Spanish supermarkets call for F-gas revision
22nd July 2026
SPAIN: A group representing Spanish supermarkets is calling for changes to the F-gas regulation, claiming it fails to account for the cooling needs of countries with high ambient temperatures.
The Spanish Association of Distributors, Self-Service Stores, and Supermarkets (ASEDAS) is requesting a review more closely aligned with the state of technology, the availability of alternative solutions, and the appropriate fluorinated gases.
ASEDAS claims that there is great concern among food distribution companies about the phase down timetable imposed by the European F-gas regulation 2024/573 which, it says, has not taken into account the cooling needs in countries with high average temperatures, such as Spain.
It complains that the sector has barely four years – until 2030 – to phase out the use of current fluorinated gases, and considers an extension to 2032 as more realistic.
ASEDAS identifies two main problems that could prevent meeting these deadlines: an estimated lack of 10,000 qualified technicians to carry out the necessary upgrades and the risk of a scarcity of transition gases from 2027 onwards due to quota reductions.
While the workload resulting from the technological transition has grown by 30%, the workforce in the refrigeration installation sector has only increased by between 5% and 10%, it argues.
It also maintains that technical adaptation will require an estimated investment of €2.5bn in addition to the sector’s activity, which has already renovated over 10,500 stores, or 40% of its network since 2020.
ASEDAS argues that the ability to absorb such high investment costs could jeopardise the operation of some stores due to the technical or economic impossibility of adapting their equipment to guarantee the cold chain.
“ASEDAS is committed to the transition to a more sustainable economy and shares the climate objective that obliges the European Union to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels,” said María Martínez-Herrera, ASEDAS’ director of consumer and food.
“However, an orderly transition with proportionate measures would help make this path fair for all operators, especially SMEs and countries that must make a greater effort to adapt.”
The Spanish Association of Spanish Retailers and Wholesalers (ASEDAS) celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019. Founded in 1999, today it is the leading Spanish FMCG retail and wholesale sector association, with 19,250 stores representing almost 70% of the food retail and employing 260,000 workers.
Representing over 75% of the Spanish food distribution sector, ASEDAS member companies operate 19,400 retail outlets, 619 wholesale outlets, and manage more than 11,000,000m2 of retail space.
