F-Gas Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2024/573 phases down hydrofluorocarbons and mandates labelling of fluorinated greenhouse gases, with F-gas type, quantity, and GWP data feeding directly into ESPR Digital Product Passports for HVACR and refrigeration products.
Overview
The F-Gas Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2024/573 — repeals and replaces Regulation (EU) No 517/2014, strengthening the EU's controls on fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases). It establishes a steeper phasedown schedule for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), tightens quota allocation rules, introduces updated labelling requirements, and expands the list of prohibited applications.
F-gases are potent greenhouse gases used as refrigerants, insulating foams, fire suppressants, and in electrical switchgear. Their global warming potential (GWP) can be thousands of times higher than CO2. The 2024 regulation responds to the acceleration of phasedowns agreed in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.
Legal basis
- Proposed: 2022
- Adopted: 7 February 2024
- Published in OJ: 20 February 2024
- Entered into force: 11 March 2024
- Regulation ID: EU 2024/573
- Replaces: Regulation (EU) No 517/2014
- Type: Regulation (directly applicable, no transposition needed)
Scope
The regulation covers:
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) — the primary refrigerant gases subject to phasedown quotas
- Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) — subject to use restrictions and bans
- Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and blends — regulated where they contain controlled substances
- Products and equipment containing or relying on F-gases: refrigerators, freezers, air conditioning units, heat pumps, fire protection systems, electrical switchgear, and aerosols
HFC phasedown schedule
The phasedown is expressed in CO2-equivalent tonnes (CO2-eq), representing quota allocation as a percentage of a 2009–2012 baseline:
| Period | Maximum HFC quota (% of baseline) | |--------|-----------------------------------| | 2024–2026 | 31% | | 2027–2029 | 20% | | 2030–2033 | 14% | | 2034–2035 | 7% | | 2036–2049 | 5% | | 2050 onwards | Near zero — essentially phased out |
This schedule is steeper than the previous regulation, targeting near-complete elimination of high-GWP refrigerants by mid-century.
Key requirements
- Quota system — Producers and importers of bulk HFCs must hold sufficient quota for each CO2-eq tonne placed on the market. Quotas are allocated via the F-gas Portal.
- Labelling — Equipment containing F-gases must be labelled with: the gas type (chemical name or trade name), quantity in kg, CO2-eq value, and GWP of the refrigerant.
- Product bans — Commercial refrigerators and freezers using F-gases with GWP ≥150 were banned from market placement from 1 January 2025.
- End-of-life obligations — Member States must ensure by 31 December 2027 that producers of F-gas equipment under the WEEE Directive finance collection, treatment, recovery, and destruction of F-gases from end-of-life units.
- Leakage checks — Mandatory leak checks on stationary equipment above defined thresholds; records retained in equipment logbooks.
- Certification — Personnel handling F-gases must hold valid F-gas certification.
Key dates
| Date | Milestone | |------|-----------| | 11 March 2024 | Regulation enters into force; new phasedown schedule starts | | 1 January 2025 | Labelling requirements apply; quota allocation rules apply | | 1 January 2025 | Commercial refrigerators/freezers with GWP ≥150 banned from market | | 31 December 2024 onwards | Annual production rights allocated via F-gas Portal | | 31 December 2027 | EEE producers must finance F-gas end-of-life collection/destruction | | 2030 | Most high-GWP applications eliminated under phasedown | | 2036–2050 | Final phasedown stages to near-zero |
Enforcement
Penalties are established by each Member State and must be effective, proportionate, and dissuasive. Violations can result in:
- Withdrawal of products from the market
- Suspension or revocation of F-gas handler certification
- Market access restrictions
- Fines calibrated to the CO2-eq volume of the infringement
Who is affected
- HVACR manufacturers — producers of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment that contain or rely on F-gases, subject to quota obligations, labelling requirements, and product bans
- Refrigeration equipment producers — manufacturers of commercial refrigerators, freezers, and cold-chain equipment, including those affected by the GWP ≥150 ban from 1 January 2025
- Importers — companies bringing bulk HFCs or F-gas-containing equipment into the EU, required to hold sufficient quota for each CO2-eq tonne placed on the market
- Service technicians — personnel who install, maintain, or decommission F-gas equipment, required to hold valid F-gas certification and perform mandatory leak checks
Relevance to Digital Product Passports
F-gas compliance data feeds directly into ESPR Digital Product Passports for HVACR and refrigeration equipment. The mandatory labelling fields — gas type, quantity, and GWP value — are exactly the substance data fields required in DPPs for products containing substances of concern.
The ESPR Working Plan 2025–2030 lists refrigerating appliances as a priority product group with a delegated act target of 2028. DPPs for these products will require structured machine-readable F-gas data aligned with what the F-Gas Regulation already mandates on physical labels. Companies building DPP systems for HVACR products should treat F-gas compliance data as a foundational input to their ESPR DPP architecture.
Interactions with other regulations
- ESPR: F-gas substance data is a required field in DPPs for refrigerating appliances (delegated act target 2028)
- WEEE Directive: End-of-life F-gas recovery obligations align with WEEE producer responsibility rules
- Montreal Protocol / Kigali Amendment: EU regulation implements and strengthens international phasedown commitments
- REACH: F-gases are not SVHC substances under REACH, but the GWP-based restriction framework is analogous