Legal Regulations in the World
About 100 countries gathered for the first time in 1987 in Montreal, Canada, prepared and signed the contract called the (UNEP 1987) Montreal Protocol in order to take control in issues such as the production and use of refrigerants, protection of ozone layer, and reduction of the greenhouse effect. In subsequent meetings held in London in 1990 and Copenhagen in 1992, it was found necessary to take new and stricter measures regarding the production and use of CFC type fluids and a new calendar was agreed upon. Our country have signed both protocols, announced them in the official gazette and thus enacted them. Despite the fact that the year 2000 was determined in the Montreal protocol, the US congress has ended the production and use of CFC type refrigerants as of 1.1.1996. This was also included in the 1992 Copenhagen protocol. Other developed countries have also implemented this. Since our country has the status of a developing country, the determined calendar will be implemented with a 10-year delay. This date is 2010 according to the Montreal protocol and must be the end of 2005 based on the Copenhagen protocol revision.
In the period defined as the transition period which allows the use of HCFC type refrigerants (the most widely used one is HCFC-22 [R-12]) until 2030, production of Equipment and Refrigerants will be in decreasing quantities based on a calendar. Therefore;
For developed countries:
65% of the capacity determined for that country until 2004; 35% of the capacity determined for that country until 2010; 10% of the capacity determined for that country until 2015; 5% of the capacity determined for that country until 2020; and zero level until 2030.
Also, no new cooling equipment will be manufactured that requires new HCFC refrigerant production as of 2010. However, HCFC-22 refrigerant production will continue until 2020 to be used for the service-maintenance needs of existing HCFC-operated cooling systems.
For developing countries:
It has been decided to freeze the HCFC refrigerant production at the determined production level in 2016, to stop the HCFC refrigerant production completely in 2040, and to leave the production cut-off rates open for the period 2016-2040 to be determined later. Countries that signed the Montreal Protocol develop and implement new programs in line with their own national policies in addition to the sanctions stipulated by the protocol. Therefore, the rate of decrease in the CFC consumption quantities varies in each country. Consumption rates of CFC-containing refrigerants between the years 1986-1993 of the USA, Japan and EU countries, which are categorized as developed countries, can shed light on this issue. Between 1993-1996, there was a 50% decrease in consumption amounts in the USA (from 132 kt to 65 kt) while there was a 33% decrease in Japan (from 24.3 kt to 17 kt). On the other hand, these substances increased from 29.9 kt to 35.6 kt, and an increase of 20% was observed in EU countries. The main reason for this difference is due to the large differences in government programs. Some governments have taken the most drastic measures, imposed high taxes, introduced legal regulations that will not allow gaps, predicted a supply restriction below the amounts stipulated by the Montreal Protocol, and encouraged the use of safer alternatives.
European Union Regulations
European Union put into effect the Montreal Protocol with a series of regulations that have the force of law in the member states of the Community. Original Montreal protocol entered into force in September 1988 with the European Community Law No. 3322/88. However, the laws have been updated many times since then, as the member states of the community act faster than the Protocol.
Reuse of recovered and cleaned CFC in existing devices was prohibited in July 2001, under the law no. 2037/2000 which is still in force.
The decision to stop HCFC production gradually was made in 2001, and the deadline was determined as 2010. As of 2010, only recovered and cleaned HCFC can be used in facilities, and the use of HCFC will be completely prohibited in 2015.
With the law no. 2037/2000, certain restrictions were imposed on the sale of new systems and products with HCFC. These limitations are as follows:
- Prohibition of the use of HCFC in cooling-only air-conditioning plants with a cooling capacity greater than 100 kW, effective date January 1
- Prohibition of the use of HCFC in cooling-only air-conditioning plants with a cooling capacity smaller than 100 kW, effective date July 1
- Prohibition of the use of HCFC in air-conditioning plants with reverse cycle heat pump, effective date January 1
