REFCOM is to become the UK’s mandatory F-Gas certification body for the stationary refrigeration and air conditioning (SRAC) sector.

The formal appointment by the secretary of state will allow only companies registered with REFCOM to comply with European Commission F-Gas Regulation No 842/2006, as businesses who demonstrate competent and safe handling of fluorinated gases.

The UK legislation – The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (FGG) Regulations 2009 – comes into force on 9 March 2009. Businesses will have until 4 July to achieve at least interim certification, and then full certification by July 20011. However, after July 2009 any business in the UK SRAC sector not registered with REFCOM will be committing an offence (under regulation 23(1) of the 2009 Regulations) and will be subject to local authority enforcement measures and fines.

The appointment has been made following a consultation process by Defra during 2008. For further information go to www.refcom.org.uk