US embassy cable - 04DUBLIN1451

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