Decision 96/52

The Executive Committee decided:

1. With regard to imports of HFCs contained in pre-blended polyols that had not been counted as consumption under Article 7 data reporting, to request Article 5 countries that wished to seek assistance for the phase-out of such imports:
   1. To include in the overarching strategy for their Kigali HFC implementation plans (KIPs) the amount and type of HFCs imported in pre-blended polyols for the years 2022–2024 as reported under the country programme implementation reports, the countries from which they were being imported, and:
      1. For group 1 countries, an indicative list of all polyurethane (PU) foam enterprises established prior to 1 January 2020 that used imported polyol systems, including the amount and type of HFCs contained therein;
      2. For group 2 countries, an indicative list of all PU foam enterprises established prior to 1 January 2024 that used imported polyol systems, including the amount and type of HFCs contained therein;
   2. If the country already had an approved KIP, to submit with the request for the next tranche of the KIP the information referred to in subparagraph (a)(i), above;
   3. To include in the KIPs, or in their next tranche request for those countries with an approved KIP, a sector plan for the complete phase-out of the use of HFCs contained in imported pre-blended polyols, covering the cost and funding schedule, on the understanding:
      1. That the quantities of HFCs contained in imported pre blended polyols that were not included in the overarching strategy for the KIP, or the next tranche request for those countries with an approved KIP, would not be eligible for funding;
      2. That, in cases where the country decided not to request funding for the sector plan for the complete phase-out of the use of HFCs contained in imported pre blended polyols owing to national circumstances, the country could, on an exceptional and case-by-case basis, submit a funding request for that sector plan during the implementation of stage I or a future stage of the KIP, on the understanding that the eligibility of the PU foam enterprises would be determined at the time of the submission of the project and that the maximum funding level would be based on the amount of HFCs contained in imported pre-blended polyol systems as defined in subparagraph (a)(i), above;
   4. To include in the sector plan a commitment from the country to put in place, by the time the final foam manufacturing plant had been converted to a non HFC technology, regulations or policies banning the import and/or the use of HFCs, both pure and contained in pre-blended polyols, in the PU foam sector;
2. That the maximum level of funding to be approved for each Article 5 country to phase out the import of HFCs contained in pre-blended polyols would be based on the average amount of HFCs contained in imported pre-blended polyols during the 2022–2024 period, on the understanding that that value was separate from the starting point for sustained reductions in HFC consumption and would be reflected separately from the starting point in the Agreement between the country and the Executive Committee;
3. That Article 5 countries with eligible enterprises manufacturing pre‑blended polyols containing HFCs would be provided with assistance calculated on the basis of consumption of HFCs sold domestically for use by PU foam enterprises from 2022–2024, on the understanding that the export of HFCs contained in pre-blended polyols from 2022–2024 would be deducted from their starting point for aggregate reductions in HFC consumption at the time of submission of their KIP or in their next tranche request for those countries with an approved KIP;
4. To request Article 5 countries that exported HFCs in pre-blended polyols to provide information on their best available data on exports for the years 2022–2024 at the time of submission of the KIP, in their next tranche request for those countries with an approved KIP, or when requesting funding to phase out HFCs that were used in the PU foam sector; and
5. To request Article 5 countries using HFCs, either pure or contained in pre-blended polyols, in the PU foam sector, to consider establishing ways of recording and monitoring the amounts of HFCs contained in pre-blended polyols imported and/or exported (where applicable) to support the ban on imports of pure HFCs, as well as HFCs contained in pre blended polyols, to be issued once all the foam enterprises had been converted, and to facilitate monitoring of those enterprises to sustain the HFC phase-out.