New EU F-Gas rules formally adopted by EU Member States

The new rules are aimed at reducing the use of fluorinated gases in the EU by about two thirds compared to today’s levels by 2030, contributing a fair share towards meeting the EU’s overall emissions reduction targets.

After reaching an informal agreement among the EU institutions in December 2013, the compromise was endorsed by the European Parliament in March 2014 and, finally, formally approved by the Council of the EU, in which Member States are represented.

HFC bans in new equipment

Among the measures included under the new F-Gas Regulation, HFC bans will likely have the most direct and immediate effect on speeding up the transition to natural refrigerants, with the sectors for which the ban applies likely to see the strongest growth in the uptake of natural refrigerants.

Bans on HFCs in new equipment, which were agreed on in the negotiation process and adopted by the European Parliament, include the following refrigeration and air-conditioning sectors:

• Domestic refrigerators and freezers with global warming potential (GWP) ≥ 150 - as of 2015
• Refrigerators and freezers for commercial use, hermetically sealed

                       - with GWP ≥ 2500 - as of 2020
                       - with GWP ≥ 150 - as of 2022

• Stationary refrigeration equipment (expect those designed to cool below -50°C) with GWP ≥ 2500 – as of 2020
• Multipack centralised refrigeration systems for commercial use with capacity ≥ 40kW with GWP ≥ 150 – as of 2022, except in the primary refrigerant circuit of cascade systems where f-gases with a GWP < 1500 may be used
• Movable room AC, hermetically sealed (GWP ≥ 150) – as of 2020
• Split AC containing < 3kg of HFCs (GWP ≥ 750) – as of 2025

Paving the way for international action on HFCs

“By this regulation we speed up innovation, we spread the best practices, in short we actually pave the way with a very good example from Europe, so that now others can follow this example,” said EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard during a March debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. “That is what we need, to address f-gases not only in Europe but also internationally. I think we have taken a very important step,” she added.

What is next?

The formal adoption of new EU F-Gas rules by Member States clears the last hurdle in the legislative process. The Regulation awaits publication in the Official Journal of the EU within the next weeks and will enter into force as of 2015.