EFCTC CALLS FOR INTENSIFIED ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL IMPORTS OF F-GASES
Brussels, 08 September 2026 – The European Fluorocarbons Technical Committee (EFCTC[1]) is raising the alarm over the continued large-scale illegal trade in fluorinated gases (F-gases), stepping up efforts to combat illegal imports into the European Union in support of the EU F-gas Regulation and the European Green Deal.
Illegal trade in F-gases is becoming increasingly organised and sophisticated, undermining climate policy, distorting fair competition and posing safety and environmental risks, EFCTC said. The organisation is working with authorities, industry stakeholders and other partners to tackle illicit activity along the supply chain.
By Q2 2026, aggregated seizure data from official[2], trade[3][4] and independent investigative[5] sources stood at approximately 450–550 tonnes. As a mid-year baseline, this supports a reasonably reliable full-year projection exceeding 900 tonnes. Note that seizures are underreported and represent only a fraction of total black-market volume.
“Illegal F-gas trade threatens both climate progress and responsible businesses that comply with the law,” said Marco Perfetti, Chairman of EFCTC. “Through investigation, data-driven analysis and active communication, EFCTC is committed to supporting authorities and stakeholders in closing the door to illegal imports.”
EFCTC is intensifying its communication efforts and is calling on European and national authorities for an urgent, structural scale-up of EU-coordinated law enforcement frameworks such as EMPACT. This will enable joint border inspections and real-time intelligence sharing to stop illegal imports, audit suspicious online offers, and penalize rogue operators under the Environmental Crime Directive.
EFCTC is calling on all actors in the value chain to comply fully with EU legislation and to report suspicious activity. Cooperation and transparency are essential for the EU F-gas Regulation to deliver its intended environmental benefits.
[1] https://www.fluorocarbons.org/
[2] https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/italian-authorities-seize-24-tonnes-of-illegal-f-gas/
[3] https://world-border-congress.com/the-bulgarian-anti-corruption-bureau-gdbop-arrests-a-group-for-environmental-crimes-and-money-laundering/
[4] https://www.larpf.fr/actualite/31139/48-tonnes-de-fluides-frigorigenes-de-contrebande-saisies-en-espagne
[5] https://www.acrjournal.uk/news/organised-crime-allegedly-supplies-illegal-refrigerants-to-major-itali/