Provisional agreement for F-gas Regulation raises some concerns with improvements also acknowledged

The announcement that the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have reached agreement in the 4th trilogue meeting has generated a wide range of  positive and negative comments, including from EPEE, EHPA, and ASERCOM. EFCTC, in its press release, expressed concerns on the implications of the provisionally-agreed revised F-gas Regulation, but also welcomed improved enforcement measures. The association  commented that while it recognised the need for ambitious climate action, the provisionally-agreed revised phase-down schedule coupled with F-gas product bans are unfeasible; they will undermine decarbonisation efforts and jeopardise the EU Green Deal and REPowerEU. The most concerning effect will be the delayed deployment of heat pumps and safer, more energy and resource efficient RACHP solutions.

EPEE, in its press release ,commented that the F-gas agreement will prolong reliance on fossil fuels. EPEE stated that it had always been in agreement with the principles and goals of the F-gas regulation to phase down the use of HFCs and deliver solutions that enable carbon neutrality by 2050, but believes that this agreement will be challenging for the sector to implement given certain unclear provisions linked to the bans. EPEE noted that it supported further improvements on containment measures and certification requirements, and appreciated that these are included in the revision. Read the EPEE press release.

EHPA commented in its press release about the faster phase-out of fluorinated gases (F-gases), that while the heat pump sector has always supported a phase-out by 2050, the new rules will be a significant burden in the short term. Industry is already ramping up production in line with EU goals, and is now tasked with changing most of its production lines in parallel. EHPA stated that the agreement will make heat pumps even cleaner, but will do little to speed up the move away from fossil fuels in heating and cooling. It could potentially even slow it down by making it more difficult to roll out heat pumps for various application fields in residential, commercial and industry. Read the EHPA press release.

ASERCOM described the provisional agreement as a useful compromise, commenting that it was a bit worried, mainly because of the unclear definitions and timing of the phase-out and ban of certain cooling applications. The later positioning of the bans and some openings for exemptions give ASERCOM OEM members enough time to develop the missing pieces for a safe and sustainable implementation of the European policy. Read the ASERCOM press release.

The Cooling Post reported on the details emerging on the proposed new F-gas rules, explaining that unless referred to otherwise, references to F-gases mean HFCs and HFOs. EFCTC in its press release urges careful consideration of the technical feasibility and broader implications of any proposed restrictions as low-GWP refrigerants have an important part to play in providing energy efficient and safe solutions in numerous applications to ensure the successful implementation of the revised F-gas Regulation.