All policies / F-gases / IRL_P0023
Transposition of Mobile Air Conditioning Directive (Directive 2006/40/EC)
Instrument affecting the F-gases sector, using a standards mechanism; in force since 2011.
About this policy
The Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) Directive (Directive 2006/40/EC) is a European Union directive that sets requirements for the air conditioning systems used in vehicles. The directive aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle air conditioning systems by phasing out the use of certain fluorinated greenhouse gases with high global warming potential.
Key milestones
- 2011Mobile Air Conditioning Directive 2006/40/EC bans refrigerants with a global warming potential above 150 in new vehicle types.
- 2017The ban extends to all newly registered cars.
Contextual milestones compiled from official sources. They are not used in the index.
About this type of instrument: performance standards and mandatory labelling
Energy use in durable goods responds weakly to prices because of imperfect information, limited attention and split incentives, for example between landlords and tenants. This is the so-called energy-efficiency gap. Standards remove the least efficient options from the market. Labels reduce search costs for buyers.
- Predictable performance outcomes
- Effective where price responsiveness is weak
- Drive technology diffusion across the EU single market
- Apply mainly to new stock, so effects accrue slowly with turnover
- Gaps between test-cycle and real-world performance
- Rebound effects
- Generally less cost-effective than an equivalent price signal
Measurement in this dataset. Implementation uses OECD indicators for building energy codes, minimum energy-performance standards and labels. Successive editions of each standard are grouped into one policy family. Bindingness is scored 1.0 (mandatory rule). Assumed timing profiles use long ramps reflecting stock turnover.
Year by year
Filled markers use a matched OECD score; hollow markers use assumed timing. Shaded bands show the policy's status. Select a year on the chart or the slider to see how its intensity is built up.
Source records in the EEA registry
All EEA records linked to this policy. Records under the "with additional measures" scenario describe planned extensions; they are retained for traceability but are not treated as historical policy.
| PaM | Name as reported | Status | Scenario | Period | Ex-post kt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Transposition of Mobile Air Conditioning Directive (Directive 2006/40/EC) | Implemented | With existing measures | 2011 | 102 |
Data-quality notes
Methodological notes recorded for this series, grouped by theme.
Timing assumptions
- Implementation in some years follows an assumed ramp-up because no matching OECD score is available.
- The policy has no reported end date; its status after the reporting date is reconstructed as continuing.
Scoring conventions
- The unweighted equal-weight index remains positive before the policy starts; use the gated version for timing analysis.
- Bindingness is a normative score from the study rubric, not a measure of observed compliance.
- Coverage is an ordinal scope score, not a measured share of activity or emissions.
Selection context
- Policies were selected using recent (2024–2030) assessments, which can introduce retrospective selection bias.
Sources
- European Environment Agency. Reporting on national policies and measures, Ireland (report 1849), PaM 23. https://pam.apps.eea.europa.eu/