Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 June 2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer^f1, and in particular Article 3(1) thereof,

Whereas:

The Community has already phased out the production and consumption of chlorofluorocarbons, other fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, hydrobromofluorocarbon and bromochloromethane.

Each year the Commission is required to determine essential uses for these controlled substances, the quantities that may be used and the companies that may use them.

Decision IV/25 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, hereinafter ‘the Montreal Protocol’, sets out the criteria used by the Commission for determining any essential uses and authorises the production and consumption necessary to satisfy essential uses of controlled substances in each Party.

Decision XIX/13 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol authorises the production in the European Community of 200 tonnes of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in 2008 for the manufacturing and use of Metered-Dose Inhalers (MDIs) qualifying for essential uses of CFCs as defined in Decision IV/25.

Decision XIX/18 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol authorises the production and consumption necessary to satisfy essential uses of controlled substances listed in Annexes A, B and C (Group II and III substances) of the Montreal Protocol for laboratory and analytical uses as listed in Annex IV to the report of the Seventh Meeting of the Parties, subject to the conditions set out in Annex II to the report of the Sixth Meeting of the Parties, as well as Decisions VII/11, XI/15 and XV/5 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol. Decision XVII/10 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol authorises the production and consumption of the controlled substance listed in Annex E of the Montreal Protocol necessary to satisfy laboratory and analytical uses of methyl bromide.

Pursuant to paragraph 3 of Decision XII/2 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on measures to facilitate the transition to chlorofluorocarbon-free MDIs, all Member States have notified^f2 the United Nations Environment Programme the active ingredients for which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are no longer essential for the manufacture of CFC-MDIs for placing on the market of the European Community.

Article 4(4)(i)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 prevents CFCs from being used and placed on the market unless they are considered essential under the conditions described in Article 3(1) of that Regulation. These non-essentiality determinations have therefore reduced the demand for CFCs used in MDIs that are placed on the market of the European Community. In addition, Article 4(6) of Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 prevents CFC-MDI products being imported and placed on the market unless the CFCs in these products are considered essential under the conditions described in Article 3(1).

The Commission has published a Notice^f3 on the 18 July 2007 to those companies in the Community of 27 Member States that request consideration by the Commission for the use of controlled substances for essential uses in the Community in 2008 and has received declarations on intended essential uses of controlled substances for 2008.

For the purpose of ensuring that interested companies and operators may continue to benefit in due time from the licensing system, it is appropriate that the present decision shall apply from 1 January 2008.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee established by Article 18(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: