Intro

Man-made ozone-depleting substances (ODS) destroy the protective ozone layer. In 1987, the international community established the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer) to cut their consumption and production. On 1 January 1989, the Montreal Protocol came into effect and, to fulfil its obligations under this protocol, the EU has adopted the more ambitious EU Ozone Regulation. This page contains information on ODS in the EU, based on aggregated data reported by companies since 2006 under the Ozone Regulation. Information about the current state of the ozone layer is also provided by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).

What the data are telling us

• Between 1986 and 2002, the consumption of ODS declined significantly, from 343 000 ozone-depleting potential tonnes to around zero in the 27 Member States of the EU (EU-27). This was driven by the implementation of the 1987 Montreal Protocol.
• Since the early 1990s, the EU has taken additional measures — set out in the EU regulation — to limit ODS and has exceeded its commitments under the Montreal Protocol.
• The largest historical extent of the hole in the ozone layer — 28.4 million square kilometres — occurred in September 2000. This area is equivalent to almost seven times the territory of the EU.
• Although some progress has been made towards reversing the depletion of the ozone layer, more must be done to ensure that recovery continues.