Ireland had a key part in negotiations to control greenhouse gas emissions, writes Deaglán de Bréadún, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, in Strasbourg
An Irish MEP has played a leading role in negotiations on an agreement for new EU legislation to control fluorinated greenhouse gases, which continued with its final, third-reading stage at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week.
Fluorinated gases or "F-gases" are extremely powerful and long-lived greenhouse gases used in refrigeration, air conditioning, fire-fighting equipment, electrical transmission systems or "switch-gear", and various industrial processes. They are also used in footwear - so-called "air" runners for jogging - certain types of aerosol, self-chilling drinks cans, and double-glazed windows.
Member of the European Parliament Avril Doyle of Fine Gael has been central to the negotiations on the control of F-gases. "They are in a huge range of equipment and implements and most of us are not even aware of it," Doyle says.
"Whereas they constitute only five per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, they are 20,000 times as harmful to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and have a very long half-life."
The issue first came up in 2003, during the term of the previous European Parliament, and the first reading of the original draft proposal from the Commission was passed shortly before the 2004 European elections. Mrs Doyle, who is leader of the Irish delegation in the European People's Party, took over as chief spokesperson for the Parliament on this issue early in the current term.
In July 2005, the Council of Environment Ministers split the original proposal into two pieces of legislation, one on air-conditioning in cars, the second on all other industrial uses of F-gases. But already Austria and Denmark were well advanced with their own controls and the fear was that these would have to be softened to meet the requirements of the internal market. A war of words raged for several months as a result.
Doyle led the negotiations on behalf of the Parliament with the Council of Environment Ministers and the Commission to resolve the outstanding issues. She said that, among the key points agreed through conciliation were:
First, appliances containing fluorinated gases can be put on the market only if they have clear, indelible labels naming the gases and their quantities, and referring to the Kyoto Protocol;
Second, clear time-lines have now been given to the motor industry to phase out the use of the more harmful F-gases in vehicles where air conditioning systems emit greenhouse gases beyond a certain limit;
Third, in addition to Austria and Denmark, other countries, such as Sweden, for example, can now apply to the Commission for sanction to fast-track stricter emission standards.
But a last-minute difficulty arose on Tuesday night because of a Commission declaration which, according to Doyle, compromised the spirit of the conciliation agreement by interpreting the derogation given to Austria and Denmark too narrowly. "Effectively the declaration means that the Commission will have more scope to potentially strike down the Austrian and Danish legislation."
Accordingly she requested and received
a postponement of the vote at the Parliament but she expected that it would go ahead today, once the difficulties were resolved.