In order to combat the potential global warming effects of F-gases, and as part of the EU's Kyoto protocol commitments, in 2006 the European Union passed two pieces of legislation controlling their use: the [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:161:0001:0011:EN:PDF F-gas Regulation (EC) No 842/2006] and the Mobile Air Conditioning Directive [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:161:0012:0018:en:PDF Directive 2006/40/EC]. The F-gas Regulation adopts an approach based on containment and recovery of F-gases as well as imposing obligations on reporting, training and labeling on those using F-gases.
On 26 September 2011, the Commission issued a [http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/f-gas/docs/report_en.pdf report] on the application, effects and adequacy of the Regulation, drawing from the results of an analytical [http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/f-gas/docs/2011_study_en.pdf study] it commissioned from German environmental research institute, Öko-Recherche. A further [https://web.archive.org/web/20130720143224/http://www.epeeglobal.org/epeedocs/internet/docs/ERIE__Armines_study_-_Executive_Summary_-_October_2011_5889.pdf study], conducted by the Armines Centre energétique et procédés and by Energy Research Innovation Engineering (ERIE) found that emissions reductions of up to 60% can be achieved by improving containment measures and accelerating the changeover from high GWP refrigerants to ones with lower GWP.
On 7 November 2012, the European Commission published the [http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/f-gas/legislation/docs/com_2012_643_en.pdf proposal] to revise the F-gas Regulation. In December 2013, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU agreed the [http://www.eu2013.lt/en/news/pressreleases/member-states-approve-the-agreement-by-the-co-legislators-on-the-regulation-on-reduction-of-emissions-of-fluorinated-greenhouse-gases-f-gases- text of the revised regulation], which shall be applied from 1 January 2015.