Italy to implement EU F-Gas Regulation

After months of discussion and several legislative steps, on 9 January a Presidential Decree implementing the EU F-Gas Regulation (n. 517/2014) in Italy was published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic. It will formally enter into force on 24 January.

The EU’s new F-Gas Regulation entered into force in 2015, but EU member states need to adopt their own legislation to implement it. The regulation sets ambitious targets of reducing HFC use by more than two thirds by 2030.

Last March Italy’s previous government led by Paolo Gentiloni attempted to implement the regulation, but the Council of State suspended these efforts in June. Judges asked the Ministry of Environment to explain more effectively the sanctions system necessary to ensure the correct functioning of the regulation, and to clearly describe the administrative costs incurred for its entry into force (initially estimated at around €29 million per year).

Having received clarification, the Council of State gave its green light to implement the regulation in September. In November, the current government led by Giuseppe Conte decided to proceed with the implementation of the regulation, a process that culminated this week.

The National Confederation of Craftsmen (Confartigianato) said the regulation would introduce “simpler and clearer norms for companies” and contribute to the “fight against the illegal trade of f-gases,” lamenting how the long legislative process had lead to “increasing uncertainty” in Italy’s HVAC&R industry.