Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases – Certification of Companies

General information

According to Article 10 of Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases, certain activities related to facilities containing Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases ("F-gases") may only be carried out by companies with sufficiently qualified personnel, and having sufficient work equipment available. This includes the following activities:

1. Installation, maintenance, servicing, repair or decommissioning of
   1. Stationary refrigeration systems
   2. Stationary air conditioners
   3. Stationary heat pumps
   4. Stationary fire protection equipment
   5. Mobile refrigeration systems in refrigerated trucks and trailers
   6. electrical switchgears
2. Leakage checks of installations under items 1 (a) – (e) above
3. Recovery of F-gases in accordance with article 8 paragraph 1 of Regulation (EU) No 517/2014.
   For this purpose, any company intending to perform the above-mentioned activities in accordance with items 1 (a) – (d) applies for the issuance of a company certificate at the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.
   Both, personal and company certificates issued in other Member States in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 are recognized as equivalent qualification as certificates issued in Austria.

Enterprises affected

These regulations apply to all natural and legal persons who place, make available on the market or use the chemicals in question in Austria.

Requirements

Companies that carry out activities with Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases must ensure that these activities are carried out by sufficiently qualified personnel, and that all necessary tools and equipment are available to the certified personnel.

Deadlines

Each affected company (see above) must have a company certificate before beginning the above-mentioned activities. In the case of a start-up of such an undertaking and, or before the start of the activities for which a certificate is required, the undertaking must immediately apply for certification providing the necessary documents.

Competent authority

Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, Dept. V/5 - Chemical Policy and Biocides.

→ The application form for certification of a company, available on the Website of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce^{German text} (Bundesinnung der Mechatroniker), has to be completed and submitted by e-mail to the abovementioned office of the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. Copies of the existing personal certificates must be attached to the application.

Procedure

1. Submission of the application form and supplementary information by e-mail or letter to the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism.
2.  
   1. If the prerequisites for certification are fulfilled, the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism issues a certificate for the undertaking.
   2. If the prerequisites for certification are not fulfilled, the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism issues an assessment notice. The undertaking concerned has the right to appeal to the Landesverwaltungsgericht Wien.

Required documents

An application must include the following information:

1. Annual average of the number of persons employed by the undertaking in the regulated field
2. Number and names of certified persons employed by the undertaking, including copies of their personal certificates
3. A written declaration by the representative of the undertaking that the undertaking employs sufficient personal to cover all expected activities
4. Record of equipment and facilities built and maintained in the previous year

Further information

Informationen zu gefährlichen Stoffen und Gemischen finden sich ebenfalls auf USP.gv.at.

Legal bases

• Fluorinated Greenhoue Gases Act 2009^{German text} Fed. Law Gaz. I No. 103/2009 as amended.
• Regulation (EU) No. 517/2014 on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases

Expert information

• Dangerous substances and mixtures
• Chemicals Policy on the website of the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (→ BMK)^{German text}

Link to form

The application form^{German text} is available on the WKO Website.