuringthat
suchmeasures areconsistentwiththeproperfunctioningofthe
commonmarket.
Article4
MemberStatesshallprovidetheCommissionwiththenecessary
datarelatingtotheuseofchlorofluorocarbons inaerosolsnotlaterthan
30June1982inordertopermittheCommissiontoverifywhetherthe
reductionreferredtoinArticle2hasbeenachievedinrelationto
eachMemberState.
Article5
Inthecourseofthefirsthalfof19°2,themeasurestobe
takenwillbere-examinedinthelightofthescientificandeconomic
evidenceavailable.Tothisend,MemberStatesshallprovidethe
Commissionwiththeresultsofanystudyofresearchinthisfieldwhichbecome
availabletothem.TheCouncilshalladoptnotlaterthan31December1982/
onaproposalfromtheCommission ,suchfurthermeasuresasmaybe
necessaryinthelightofthisreexamination .
Article6
TheDecisionisaddressedtotheMemberStates.