MAC Directive
MAC Directive 2006/40/EC relating to emissions from air-conditioning systems in motor vehicles.
Directive 2006/40/EC on mobile air conditioning (MAC) required all new passenger cars (and light goods vehicles) from 1 January 2017 to be filled with a refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) no higher than 150. The legal basis is Internal Market (Article 95 of EU Treaty) to ensure that vehicles can be marketed in all member states if they are type approved. It should be noted that the Directive does not prescribe any specific refrigerant/system to fulfil this obligation but following extensive evaluation for performance and safety HFO-1234yf was selected by almost all vehicle manufacturers as the refrigerant to replace HFC-134a.
In addition, for existing systems containing HFC-134a, service providers offering service and repair for air-conditioning systems shall not fill such equipment with fluorinated greenhouse gases if an abnormal amount of the refrigerant has leaked from the system, until the necessary repair has been completed. More information about the MAC directive can be found here.
Servicing, maintenance and recovery- requirements set out in Regulation 2024/573
For the recovery of fluorinated greenhouse gases from air-conditioning equipment in motor vehicles which fall within the scope of Directive 2006/40/EC only natural persons holding at least a training attestation in accordance with Regulation 2024/573 Article 10(1), second subparagraph, shall be considered to be appropriately qualified.
Any recovered fluorinated greenhouse gases listed in Annex I (HFcs) and in Section 1 of Annex II (HFOs) shall not be used for filling or refilling equipment unless the gas has been recycled or reclaimed.