Smugglers Are Finding It Increasingly Difficult in Poland

News

Key Takeaways from the Presentation by President Krzysztof Grzegorczyk at the HVACR 2026 Trade Fair

Illegal trade in refrigerants is one of the greatest challenges facing the HVACR industry in Europe today. However — as Poland’s experience shows — effective institutional cooperation, education, and the development of enforcement tools can genuinely reduce the scale of this problem.

At the conference held alongside the HVACR trade fair (25 February 2026), PROZON Foundation President Krzysztof Grzegorczyk presented a current picture of the market and the measures that are making Poland one of the most difficult countries for F-gas smugglers.

Scale of activities and results

The PROZON Foundation has spent years building a system for the responsible management of recovered refrigerants in Poland. The scale of these efforts is significant:

  • 20,000 specialist cylinders placed on the market
  • 6,000 partnership agreements with service companies
  • 2,500 tonnes of refrigerants processed
  • 6,300 specialists trained in F-gas regulations
  • 2,700 F-gas examinations conducted

These are not just numbers — they are the foundation of a system that curbs the grey market and improves market safety.

How does smuggling work?

Illegal trade in F-gases has not disappeared — it has simply changed its form.

Refrigerants are now smuggled, among other methods, inside legitimate shipments and heavy goods vehicles, and previously also in LPG tanks.

This last practice has been significantly curtailed thanks to PROZON Foundation training for customs services and the provision of modern identification equipment.

Since 2026, enforcement services have also been equipped with gas chromatographs, enabling fast and precise detection of illegal substances.

A new standard of enforcement

A key development in recent years has been the professionalisation of enforcement activities:

  • officers have been granted authority to take samples,
  • they have received training on both regulations and analytical methods,
  • cooperation between the National Revenue Administration (KAS) and Regional Environmental Inspectorates (WIOŚ) has been strengthened,
  • the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has also been brought into the process.

In addition, Poland has full access to the F-Gas Portal system, which eliminates the possibility of repeated deliveries exceeding quota allocations.

The result? The system is becoming airtight — and the risk for dishonest operators is growing.

Counterfeiting — a growing threat

Alongside smuggling, the falsification of refrigerants is an increasingly serious problem.

In 2025, cases were recorded in which:

  • the product did not match its declaration (e.g. R404A instead of R449A),
  • certificates were forged,
  • the price was suspiciously low compared to the market rate.

Laboratory testing confirmed fraud that violated patent law, consumer rights, and environmental regulations.

In such cases, to verify that a refrigerant is legal and safe, companies can make use of the free refrigerant composition testing offered by the PROZON Foundation.

A growing phenomenon is also so-called fraudulent reclamation, where “cheap reclaimed refrigerants” are offered and suppliers present their own certificates without confirming the location where reclamation took place, without holding the required waste permits, or presenting quality certificates that do not comply with the AHRI 700 standard.

Real consequences for businesses

Illegal or counterfeit refrigerants are not just a systemic problem — they translate into concrete losses for companies.

One case in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship involved nearly 1 tonne of counterfeit R452A refrigerant.

The consequences included:

  • end-customer claims,
  • the obligation to pay compensation,
  • a serious threat to the financial stability of the service company.

This makes one thing clear: savings on refrigerant purchases can end up costing many times more.

What can the industry do?

Vigilance and responsibility among market participants are essential.

In practice, this means:

  • verifying suppliers,
  • exercising caution towards “bargain” offers,
  • making use of the free laboratory testing offered by the PROZON Foundation,
  • reporting suspected illegal trading.

The PROZON Foundation also provides tools to support market safety, including a reporting platform at www.bezpiecznehfc.pl.

A shared direction: safety and transparency

Regulatory changes, the development of enforcement tools, and growing industry awareness are making Poland a model for effective action against illegal F-gas trading.

This is, however, a process that requires continued commitment from all market participants.

Safety in the HVACR industry starts with responsible decisions — every day, at every stage of the supply chain.