THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed a schedule for eliminating substances
that deplete stratospheric ozone which is considerably tougher than the
schedule already approved by European environment ministers. The new proposal,
if approved by the ministers, would give Europe the world鈥檚 strongest provisions
for saving the ozone layer.
Last December, the environment ministers made an official proposal to
the UN Environment Programme to strengthen the Montreal Protocol for banning
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons, thought to be the chief depleters
of stratospheric ozone.
The environment ministers鈥� official proposal is to ban all fully halogenated
CFCs (not just the five listed on the protocol) by the year 2000 and to
ban halons by 2005. It also adds two new substances to the list: carbon
tetrachloride, to be banned by 2000, and methyl chloroform, to be frozen
at 1986 levels of production by 1992 and reduced later as ways of replacing
it emerge.
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Last week, however, the commission, the Community鈥檚 executive arm, approved
a tougher schedule for use in Europe. It wants CFCs banned by 1998, halons
by 2000, carbon tetrachloride by 1998, and the production of methyl chloroform
cut to 60 per cent of 1986 levels by 2000.
It is not clear why the commission has proposed a different schedule
for Europe, only a month after the deadline for proposals to change the
protocol. To take effect, the schedule must be approved by the environment
ministers, who meet next in March. The ministers are likely to postpone
discussing any schedules until after a new Montreal Protocol is decided
in June.
The commission鈥檚 proposal does not mean the total elimination of CFCs,
since it allows 鈥榚ssential uses鈥� to continue after 1998.
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