EU Stays Neutral As Heatwave Sparks Fierce Debate On Air Conditioning

The EU refused to be drawn into a heating political debate on the merits of air conditioning Monday, saying it was not for Brussels to micromanage how people cool their homes.

AC has become a hot political topic in France in particular with party leaders coming out starkly for or against its broader use, as Europe swelters under a record-breaking heatwave. 

"I doubt we have a particular view or position on air conditioning," European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told journalists when asked whether the bloc backed either camp.

Europeans have traditionally used AC much less than other parts of the world, with many there seeing the US staple as environmentally unfriendly, energy guzzling and a potential spreader of germs.

In France the issue has become highly political ahead of elections next year. 

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said she wants air conditioning for all, while at the other end of the spectrum her hard-left rival Jean-Luc Melenchon calls it "a false solution that makes the problem worse".

Only about 20 percent of European homes have AC installed, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

But units have been flying off the shelves in recent weeks as millions broil in old, often poorly insulated apartments -- raising questions about the impacts of wider installation. 

Detractors argue AC is high in energy consumption, uses potentially polluting cooling fluid and rejects hot air outside, which can locally worsen heat in dense urban areas.

Experts note the impact on the environment depends on the source of the energy consumed to operate it.

Heating and cooling measures, as well as improving buildings' energy efficiency, were part of a new EU housing policy currently under development, Itkonen said.

But the commission would not tell people whether they should install a unit at home or not, she added.

"These are issues where the commission is not micromanaging how people should be going about this."

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