PFAS and refrigerant gases: what's changing for our sector in 2026
In December 2025, the European Parliament's Policy Department published a reference study on the future of PFAS restrictions for the ITRE committee and their impact on European industry, including the refrigerant gas supply chain. This document confirms that regulatory choices in the coming years will have profound effects on manufacturers, distributors, installers, and end users.
PFAS: summary in three key points
What they arePFAS are a vast family of synthetic chemicals used for their properties of stability, resistance, and high performance in numerous industrial applications. |
Why they're under scrutinyTheir high environmental persistence and potential risks to health and ecosystems have led European authorities to evaluate increasingly stringent restrictions. |
Impact on the HVACR sectorMany F-gas refrigerants fall within the PFAS category. An unbalanced approach could affect refrigerant availability, existing systems, and investments throughout the entire supply chain. |
PFAS constitute a broad family of synthetic chemical substances used in a wide range of industrial and everyday applications. Their high environmental persistence, combined with possible effects on human health and ecosystems, has progressively attracted the attention of authorities and public opinion, promoting the introduction of increasingly rigorous control measures.
In recent years, ECHA has already initiated restrictions on some high-impact applications, such as firefighting foams, paving the way for a potentially broader crackdown on many PFAS categories. However, a general ban would have significant economic and social repercussions, as these substances affect virtually every production sector.
PFAS and F-gases: the challenge for refrigeration and heat pumps
Many F-gas refrigerants currently in use are classified as PFAS, including widely used components such as R134a, R125, and R1234yf, present in numerous blends for air conditioning, refrigeration, and heat pumps, including automotive applications including electric vehicles. Any horizontal restriction on PFAS would have a direct impact on refrigerant availability and currently installed technologies.
The study highlights that the regulatory pathway has entered the SEAC phase, dedicated to socio-economic impact assessment. Two main options are on the table:
- Almost total ban with a short transitional period
- Ban with targeted exemptions for applications without technically and economically sustainable alternatives
The impact numbers: why balance is needed
A total ban on PFAS, without targeted exemptions, would entail systemic consequences for the European economy, with direct effects on businesses, employment, and industrial investments.
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> €500 Billion
Estimated costs in the 1st year
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2.9 Million
Jobs involved
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39,000
European companies (predominantly SMEs)
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The ITRE committee recognizes heat pumps as an indispensable green technology for the European Green Deal. While alternatives with non-fluorinated gases exist, they are still under development and do not represent a universal solution in the short term.
ITRE emphasizes that economic, technical, and safety constraints make a complete and immediate replacement of fluorinated gases unrealistic today. For this reason, it recommends completely excluding fluorinated gases from a universal PFAS restriction and managing them within the F-gas regulation framework, which can be updated according to technological evolution.
What this means for GeneralGas operators and customers
For refrigeration and air conditioning operators, the scenario emerging from the report, although not binding, is one of a long, complex regulatory transition strongly guided by detailed technical-economic analyses. It's unrealistic to expect sudden changes overnight, but it's equally clear that the direction is set toward increasingly responsible and selective use of PFAS.
In this context, companies like GeneralGas have the task of supporting the supply chain with compliant solutions and gradual conversion pathways toward refrigerants and lower-impact technologies, where technically feasible. Maintaining dialogue with trade associations, authorities, and customers becomes strategic to anticipate changes and transform them into innovation opportunities, rather than risk factors for operational continuity.
