Document DDnBErvzzoLddGBGz7Y4dKkn

PF Sant Publique - FOD Volksgezondheid) From: Sent: To: Subject: .BRUEEU WI-UMW-1-EU > jeudi, 30 mars 2023 16:57 INFO: POLITICO Pro Sustainability Insights: F-gas phaseout CLIMATE POLICY F-GASES VOTE: The European Parliament today voted in favor of phasing out a class of F-gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 2050. The parliamentary report, penned by the Greens MEP Bas Eickhout, was passed with 426 votes in favor, 109 opposed and 52 abstentions. MEPs also favored closely monitoring the regulation's impact to ensure it won't derail heat pump deployment across the bloc. Reminder: Fluorinated greenhouse gases, known as F-gases, are used in national power grids and are also found in appliances ranging from fire extinguishers to heat pumps. They account for about 2.5 percent of EU greenhouse-gas emissions and, despite being ozone-friendly, have a global-warming potential up to 23,000 times that of CO2. Many of these chemicals are also per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals or PFAS. Our colleague Zia has more here. Last-minute tussle: The accelerated phaseout proposed by Eickhout left some industry voices concerned that a ban could delay the rollout of lower-carbon technologies. That worry was echoed by MEPs at a plenary debate Wednesday evening, where right-wing MEPs pushed a flurry of amendments to delay the phaseout. Identity and Democracy group MEP Danilo Oscar Lancini said the text -- if adopted in its current form -- would lead to a "significant shrinking of the turnover of leading Italian companies, will compromise jobs in Europe and will shift investment outside the EU." Thinking European: Eikhout, the file's lead MEP, said European companies are "ready" for the shift away from F-gases -- and that to push for a delay to the phaseout is to defend "American and Japanese companies who like to sell some of these chemicals ... That's what you're aiming for ... We are aiming here for European Innovation." Many European companies are "already at the forefront of this development and will benefit from it," he added in a statement following the vote today. 1