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Directive 2006/40/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 relating to emissions from air-conditioning systems in motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC.

The Directive covers the use of HFCs in Mobile Air-conditioning for passengers' cars only.

Legal Basis: Internal Market (Article 95 of EU Treaty)

NB. For the purpose of this website where the Directive mentions "fluorinated greenhouse gases with a global warming potential higher than 150 from air-conditioning systems" − we will refer to "HFC 134a".

There are leakage requirements for new air-conditioning systems:

• a harmonised leakage detection test for measuring the leakage rate of HFC 134a from air-conditioning systems.


• type-approval for new vehicle types shall only be granted if the leakage of HFC 134a will be less than either 40 g/year in the case of a simple evaporator system or 60 g/year in the case of a dual evaporator system. This also now applies to new vehicles.

There are restrictions on the use of HFC 134a.

By 1 January 2011, HFC 134a will be banned for air-conditioning systems for new vehicle types.

By 1 January 2017, HFC 134a will be banned for all new vehicles.

The Legislation on mobile air-conditioning systems in the framework of type-approval of Vehicles consists of three legal acts:

1. Directive 2006/40/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 relating to emissions from air conditioning systems in motor vehicles and amending Council Directive70/156/EEC, OJ L 161, 14.6.2006, p. 12.

2. Commission Regulation (EC) No 706/2007 of 21 June 2007 laying down, pursuant to Directive 2006/40/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, administrative provisions for the EC type approval of vehicles, and a harmonised test for measuring leakages from certain air conditioning systems, OJ L 161, 22.6.2007, p. 33.

3. Commission Directive 2007/37/EC of 21 June 2007 amending Annexes I and III to Council Directive 70/156/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, OJ L 161, 22.6.2007, p. 60.