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Parliamentary question - E-011024/2012Parliamentary question
E-011024/2012

HFO-1234yf coolant

Question for written answer E-011024-12
to the Commission
Rule 117
Andrea Češková (ECR)

By joint decision of the European Parliament and the Council, on 17 May 2006 the directive relating to emissions from air conditioning systems in motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC was adopted. This directive lays down requirements concerning air conditioning systems installed in vehicles and the safe operation of these systems, with a view to limiting emissions of certain fluorinated greenhouse gases from air conditioning systems. Commission Regulation No 706/2007 and Commission Directive 2007/37/EC are other pieces of legislation that regulate air conditioning systems.

This legislative framework sets such rigid criteria for air conditioning systems and the emissions that they release that the only coolant able to meet them is the newly developed HFO‐1234yf. However, standard testing carried out by a German automobile manufacturer demonstrated that this coolant is highly flammable, and therefore unsuitable for ordinary use. In view of these disturbing findings, the HFO‐1234yf coolant is currently undergoing independent testing.

In this connection, I should like to ask the Commission to provide an answer to each of the following questions:

OJ C 339 E, 20/11/2013