Arkema files a new complaint with the European Commission against Honeywell for abuse of dominant position with respect to patents covering the use of the refrigerant 1234yf in car air conditioning systems.
Arkema is convinced there are compelling new grounds for the European Commission to pursue an abuse of dominance case and that Honeywell’s practices are preventing fair competition to the detriment of consumers, car manufacturers and the environment. In fact, these grounds appear even more pressing today than at any time in the past, as the entire car industry is moving to worldwide deployment of 1234yf as the low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant for car air conditioning. Consistent with the new complaint, Arkema has withdrawn its previous complaint.
1234yf is the refrigerant that replaces R134a in car air conditioning systems, following entry into force of new European rules on 1st January 2017. As a major player in fluorogases, Arkema aims to participate in the 1234yf market, for which it has developed its own production technology and is ready to quickly supply the market.
Arkema looks forward to the European Commission’s thorough and timely investigation of Honeywell’s anti-competitive practices.
Arkema is confident the new complaint will ensure a straightforward path to enable Arkema to contribute to a competitive market by obtaining a worldwide FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) licence to Honeywell’s patents.