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UPDATE 1-EU orders Germany to stop using banned car refrigerant

* EU threatens Germany with court action and fines

* EU says Germany must stop using coolant R134a

* Daimler says has not changed its stance on R134a usage (Adds Daimler comment)

BRUSSELS, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Thursday ordered Germany to stop using a banned car refrigerant within two months or face court action and possible fines.

"The Commission sent today a formal request to Germany to take the necessary actions to apply the EU Directive on Mobile Air Conditioning," the EU executive said in a statement.

"Germany now has two months to take the necessary measures to comply with the Commission's request. If they fail to do so, the Commission may decide to refer the matter to the European Court of Justice."

The European Union has banned coolants with a global warming potential more than 150 times that of carbon dioxide. It says that the substance currently used by German carmaker Daimler - known as R134a - is in breach of this.

German authorities have backed Daimler's refusal to apply the law because of the carmaker's doubts about the safety of the only alternative substance which currently meets EU standards, Honeywell International Inc's R1234yf.

A Daimler spokesman on Thursday said its position remains unchanged, adding that the carmaker continues to work on a third alternative CO2 based coolant system which should be ready by 2017. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee and Barbara Lewis, additional reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Pravin Char)