At present, it is not yet clear to what extent the Netherlands complies with the requirements of the F-gas Regulation. F-gases (fluorinated greenhouse gases) are synthetic refrigerants with a high global warming potential. They are used, among other things, in air conditioning systems, refrigeration equipment and heat pumps.
The Ministry of Climate and Green Growth has therefore asked CE Delft to assess the extent to which the Netherlands currently complies with this Regulation and, where this is not the case, to identify existing bottlenecks and the policy measures that could contribute to improved compliance with the legislation.
Our main finding is that, in practice, the requirements for collection and recovery are not yet fully met, although the Netherlands has a well-designed framework for the implementation of the F-gas Regulation. The estimated leakage rates amount to more than 30% of all F-gases.
The revised F-gas Regulation (EU 2024/573) imposes obligations on Member States with regard to the recovery, treatment and financing of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Producers are required to pay for the proper treatment of F-gases at the waste stage, and operators are obliged to recover F-gases when equipment is taken out of service and to ensure their disposal through recycling, reclamation or destruction.