The Council and the Parliament negotiators today reached a provisional political agreement to phase down substances that cause global warming and deplete the ozone layer. According to the provisional agreement, the consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) will be completely phased out by 2050. The provisional agreement confirmed that ODS are prohibited in almost all uses with strictly limited exemptions. Both provisional agreements will now be submitted to the member states representatives within the Council (Coreper) and to the Parliament’s environment committee for endorsement. If approved, the text will be formally adopted by both institutions, before it can be published in the EU’s Official Journal and enter into force.