Quick answer
R-134a is a pure hydrofluorocarbon, listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2024/573 as HFC-134a. It is not banned as a substance. What is restricted is use for servicing above certain GWP thresholds and the placing on the market of certain equipment containing it.
Those two things carry different dates and are easily confused: new equipment with R-134a can already be prohibited in a category where servicing remains perfectly legal.
| Situation | Value |
|---|---|
| GWP | 1 430 — value listed in Annex I |
| Servicing today | Allowed — Not caught by the servicing bans that apply today. |
| From 1 January 2032 | Banned — Prohibited for servicing stationary refrigeration other than chillers. |
| Leak-check threshold | 5 t CO2e ≈ 3.50 kg (Annex I) |
The GWP, and where it comes from
R-134a is a pure substance and is listed directly in Annex I at 1 430.
The second is headed “20 years-GWP — for information purposes only”. It is not the value the thresholds are measured against. Using it inflates the result several times over.
Servicing: what you may charge, and until when
At 1 430, R-134a sits below the 2 500 threshold in Article 13(3) and 13(4). It may still be used to maintain and service refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment.
The next line does catch it. From 1 January 2032, Article 13(5) prohibits Annex I gases with a GWP of 750 or more for maintaining or servicing stationary refrigeration equipment, chillers excluded. At 1 430 it is above that limit.
The prohibition does not apply to military equipment, equipment designed to cool below −50 °C, or equipment designed to cool nuclear power stations. Reclaimed and recycled gas are excepted on the conditions in the same paragraph.
Equipment: what may no longer be placed on the market
Annex IV prohibits placing whole categories of equipment on the market on the basis of the refrigerant's GWP. At 1 430, R-134a is caught by every 150 line and every 750 line. The rows that matter in practice:
| Annex IV point | Equipment | Limit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3(b) | Commercial self-contained refrigerators and freezers, HFCs | GWP 150 or more | 1.1.2022 |
| 6 | Multipack centralised commercial systems of 40 kW or more, Annex I gases | GWP 150 or more | 1.1.2022 |
| 4 | Any self-contained refrigeration equipment except chillers | GWP 150 or more | 1.1.2025 |
| 9(a) | Single split systems containing less than 3 kg of Annex I gases | GWP 750 or more | 1.1.2025 |
| 5(c) | The same equipment | GWP 150 or more | 1.1.2030 |
The prohibition bites on placing on the market, that is the first making available in the Union. Equipment already in service does not become illegal on that date and may be maintained for as long as the gas used for servicing is permitted.
Air conditioning in motor vehicles is not settled by Annex IV but by Directive 2006/40/EC, a separate act with its own dates. Do not mix the two regimes.
Leak checks and the detection system
Article 5(1) sets what has to be checked and Article 5(6) how often. The duty falls on operators and on manufacturers of the equipment.
| Charge | Check at least | With a detection system |
|---|---|---|
| 5 – 50 t CO2e | 12 months | 24 months |
| 50 – 500 t CO2e | 6 months | 12 months |
| ≥ 500 t CO2e | 3 months | 6 months |
Worked example. 10 kg of R-134a is 10 × 1 430 ÷ 1 000 ≈ 14.3 t CO2e — the bottom band, so checks at least every 12 months (24 with a detection system).
Article 6(1) makes a leakage detection system mandatory for the stationary equipment in Article 5(2), points (a) to (d), from 500 t CO2e of Annex I gases. The detector itself is checked at least once every 12 months under Article 6(3).
The detail that changes the sum: chillers are excluded
Article 13(5) is frequently misread. The prohibition from 1 January 2032 does not cover all refrigeration, nor air conditioning. The text says stationary refrigeration equipment, chillers excluded.
The practical consequence for R-134a is substantial. A chiller running on R-134a sits outside the paragraph (5) prohibition after that date and may be serviced with virgin gas for as long as its GWP stays below the 2 500 line in paragraphs (3) and (4). The same charge in a stationary display cabinet would be caught.
Also excluded are military equipment, equipment designed to cool below −50 °C, and equipment cooling nuclear power stations. Outside those cases, plan the transition of stationary refrigeration on R-134a well ahead of time.
