German industry presses for PFAS exemptions
8th October 2026
GERMANY: Leading German HVACR associations have warned against a blanket PFAS ban and urged that the economic impacts of a ban be considered alongside the environmental ones.
In a letter to members of the Bundestag and relevant ministries, the associations explain the potential consequences of a blanket PFAS ban on the refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump technology sectors, key areas of energy supply, the economy, and the transition to sustainable heating.
This initiative is prompted by the ongoing PFAS restriction process led by the European Chemicals Agency. While the proposal currently under discussion envisages far-reaching restrictions on PFAS substances, a final decision has not yet been reached.
The associations insist that they explicitly support the goal of reducing harmful PFAS releases into the environment, but point out that fluorinated refrigerants are already strictly regulated under the EU F-gas regulation. They also believe that any future PFAS regulation should also include provisions for exemptions where no technically
suitable alternatives are available, where safety requirements preclude the use of alternative refrigerants, or where there is a risk of disproportionate economic consequences.
The signatories to the letter include the BTGA (Federal Industrial Association for Technical Building Services), the BVKMW (Federal Association of the Refrigerant Industry), the FGK (Trade Association for Building Climate Systems), the Manufacturers’ Association for Air Handling Units, the TGA Representative Office Berlin, the VDKF (Association of German Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Specialist Companies), and the VDMA General Air Technology Association.
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