site.btaBulgarian HVAC Association Warns of Stagnation Due to Lack of Regulations on Use of Freons

The Bulgarian Association for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (BAOVK) warned Monday that the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) sector is facing stagnation due to the lack of adopted national regulations for working with fluorinated greenhouse gases (freons). As a result, technicians and installers cannot obtain or renew mandatory certifications, leaving companies at risk of non-compliance and forcing some to suspend operations, the Association said in a press release.

In September 2024, the European Parliament adopted Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases, replacing the previous Regulation (EU) 517/2014. This was accompanied by the publication of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2215, which sets out the minimum requirements for the certification of individuals and organizations working with refrigerants. Each Member State must adapt its training and certification programmes to ensure compliance with European standards.

In September 2025, the Bulgarian Branch Chamber of Mechanical Engineering instructed training centres to discontinue training due to the lack of national provisions for implementing the new regulations. Although a draft amendment to the Clean Ambient Air Act has been published on the website of the Ministry of Environment and Water, certification activities remain blocked until the legislation's adoption.

BAOVK points out that the situation is already having negative consequences in practice. Vocational training centres, including the one affiliated with the association, have been forced to suspend their activities. This means that technicians and installers cannot obtain or renew their mandatory certificates, and companies risk violating European legislation. According to the organization, this will lead to staff shortages and layoffs, as well as the risk of unregulated practices entering the market.

The association has declared its readiness to assist state institutions in adapting national legislation to restore normal working conditions in the sector. According to experts, the regulatory framework must be adopted swiftly to ensure the industry's timely, safe, and sustainable transformation and maintain the competitiveness of Bulgarian specialists and companies.