Background

The European Commission organised together with the US Environment Protection Agency a stakeholder conference on the "Options to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions due to Mobile Air Conditioning" (MACs) in Brussels on 10 and 11 February 2003. Subsequently two other “MAC Summits” were organised in the US in 2004 ( Washington DC) and 2005 ( Sacramento). Based on the legislative proposal of the European Commission, the largest car market in the world will embark on phasing out HFC-134a from MACs from 1 January 2011. In addition, leakage of HFC-134a MACs will be contained, leakage rate tests will become compulsory and servicing personnel need to have appropriate qualifications. Car makers, component suppliers and service providers will need to implement the European Directive while the regulatory environment outside the EU would still allow the use of HFC-134a.

As vehicle manufacturing is a global business, it is important to consult European and international experts and stakeholders on possible issues relating to the phase out of HFC-134a in the EU, and its implications in other parts of the world. These will be themes in the “MAC Summit 2006”. The meeting will be held immediately after the VDA Wintermeeting, which is held in Saalfelden between 14 to 16 February 2006.

Purpose

The purpose of the conference is to identify issues that may affect policies to reduce greehouse gases from mobile air conditioners in the EU and elsewhere, following the adoption of the Directive to phase out HFC-134a in the EU and the Regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases.

Participants

The conference will have 100-150 invited or nominated participants. The target audience consists of some 40 policy makers/advisors developing options to reduce the climate change impact of MACs from the EU, Australia, Japan, the United States (US) as well as some other countries (e.g. China and India). Some 100 participants are expected to represent the vehicle and component manufacturers from the EU, Japan, Korea, China, Japan and the United States, as well as from non-governmental consumer, environmental, and professional organisations.