Italy increases sentences for F-gas breaches
25th April 2026
ITALY: Those who breach the European F-gas regulations in Italy now face the possibility of one year in jail and fines of up to €150,000.
This week, Italy’s Council of Ministers approved the legislative decree implementing the EU directive 2024/1203 for the protection of the environment through criminal law.
Article 5 addresses the illegal production, marketing, import, export, use, or release of F-gases and related equipment, introducing strict criminal penalties.
Those who participate in the unauthorised production, import or export of F-gases and related products will now face a jail sentence of six months to one year or a fine from €10,000 to €150,000. Unauthorised marketing, use, or release of F-gases or equipment that contains them will bring fines from €1,000 to €50,000 or a jail sentence of two to six months.
Italy was highlighted as a major hotspot for the illegal F-gas trade in the most recent report from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EPA). It has previously been claimed that nearly half of the available refrigerant gas in Italy is illegal.
Meanwhile, Italian customs and police have been cracking down on the illegal import and sale of F-gases, scoring some major successes. Earlier this year, Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), and the Command of the Forest, Environmental and Agri-food (CUFAA), a specialised unit of the Italian police force, agreed to co-ordinate surveillance and combat the illegal trade.
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