27.4.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 118/57 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 13 February 2001 on the allocation of quantities of controlled substances allowed for essential uses in the Community in 2001 under Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council on substances that deplete the ozone layer (notified under document number C(2000) 4153) (Only the Spanish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Finnish and Swedish texts are authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2001/333/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 of the Euro- pean Parliament and of the Council on substances that deplete the ozone layer ('), and in particular to Articles 3, 4 and 7 thereof, Whereas: 1) Because of concerns for the ozone layer, the Community has already phased out the production and consumption of certain controlled substances. Essential uses have to be decided for chlorofluorocar- bons; other fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons; halons; carbon tetrachloride; 1,1,1 trichloroethane; and hydrobromofluorocarbons (Article 3.1 and Article 4.4). The criteria used for assessing essential uses are in line with Decision IV/25 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol and are: I. That a use of a controlled substance should qualify as ‘essential’ only if: A. it is necessary for the health, safety, or is critical for the functioning of society (encompassing cultural and intellectual aspects); and B. there are no technically and economically feasible alternatives or substitutes that are acceptable from the standpoint of environment and health. II. That production and consumption, if any, of a controlled substance for essential uses should be permitted only if: () O] L 244, 29.9.2000, p. 1. A. all economically feasible steps have been taken to minimise the essential use and any associated emission of the controlled substance; and B. the controlled substance is not available in suffi- cient quantity and quality from existing stocks of banked or recycled controlled substances, also bearing in mind the needs of developing countries for controlled substances. Decision XI/14 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol authorises the levels of production and consumption necessary to satisfy essential uses of controlled substances for metered dose inhalers (MDIs) for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Decision XI/17 of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol authorises the production and consumption necessary to satisfy essential uses of controlled substances for labora- tory and analytical uses as listed in Annex IV to the report of the Seventh Meeting of the Parties, subject to the conditions set out in Annex II to the report of the Sixth Meeting of the Parties and in Decision VII/11. The Montreal Protocol's Technology and Economic Assessment Panel noted in its April 2000 report that the European Community's stockpile of CFCs has increased and recommended that it be reduced as production of CFC-based MDIs declines. The Commission has published a notice (?) to those companies in the European Community that use controlled substances which may be allowed for essen- tial uses in the Community in 2001 pursuant to Regula- tion (EC) No 2037/2000, and has thereby received applications for quantities of controlled substances for essential uses in 2001. () O] C 224, 5.8.2000, p. 16.