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Click here for EU news » Network   German agency steps in as
mediator in Daimler-EU spat  Printer-friendly version Send by
email Published 15 February 2013  Germany's federal environment
agency said on Thursday (14 February) it has proposed Brussels
grant luxury automaker Daimler until the end of 2015 to meet new
European Union laws mandating the use of climate-friendly air
conditioning refrigerants in cars.  In a bid to broker a dispute
between Daimler on the one side, and the EU and the rest of the
auto industry on the other, federal environment agency UBA
called for the German carmaker to be granted an extension if it
agrees to introduce carbon dioxide as a non-chemical refrigerant
alternative.  Since the start of this year, Daimler has been in
violation of an EU directive to use a refrigerant produced by
Honeywell and DuPont known as HFO-1234yf, on the grounds it
could pose a significant fire safety risk.  "If you switch to
CO2 then you reduce yo