Until 31 December 2020, the F-gas Regulation applied in the UK as directly applicable EU law. Following Brexit, the F gas Regulation applies in Great Britain as ‘retained EU law’ and the requirements remain the same as under EU legislation.
As per its Whereas (21) the EU Regulation is undergoing a comprehensive review in order to adapt its provisions to new developments. This review is currently in its final stage with a provisional text submitted to the member states representatives within the Council (Coreper) and to the EU Parliament’s environment committee for endorsement. In the proposed form of the Regulation the consumption of HFCs will be completely phased out by 2050, and the production of HFCs will be phased down to a minimum (15%) as of 2036.
While the new form of the Regulation will not be directly applicable to Great Britain, it will be applicable to Northen Ireland. Furthermore, an assessment report published by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (responsible for improving and protecting the environment in England) in December 2022 concludes that “further policy work and analysis will be undertaken to assess potential future policy proposals. These will include consideration of greater ambition on F gases in support of the UK’s net zero commitment, taking account of technological developments, and will ensure continued compliance with international obligations under the Montreal Protocol.”
It is therefore reasonable to assume that UK’s approach will be similar, if not more stringent than the EU equivalent one.
With its wealth of expertise and experience, Ernest West & Beynon can support its customers with meeting all their requirements under the EU / UK current and future F-Gas Regulation.
