Replacing fossil fuel heating with heat pumps is central to achieving Europe’s decarbonisation, energy security and industrial competitiveness objectives.
The proposed restriction on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS (sometimes known as ‘forever chemicals’) should strike the right balance between reducing environmental impacts and maintaining the rapid deployment of heat pumps needed to accelerate this transition.
EHPA supports the aim of reducing PFAS emissions and remains committed to the long-term transition towards non-polyfluorinated refrigerants.
However, for several heat pump applications, suitable alternatives are not yet technically feasible, economically viable or available at scale due to safety and performance constraints.
A carefully designed, application-specific approach is therefore needed to ensure that the PFAS restriction supports both environmental objectives and the continued replacement of fossil fuel heating systems.
This includes targeted derogations for applications where no viable alternatives currently exist, while continuing to encourage innovation and the transition towards future refrigerant solutions.
Europe’s heat pump manufacturing base, with more than 300 production sites supporting around 433,000 direct and indirect jobs, is already leading the transition towards non-polyfluorinated refrigerants.
A balanced transition will help preserve this industrial leadership, support continued innovation and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in clean heating technologies.
Read our position paper:
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