About
What’s the problem?
HFCs – short for Hydrofluorocarbons – are used in refrigeration, air conditioning systems, as blowing agents in sprays, foams and insulating materials and as fire extinguishing agents. They are highly effective and energy efficient refrigerants.
Due to the high global warming potential (GWP) of some HFC refrigerants, their consumption is being phased down. In Europe, this phase down is managed with quotas that promote a gradual shift to lower GWP alternatives.
These quotas are circumnavigated by criminal organisations, who make vast profits on the black market by smuggling large amounts of refrigerant gases into countries across Europe. And by doing this, they also increase the amount of high GWP HFCs being circulated in Europe.
Recently, thanks to efforts by the HFCs value chain, EFCTC, the wider refrigerant industry and authorities, effective steps have been taken to tackle this problem. However, more work needs to be done.
What needs to happen now?
With some member states in Europe taking strong measures to tackle the illegal trade, there is a risk that criminals will find different routes and new ways to circumvent the law.
To avoid this, EFCTC calls for the following:
Enforce the law
Tighter enforcement in EU member states works to deter criminals.
Check supply chains
The more people know about this issue in the value chain, the better. Collaborate, inform, and bring solutions.
Trace criminal activity
The first step to stop criminals is to make sure they have no place to hide. For that the value chain and the enforcement community can be equally vigilant.
The Problem
A four-piece animated series
Why is there an HFCs black market in Europe?
HFC smuggling in practice?
How you can stop the illegal smuggling of HFCs
The impact
Enforcement
What’s already been done?
Step by step, Europe is locking the door on criminals who try to import HFCs illegally into the EU.
What we have done
The European Fluorocarbons Technical Committee (EFCTC) is a Cefic Sector Group. Its main objectives are to provide up to date information about applications, safety, health and environmental effects for HFCs HFOs HCFOs and the relevant European and international legislation. Its members are companies which produce and supply HFCs, HFOs and HCFOs: Chemours, Daikin Chemical Europe, Arkema, Honeywell and Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials..
EFCTC has been dedicate to combating the illegal trade of F-gases for many years. Its key actions are:
- Awareness raising: for the black market in refrigerants to come to a hold, spreading awareness and information about its risks across the value chain is crucial. Illegal refrigerants often find customers who seek cost cutting opportunities but are unaware of the real risks and consequences. By spreading information to showcase those risks, EFCTC hopes to affect behavioural change on the demand side and contribute to a more resilient sector.
- Sharing of expertise with various partners in the private sector as well as enforcement agencies. The identification and handling of illegal refrigerants is a highly complicated task. EFCTC has collaborated with enforcement and customs agencies to help them perform this task in a safe and effective manner.
- Policy recommendations: illegal trade jeopardises the effective enforcement of the F-gas Regulation, harming both the European climate objectives and legitimate businesses who make considerable investments to comply with the regulation. EFCTC remains in touch with policy makers to discuss recommendations on the effective enforcement of the F-gas Regulation and avoid its circumvention via the illegal trade of F-gases.
- Information gathering: collecting, assessing and analysing data on illegal trade of any substance is a considerable challenge. This is especially the case for F-gases, a black market which does not rank as high on the priority list of authorities as other illicit products. EFCTC collaborates with the investigative bureau KROLL to collect current data on the issue.
- Cross-sector collaboration: for a successful approach against illegal F-gases, all the sectors within the value chain are needed. For this reason EFCTC collaborates with the industry association of key European sectors to help develop recommendations and spread awareness. These include EPEE, representing the refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pumps industry, ASERCOM, representing refrigeration component manufacturers and AREA, representing refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump contractors.
More information can be found on the EFCTC website.
Report Illegal HFCs
Combating illegal refrigerants remains a huge challenge for enforcement authorities as well as the legitimate value chain. Avoid the introduction of illegal and uncompliant products into the European market and report in case you notice anything suspicious.
Report suspicious activity by:
Submitting the information to the OLAF notification system.
Every EU Member State has its own national contact point for any issues related to F-gases. These can be found here.
Reaching out to EFCTC, we work closely together with relevant authorities and will make sure your information gets in the right place.