EU F-Gas Quota Fee Takes Effect, Adding Up to €6.26/kg to Common Refrigerants

A new fee-based quota system under EU Regulation 2024/573 became binding on January 1, 2026, imposing a levy of €3.00 per tonne of CO₂ equivalent on fluorinated gases placed on the market for the first time. The charge translates into significant per-kilogram cost increases for high-GWP refrigerants: R-410A (GWP 2,088) carries an additional €6.26/kg, R-134a (GWP 1,430) adds €4.29/kg, and R-32 (GWP 675) adds €2.03/kg. Recycled refrigerants are exempt from the levy. Industry distributor Schiessl noted that the fee will be embedded in product prices rather than shown as a separate invoice line item. The quota system coincides with a sharply reduced HFC supply: in 2025 and 2026, only 24% of the 2015 baseline quantity may be placed on the EU market, with a further halving scheduled from 2027 onward.