Finland refrigerant rules: Tukes qualifications, Decree 1063/2025 and supervision

The EU regulation applies directly, Finnish law supplements it

The EU regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases has applied directly in Finland since 11 March 2024 ^[1]. Requirements for leak checks, records, leak detection systems, service bans and bans on new products therefore come from the EU regulation.

The Finnish basis is the ympäristönsuojelulaki (Environmental Protection Act, 527/2014). Its chapter 17 covers ozone-depleting substances, fluorinated greenhouse gases and alternative refrigerants. The chapter got its current form through Act 754/2024 in December 2024 ^[2]. The details are in Government Decree 1063/2025 on the handling of equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases, ozone-depleting substances or alternative refrigerants ^[3]. It replaces the earlier qualification decree 766/2016.

Authorities

• Syke (Suomen ympäristökeskus, Finnish Environment Institute) is the competent authority under the F-gas and ozone regulations and publishes supervision guidance for the authorities ^[7].
• Tukes (Turvallisuus- ja kemikaalivirasto, Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency) grants qualifications, keeps the registers of qualified persons and companies and supervises compliance with the qualification requirements ^[4][7].
• The Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (Permit and Supervision Agency), the municipal environmental and health protection authorities and some other authorities supervise the rules within their own fields ^[7].

Older guidance names the ELY Centres as supervisory authorities. According to Syke's current guidance, the Lupa- ja valvontavirasto has that role instead ^[7].

Qualifications for persons: toimintaoikeus

Anyone who installs, services, repairs, leak-checks equipment or recovers refrigerant must hold an operating right (toimintaoikeus) from Tukes. Under the new rules the requirements cover not only F-gases but also carbon dioxide and ammonia ^[4][5]. Tukes uses these classes for stationary equipment ^[4]:

The classes come in two variants: one that allows the holder to act as responsible person (vastuuhenkilö) and one for installers (for example A1 A). New applicants who will be the responsible person in class A1, B or C need the qualification unit kylmäaineen käsittely (refrigerant handling) of the vocational qualification in building services ^[4][5]. Vehicle air conditioning has its own classes.

Fixed-term qualifications and transition periods

• Tukes opened the e-service for applications under the new rules on 19 November 2025 ^[5].
• An operating right granted on the basis of a refresher course is valid for seven years ^[5]. Under section 162 of the Environmental Protection Act the certificate is valid for seven years and the application for renewal must be submitted to Tukes three months before it expires ^[2].
• Those trained under the old Regulation 517/2014 could apply for qualifications under the old rules until 30 June 2026. The old classes Y3, E3 and KU can no longer be applied for ^[5][6].
• Qualifications under the old rules are valid until 12 March 2029. Tukes asks holders to take a refresher course and apply for the renewed qualification by 12 December 2028 ^[5][6].

Refrigeration companies: kylmälaiteliiketodistus and register

A company that does refrigeration work for others needs a kylmälaiteliiketodistus (refrigeration equipment company certificate) from Tukes and must be registered in the Tukes toiminnanharjoittajarekisteri (operator register) ^[6]. The notification is made in the Tukes e-service before the business starts. The company must have a qualified responsible person, and a change of responsible person must be notified no later than three months after the change ^[8]. The company's operating rights are updated when the responsible person and the installers renew their personal qualifications ^[8]. Check in the Tukes register that the people hold the right class for the work the company notifies.

Installation certificate and service log

After installing stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning or heat pump equipment, the company must draw up an installation certificate (installationsbevis) and hand it, signed by its responsible person, to the equipment holder (section 162 a of the Environmental Protection Act) ^[2]. Section 9 of Decree 1063/2025 requires at least the following ^[3]:

• the location, the serial number or other identification, and the refrigerant with its safety class, GWP and charge;
• the statutory leak check interval;
• the pressure test record (where the pressure equipment rules require a test), the evacuation record, the tightness test record and the test run record;
• the names and permit numbers of the installer and the responsible person, the company's declaration that the equipment meets the F-gas regulation, and the signature of the responsible person.

The service log required by Article 7 of the EU regulation must also be kept for other equipment with at least 500 g of alternative refrigerant, for example CO2, ammonia or hydrocarbons, except equipment for consumer or household use (section 10 of the decree). The log must be kept for at least five years and shown to the supervisory authority on request ^[3].

Leak checks under the EU regulation

The leak check intervals depend on the refrigerant quantity in tonnes CO2e and on whether a leak detection system is installed ^[1]:

The operator must keep records of checks, top-ups and recovered quantities ^[1]. The GWP calculator converts kilograms to tonnes CO2e for your refrigerant.

Pressure equipment: registration and periodic inspection

Refrigeration systems are also pressure equipment under the Finnish pressure equipment act (lag om tryckbärande anordningar 1144/2016) and Government Decree 1549/2016. Tukes supervises it ^[9][10].

• Registration: piping systems are not registered. Vessels are exempt up to 1,000 bar·l (maximum allowable pressure times internal volume) for fluids of group 1 and up to 3,000 bar·l for gases of group 2 at 120 °C or below. Larger vessels are registered at the first periodic inspection (section 6 of the decree, section 51 of the act) ^[9][10].
• Periodic inspection of registered equipment: an operational inspection at least every four years for most equipment, an internal inspection at least every eight years where the fluid does not corrode the vessel wall, and a pressure test at every second internal inspection (sections 57-59 of the act). The inspection body can set shorter intervals ^[9].
• Monitoring: internal inspections and pressure tests of pressure equipment in a refrigeration system may be replaced by monitoring (bevakning) (section 12 of the decree) ^[10].
• The act is amended by Act 779/2026 from 1 January 2027. We have not checked what this changes for refrigeration systems, so check 1144/2016 as amended on finlex.fi ^[9].

Penalties and changes in 2026

Act 178/2026 amended section 225 of the Environmental Protection Act, the penalty provision for breaches of the F-gas and ozone regulations, and entered into force on 1 April 2026. Point 7 of section 225(1) applies only from 1 January 2028 ^[2].

Practical checklist

1. Check in the Tukes register that all installers hold the right class, especially B for CO2 and C for ammonia ^[4].
2. Plan refresher courses well before 12 December 2028 ^[6].
3. Notify Tukes of a change of responsible person within three months ^[8].
4. Convert the charge to tonnes CO2e and follow the leak check intervals of the EU regulation ^[1].
5. Keep records per unit and keep them available for the supervisory authority ^[1][7].