Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout, a member of the Greens group, has released his opinion on the revision of the EU F-gas Regulation, considerably raising the bar for ambitions in negotiations within other parties in the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission.

Eickhout is the rapporteur for the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee on the file. He is in his third term in the Parliament and has previously worked on the revision leading to the current version of the regulation.

“In order not to repeat mistakes from the past, the rapporteur proposes to move several (sub)sectors, such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps and switchgear, to F-gas free alternatives,” alluding to the PFAS Restriction Intention in the making.

Notably, Eickhout adopts the maximum feasibility HFC phase-down scenario and calls for the release of zero allowances in 2049. He also suggests a steady increase of the price to secure quotas for using HFCs, reaching €99.28 by 2048, to “create a stable revenue stream” to support training and adopting alternatives.

Eickhout also emphasises that “the prohibitions in Annex IV have shown to be the most effective measure in the F-gas regulation.” Eickhout and his team support a wider set of bans across multiple sectors.

Refrigeration:

Refrigerators and freezers for commercial use (self-contained equipment) that contain fluorinated greenhouse gases as of 1 January 2024.

Any self-contained refrigeration equipment that contains fluorinated greenhouse gases as of 1 January 2025. 

Stationary refrigeration equipment, that contains, or whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases as of 1 January 2024.

Heat pumps and air-conditioning:

Plug-in room and other self-contained air-conditioning and heat pump equipment that contain fluorinated greenhouse as of 1 January 2025.

Split systems: 

(a) Single split systems containing less than 3 kg of fluorinated greenhouse gases listed in Annex I, that contain, or whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases as of 1 January 2025. 

And as of 1 January 2027:

(b) Split systems of a rated capacity of up to and including 12 kW containing, or whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases, except when required to meet safety standards.

(c) Split systems of a rated capacity of more than 12 and up to 200 kW containing, or whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases with GWP of 750 or more, except when required to meet safety standards.

(ca) Split systems of a rated capacity of more than 200 kW containing, or whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases.

Transport refrigeration: 

Transport refrigeration in vans, trucks, trailers, ships and reefer containers that contain, or whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases as of 1 January 2027.

Chillers: 

Mini chillers that contain, or whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases as of 1 January 2027.

Displacement and centrifugal chillers that contain, or whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases as of 1 January 2027.

Mobile air-conditioning: 

Mobile air-conditioning in passenger and cargo ships, buses, trams, metros and trains that contains, or whose functioning relies upon, fluorinated greenhouse gases as of 1 January 2027.

The opinion also tackles illegal refrigerant trade and addresses the need to support training for alternatives.