Is your installation “stationary refrigeration” or a “chiller”? The answer decides whether you have a 2032 deadline at all. If the classification is unclear, ask the equipment manufacturer to confirm it in writing.
Label and record
The label. Article 12(1)(g) puts all fluorinated greenhouse gas containers under the labelling requirement, and Article 12(3) requires the designation, the quantity in weight and in CO2 equivalent, and the GWP. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2174 requires the text “contains fluorinated greenhouse gases” and points at the “GWP” column of the annexes.
The record. Where the equipment has to be checked under Article 5(1), Article 7(1) requires a record for each piece of equipment: quantity and type, quantities added with dates, quantity recovered, origin of any added gas, the identity of the undertaking and the person who did the work, and the dates and results of checks and repairs. Five years, held by the operator and in copy by the servicing undertaking.
Who may buy it. Article 11(6) allows the purchase only by certified persons or undertakings employing them, and the seller records the certificate number and the quantity under Article 7(3).
What the regulation does NOT tell you
Physical properties, safety class and flammability are not in the regulation. Take them from the product's safety data sheet (sections 2 and 9) and the manufacturer's documentation.
The regulation also does not say whether the gas suits a particular installation. Capacity, pressures, oil compatibility and component ratings are engineering questions answered by the equipment manufacturer's documentation.
Where the refrigerant is flammable, the certification side moves too: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2215 places hydrocarbons inside Certificates A1 and A2, CO2 in Certificate B and ammonia in Certificate C, and Article 10(5) of the F-gas Regulation requires training to cover safe handling of equipment containing flammable or toxic gases or operating under high pressure.
Checklist
- The GWP used is the binding columnNot the 20-year column, marked for information only.
- Charge recorded in kg and in tonnes of CO2 equivalentThe figure that sets the check interval.
- Servicing status checked against Article 13And the next date, not only today's.
- Equipment purchases checked against Annex IVBy category and rated capacity.
- Check interval assignedArticle 5(6), with or without a detection system.
- Detector question answeredArticle 6(1).
- Label complete on the cylinderDesignation, weight, CO2 equivalent, GWP.
- Equipment record currentArticle 7(1), kept five years.
- Safety data sheet available where the work happensNot only in the office.
Frequently asked questions
What is the GWP of R-134a?
1 430, the value listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2024/573. That is the binding column, not the 20-year one.
Can I still service with R-134a?
Yes. At 1 430 it is not caught by the servicing bans that apply today. From 1 January 2032, however, Article 13(5) prohibits it for servicing stationary refrigeration other than chillers.
At what charge do leak checks start?
At 5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. At 1 430 that is roughly 3.50 kg.
Is R-134a banned as a substance?
No. The regulation does not ban substances as such. It restricts use for servicing above certain GWP thresholds (Article 13) and the placing on the market of certain equipment containing them (Annex IV). Those are different things with different dates.
Who may buy R-134a?
Under Article 11(6), only certified natural persons or undertakings employing such persons, for installing, maintaining, servicing or repairing the covered equipment. The seller records the certificate number and the quantity under Article 7(3).
What has to be on the cylinder?
Article 12(3): an indication that it contains fluorinated greenhouse gases, the accepted industry designation, the quantity in weight and in CO2 equivalent, and the GWP. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2174 adds the text “contains fluorinated greenhouse gases”.
Where do I find the safety class and the properties?
Not in the regulation. In the product's safety data sheet — section 2 for classification and label elements, section 9 for physical and chemical properties — and in the manufacturer's documentation.
Official sources
Annexes I, II, IV and VI and Articles 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13 were read directly in the Official Journal text through the EU Publications Office.
Currency of this page and limits of responsibility
This is a regulatory status page, not a technical data sheet. It carries no thermodynamic properties, safety classes or application recommendations. For those, use the product's safety data sheet and the manufacturer's documentation.
General information prepared by EgoLog from the regulation and official Commission material. It is not legal advice and it is not an engineering assessment.
Annex IV can be amended, and the Commission may authorise time-limited exemptions under Article 11(5). Confirm the current text before you rely on a date commercially.