INFORMATION BULLETIN
Date: 11 July 2008
Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960
Launch of public consultation on F Gas Regulations 2008
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is today launching a public consultation on proposals for certification and qualification requirements for F gases and other ozone-depleting substances.
The consultation seeks views on how best to meet EC Regulations in relation to certain F gases which aim to improve reporting, leakage checking, labelling, company certification and personnel registration requirements for equipment involving F gases in five industrial (F gas usage) sectors. The sectors include: (a) fire protection, (b) mobile air-conditioning, (c) High Voltage switchgear, (d) solvent cleaning, and (e) stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning.
The new F gas qualifications also cover working with ozone-depleting substances. The proposals look to address the need for personnel to have qualifications to work with these gases.
Views and comments are invited by 3 October 2008 on both of the proposed Regulations and the associated Partial Impact Assessment.
This consultation is available on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/fgas-ozone/
Notes to Editors
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This consultation is in response to EC Regulation 842/2006 on the certification and qualification requirements for certain fluorinated greenhouse gases and associated Commission Regulations. It also seeks opinion on proposed Ozone-Depleting Substances (Qualifications) Regulations.
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An earlier Defra consultation set out implementation options and proposals for Regulations prescribing offences and penalties applicable to infringements of EC Regulation 842/2006. Following further Commission Regulations, which flesh out the legal obligations in the EC Regulation in respect of further implementation measures, the Government is seeking to transpose these minimum requirements and implement new qualfications for each sector, making use of the relevant transitional periods provided for in the relevant Commission Regulations.
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The Ozone Depleting Substances (Qualifications) Regulations (SI 2006/1510), as amended, are being revoked and remade to take newly proposed qualifications into account. As such, holders of these qualifications can continue to work with ozone-depleting substances. It is highly unlikely that new personnel will work only with ozone-depleting substances, so they will always need a qualification that permits them to work with F gases.
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Page published: 11 July 2008