Updates

The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2018

  • Legal

Jurisdiction:  Northern Ireland

Commencement:   17th January 2019

Amends:   The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

 

Mini Summary

These Regulations attempt to limit emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by ensuring that employees and companies in a number of sectors of business in Northern Ireland are certified to handle equipment during the course of their business without emitting large quantities of F-gases.

 

Amendment

This Regulation makes changes following repeal and replacement of 4 EU Regulations, and is established in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 517/2014:

  • Regulation (EC) No. 1493/2007 becomes Regulation (EU) No. 2015/2068 which establishes label formats for products and equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases
  • Regulation (EC) No. 303/2008 becomes Regulation (EU) No. 2015/2067 which establishes minimum certification requirements for people and companies dealing with stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment, and refrigeration units of refrigerated trucks and trailers, containing fluorinated greenhouse gases.
  • Regulation (EC) No. 305/2008 becomes Regulation (EU) No. 2015/2066 which establishes minimum certification requirements for people carrying out installation, servicing, maintenance, repair or decommissioning of electrical switchgear containing fluorinated greenhouse gases or recovery of fluorinated greenhouse gases from stationary electrical switchgear.
  • Regulation (EC) No. 308/2008 becomes Regulation (EU) No. 2015/2065 which establishes format for notification of the training and certification programmes of the Member States

 

The new EU Regulations implemented several new requirements for businesses and employees in Northern Ireland using F-gases:

  • New requirements for business on labelling of equipment containing f gases
  • New requirements for businesses transferring work with F-gases to another organisation to ensure that the second business has the appropriate certification to work legally with F-gases
  • New certification requirements for work with F-gases in stationary refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps and refrigeration units of trucks and trailers
  • Variation in existing provisions for certification of work on F-gases in switchgear.

 

As a result of the changes, this regulation introduces new offences.

In addition, amendments made by these Regulations will enable the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to appoint the bodies which undertake certification, evaluation and verification of F-gas handlers, without having to specify the name of the certification, evaluation and attestation bodies in the Regulations themselves.

 

Link to full government text

 

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