The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE), representing the refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump industry in Europe, welcomes the ratification of the Kigali Amendment by Belgium. We also are taking this opportunity to urge the Council Presidency to ratify the Amendment in time for the next meeting of the 40<sup>th</sup> Open Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol taking place in Vienna from 11<sup>th</sup>July.
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“The EU has a unique opportunity to show global leadership in reducing HFC emissions. In order to send a strong signal to countries around the world who have not yet ratified the Kigali Amendment, we urge the Council Presidency to ratify it as a matter of priority.’ said Andrea Voigt, Director General of EPEE.
Belgium ratified the Amendment on 17 June, becoming the 38th country to do so globally and the 11th EU Member State to sign the agreement. In July 2017, the Council of the EU <a href="http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/07/17-protecting-climate/?utm_source=dsms-auto&;utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Protecting+climate%3a+EU+gives+green+light+to+ratify+the+Kigali+Amendment+to+the+Montreal+Protocol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adopted</a> a decision to conclude the Kigali Amendment on behalf of the EU. Subsequent ratification by several EU Member States in November 2017 triggered the entry into force of the Amendment, as the condition for at least 20 parties to the Montreal Protocol to ratify it was fulfilled. Therefore, the Amendment will take effect on 1 January 2019.
EPEE has been working closely with EU and national decision-makers, industry, end-users and schools to both raise awareness and provide guidance for the successful implementation of the EU F-gas Regulation that will go a long way to meet the requirements of the Kigali Amendment in the EU. Thanks to its innovative EU <a href="http://www.epeeglobal.org/refrigerants/the-gapometer-faq/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gapometer</a>, EPEE has identified the main challenges to achieve the phase-down goals and the concrete actions needed to tackle those challenges.
