Fluorinated greenhouse gases - Certification of companies See explanation of the designation of: ¹

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
   • Stationary refrigeration systems
   • Stationary air conditioners
   • Stationary heat pumps
   • Stationary fire protection equipment
   • Mobile refrigeration systems in refrigerated trucks and trailers
   • electrical switchgears
2. Leakage checks of installations under article 5 of the Regulation ( EU ) No 2024/573
3. Recovery of F -gases in accordance with article 8 of Regulation ( EU ) No 2024/573

For this purpose, any company intending to perform the above-mentioned activities applies for the issuance of a company certificate .

Both, personal and company certificates issued in other Member States in accordance with the requirements of Regulation ( EU ) No 2024/573 are recognized as equivalent qualification as certificates issued in Austria (see also article 10 paragraphs 9 and 10 and Regulation (EU) No. 2024/2215).

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.

Each affected company 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.

Submission of the application form and supplementary information by e -mail or letter to the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism.

• If the prerequisites for certification are fulfilled, the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism issues a certificate for the undertaking.
• If the requirements for issuing a company certificate are no longer met, the BMK will revoke the company certificate. The undertaking concerned has the right to appeal to the Landesverwaltungsgericht Wien .

An application must include the following information:

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

Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, Dept. V/5 - Chemical Policy and Biocides ⁹.

The application form for certification of a company, available on the website of the → Austrian Chamber of Commerce ¹⁰ 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.

The application form ¹⁰ German text is available on the WKO Website.

A company certificate does not constitute an approval of operations ¹² under the commercial law. It only requires companies carrying out activities with Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases to employ appropriately qualified personal and to obtain a certificate in accordance with EU obligations. The objective of these qualification and certification provisions is to reduce or prevent emissions of F -gases to the atmosphere.

Information on dangerous substances and mixtures ¹³ can also be found at USP .gv.at.

• Fluorinated Greenhoue Gases Act ¹⁵ German text
• Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases ¹⁶