EU Refrigerant Regulations
Understand the European Union’s new F-gas regime under Regulation (EU) 2024/573, including the HFC quota phase-out to zero by 2050, increasingly strict equipment prohibitions, 2025–2032 servicing restrictions, leak checks and expanded certification requirements.
Four parts of the new F-gas regime work together
Regulation (EU) 2024/573 entered into force in March 2024 and substantially tightens the previous EU F-gas framework.
HFC Quota to Zero by 2050
The Commission allocates annual HFC quota to producers and importers. The maximum quantity falls over time and is scheduled to reach zero in 2050.
Annex IV Placing-on-Market Bans
Refrigeration, chillers, air conditioning and heat pumps face category-specific GWP limits and later prohibitions on fluorinated gases in selected equipment.
High-GWP Servicing Restrictions
The regulation restricts use of high-GWP F-gases for servicing refrigeration, AC and heat pumps, with specific reclaimed/recycled exceptions.
Leak Checks, Recovery & Certification
Operators must prevent emissions, arrange leak checks where thresholds are met, recover gases and use properly certified personnel/undertakings for specified activities.
Selected EU refrigeration, chiller and HVAC thresholds
The new regulation stages product prohibitions over many years. The rows below focus on high-value HVAC/R examples, not every Annex IV category.
| Equipment / Use | GWP / F-Gas Limit | Start Date | How to Read It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-contained refrigeration equipment, except chillers | F-gases ≥150 prohibited | 1 Jan 2025 | Except where required to meet safety requirements at the site of operation. |
| Domestic refrigerators and freezers | Fluorinated greenhouse gases prohibited | 1 Jan 2026 | Safety-requirement exception applies. |
| Chillers ≤12 kW | F-gases ≥150 prohibited | 1 Jan 2027 | Safety exception applies; later 2032 step removes F-gases more broadly in this capacity class. |
| Chillers >12 kW | F-gases ≥750 prohibited | 1 Jan 2027 | Safety exception applies. |
| Self-contained AC / heat pumps ≤12 kW | F-gases ≥150 prohibited | 1 Jan 2027 | If safety requirements prevent <150, a 750 threshold may apply under the regulation. |
| Split air-to-water ≤12 kW | F-gases ≥150 prohibited | 1 Jan 2027 | Subject to safety exception. |
| Split air-to-air ≤12 kW | F-gases ≥150 prohibited | 1 Jan 2029 | Subject to safety exception. |
| Other stationary refrigeration, except chillers / specified categories | F-gases ≥150 prohibited | 1 Jan 2030 | Except if required to meet safety requirements at the site. |
| Split systems ≤12 kW | Fluorinated greenhouse gases prohibited | 1 Jan 2035 | Subject to safety requirements. |
For compliance, use the current consolidated text of Regulation (EU) 2024/573 and the exact Annex IV row. Several equipment classes have multiple steps—first a GWP threshold and later a broader prohibition on fluorinated gases.
EU equipment bans and existing-system service restrictions are separate rules
A refrigerant can be blocked from new equipment before it becomes unavailable for servicing an installed system—or vice versa.
Start with Annex IV
For new refrigeration, chillers, AC and heat pumps, identify the exact equipment category and rated capacity before applying the corresponding start date and GWP threshold.
- Identify stationary refrigeration, self-contained AC, split AC, chiller or other Annex IV category.
- Check rated capacity and whether a site-safety exception is relevant.
- Apply the correct start date and GWP / F-gas restriction.
- Confirm product labeling, conformity and quota treatment for any HFC pre-charge.
- Verify applicable EN / national safety, building and product standards.
Start with Article 13 servicing restrictions
Existing equipment can face service-gas restrictions even if the equipment itself remains in operation.
- From 2025, use of F-gases with GWP ≥2,500 for servicing refrigeration is prohibited, subject to specified reclaimed/recycled exceptions until 2030.
- From 2026, GWP ≥2,500 Annex I F-gases are prohibited for servicing AC and heat pumps, with reclaimed/recycled exceptions until 2032.
- From 2032, GWP ≥750 Annex I F-gases are restricted for servicing stationary refrigeration excluding chillers, with Article 13 exceptions.
- Leak-check, recordkeeping and recovery obligations still apply to covered equipment.
- Use certified personnel / undertakings for regulated activities.
R410A (GWP 2,088), R32 (675) and R454B (465) are all below 2,500, so the 2026 high-GWP AC/heat-pump service restriction is not the main issue for these refrigerants. The bigger issue is new-equipment Annex IV thresholds: R410A exceeds 750, while R32 and R454B are below 750 but remain above 150, so later small-equipment transitions continue to push toward lower-GWP or non-fluorinated solutions.
Key Regulation (EU) 2024/573 milestones from 2024 onward
The new regulation creates a multi-step transition rather than a single ban date.
How the EU framework affects five common refrigerants
These are high-level regulatory-positioning examples. Annex IV category definitions and safety exceptions still control the actual project decision.
Already excluded from some new small split applications and increasingly displaced by later Annex IV thresholds. Existing systems can still be serviced subject to the applicable rules.
Explore R410A →Fits some 750-GWP steps but does not meet the later 150-GWP thresholds for small equipment; A2L safety requirements remain important.
Explore R32 →Lower than R410A and under 750, but still above future 150-GWP thresholds in several small HVAC/R categories.
Explore R454B →Not an F-gas under Regulation 2024/573 and increasingly important where hydrocarbon safety can be managed.
Explore R290 →A leading non-fluorinated refrigeration pathway in the EU, particularly for commercial systems designed for CO₂ pressure levels.
Explore R744 →Leak checks and certification are broader under the new EU regulation
Regulation 2024/573 retains CO₂-equivalent leak-check thresholds for Annex I gases and adds mass-based thresholds for certain Annex II gases, while certification rules now extend beyond traditional F-gases.
The EU transition is now about more than HFCs
The new regulation increasingly regulates equipment choices, operator competence and alternative refrigerants as well as F-gas quota.
- Keep equipment records for systems subject to leak checks.
- Repair detected leaks without undue delay and verify repairs as required by the regulation.
- Recover F-gases during service and decommissioning.
- Use appropriately certified personnel and undertakings for regulated installation, service, leak-check and recovery activities.
Use the EU rule that matches the equipment and decision
Start with the equipment category, then separate placing-on-market rules from servicing, leakage and personnel obligations.
Verify EU F-gas rules with Commission and EUR-Lex sources
Regulation 2024/573 is detailed and continues to be implemented through Commission acts, guidance and F-gas Portal procedures.
Verify the current consolidated Regulation (EU) 2024/573, implementing acts, Member State enforcement rules, equipment safety standards and any applicable exemption for the exact system and market transaction.
Planning refrigeration, AC or heat pumps for the EU market?
Use the Refrigerant Finder to screen candidates, then match the exact Annex IV equipment row, Article 13 service restrictions, safety requirements and certification obligations.