IRISH RESPONSE ON HYDROFLUOROCARBONS DEMARCHE:

UNCLAS DUBLIN 001451 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD TRGY SENV USTR SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE ON HYDROFLUOROCARBONS DEMARCHE: "DON'T WORRY" REF: STATE 199407 ¶1. On September 29, Post delivered reftel talking points to Patrick O'Sullivan and Nuala Bannon, Assistant Principals in the Department of the Environment and Local Government. O'Sullivan expressed confidence that the proposal by Austria and Denmark to ban domestic refrigeration and air conditioning using hydrofluorocarbons (HFCS) would not be included in the EU regulation on fluorinated gases. He noted that Ireland was not among those Member States (which he declined to name) that had recently lined up behind Austria and Denmark in support of the ban. Ireland, rather, agreed with the U.S. position that the environmental benefits of the proposed ban would be marginal, with effective recycling and recovery measures already in place in Europe. O'Sullivan said that Member States supporting the ban would be unable to carry a qualified majority in the vote to be taken on the EU regulation in the European Council on October 14. He added that the GOI was interested in reaching a political agreement quickly on the EU regulation, especially as Ireland's EU presidency had not yielded progress on the issue. KENNY