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- Generic PFAS Restriction – Updated Proposal – In 2023, five EU Member States submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) a joint proposal to restrict PFAS under REACH, with options ranging from a full ban to phased restrictions. Following a six-month public consultation that generated approximately 5,600 comments, the authorities have now issued an updated version of the Annex XV restriction report. Recast as a Background Document, the revised report will guide the ongoing assessment by ECHA’s Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC).
The original proposal set out two Restriction Options (RO): RO1, a complete PFAS ban with an 18-month transition, and RO2, a ban with sector-specific derogations of 5 to 12 years, also preceded by an 18-month transition. In response to stakeholder input, the authorities additionally examined a third option (RO3), which would allow certain uses of PFAS to continue under strict lifecycle-based emission controls. Complementary measures have also been considered in combination with RO2 to strengthen risk management.
The updated dossier expands the scope of analysis to include new sectors not fully covered in the initial submission, including printing applications, sealing and machinery uses, additional medical applications such as immediate packaging and pharmaceutical excipients, military and explosives applications, certain technical textiles, and broader industrial functions such as solvents and catalysts.
The European Commission will ultimately decide whether to adopt a restriction, following receipt of the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) opinions and subsequent consultation with Member States. - Fluoropolymers in the Generic PFAS restriction – Fluoropolymers remain in scope of the PFAS restriction proposal despite strong industry pressure for full exemption, although extensive time-limited derogations are granted. Exemptions cover polymer processing aids, non-stick industrial coatings, medical devices, wires and cables, fuel cells, battery coatings, and certain vehicle components. Key applications of fluorinated gases (F-gases) are also exempted where alternatives are not yet available.
Derogation periods generally range from 6.5 to 13.5 years, with spare parts for PFAS-containing articles allowed for up to 20 years—or indefinitely in specific cases. Some environmentally degradable PFAS sub-groups are excluded from the restriction. Annual reporting will be required for long-term derogations (13.5+ years) and for F-gases to track emissions and substitution progress, though downstream users are not covered. Review clauses are proposed for applications lacking alternatives, particularly for maintenance of legacy complex objects, to mitigate potential socio-economic impacts before derogations expire. - RAC and SEAC to issue partial opinion on PFAS restriction proposal – On August 27, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced that its committees (RAC and SEAC) will deliver an incomplete opinion on the universal PFAS restriction proposal in order to meet the timeline set by the European Commission. The agency explained that to finalize its recommendations in 2026, it will limit its review to the 14 sectors covered in the original 2023 dossier, together with PFAS production and “horizontal issues” such as hazard assessment and risk management measures to monitor and control emissions. ECHA will not evaluate the eight additional sectors included in the June 2025 update submitted by the five proposing countries, two years after the original proposal.
According to the agency, this approach will nonetheless ensure that more than 90% of PFAS volumes and emissions are addressed in the forthcoming opinions. The RAC is expected to adopt its opinion in the first half of 2026, while the draft opinion of the SEAC should be released for public consultation in the same period. The European Commission has committed, in its July 8 chemical industry action plan, to present a legislative proposal “as soon as possible” after receiving ECHA’s opinions.
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- Government targets 70% reduction in industrial PFAS discharges by 2028 – The French government has released a Draft Decree, open for public consultation until September 5, to implement provisions of the February 2025 PFAS law. The text sets an interim milestone of reducing industrial releases of PFAS into water by 70% by 2028, with a broader objective of moving toward the end of discharges by February 27, 2030. Environmental NGO Générations Futures criticized the wording as extremely vague and noted that both goals are measured against incomplete 2023 baseline data. Moreover, the targets apply only to facilities already identified as discharging PFAS, rather than to all industrial sites.
- Public consultation opens on PFAS bans in cosmetics, ski waxes, and textiles – A second draft decree under the February 2025 law is open for comment until September 5. It proposes concentration thresholds for PFAS in cosmetics, ski waxes, and textiles, above which such products would be prohibited from the French market as of January 1, 2026. The thresholds align with those under consideration by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in its universal PFAS restriction proposal. Two additional implementing texts, addressing drinking water controls and a levy on industrial PFAS discharges, are still pending.
- Citizen lawsuit over contaminated drinking water – On August 4, 400 residents filed a complaint against the local water authority over PFAS exceedances in tap water, following restrictions since April for 11 municipalities near Basel-Mulhouse airport. Levels reached 0.459 µg/L, above the 0.1 µg/L limit. The Ministry of Health released an interactive PFAS monitoring map, with nationwide monitoring mandatory from January 2026 under the revised EU Drinking Water Directive. In July, the European Commission issued a formal notice to France for incomplete implementation.