The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has taken a decisive step toward what could become one of Europe’s most far-reaching chemical regulations by supporting a wide-ranging restriction on PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals”.
The agency is signalling a major shift from managing PFAS-related risks to phasing them out, while seeking to minimize sudden disruption of critical industries reliant on such chemicals.
Pressure to adopt a comprehensive ban on PFAS stemmed from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands in 2022, as the harmful effects of these chemical pollutants have become increasingly evident.
PFAS, first produced in the 1940s, are used in a wide variety of products and industrial processes —from non-stick pans to clean technologies and semiconductor manufacturing— due to their stability, low friction and ability to repel water and fats.
They are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment and a 2024 report from the EU environment agency found them to be widely present in rivers and lakes.
PFAS are also widely present in the human body. Several EU Commissioners and European ministers have tested themselves and found that they all tested positive for PFAS in their blood. The persistent chemical was also detected in breast milk.
Communities on the front line of PFAS pollution said recently they have been denied a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — the third such refusal since 2023 — citing “scheduling conflicts,” according to her cabinet.
A group of 26 residents from contamination hotspots across France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands travelled to Brussels, backed by the environmental NGO the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), hoping to share first hand accounts of how “forever chemicals” are affecting their health and daily lives.
With no meeting granted, the group staged a demonstration in front of the Commission’s headquarters, demanding stronger action to end PFAS pollution.
ECHA backs ban, cautions social and economic impact
The Helsinki-based agency’s risk assessment committee concluded that PFAS pose persistent and potentially severe risks to both human health and the environment, arguing that existing rules fall short.
Roberto Scazzola, chairperson of ECHA’s risk assessment committee, said the agency’s scientific evidence is “clear,” indicating that PFAS can pose risks to people and the environment.
“An EU-wide restriction is, therefore, an effective measure to reduce these risks. If derogations are allowed, the risk assessment committee recommends measures to minimise PFAS emissions,” said Scazzola.
But the socio-economic analysis committee struck a more cautious tone, despite endorsing the overall direction, stressing the need for targeted exemptions where industries lack viable alternatives.
The EU’s proposed restriction on PFAS is fundamentally driven by public health concerns, yet critics argue that limiting it to that alone risks overlooking the scale of its broader consequences, such as industrial paralysis in some sectors.
PFAS are needed for the manufacturing of clean technologies expected to deliver the energy transition. Fluoropolymers, a key subset of PFAS, remain essential in the manufacture of solar panels and electric vehicle batteries and credible substitutes at scale have yet to emerge.
More broadly, PFAS sit at the core of modern industrial systems. Their applications range from everyday consumer goods to highly specialised uses in defence, electronics, and advanced manufacturing — making them integral to daily life and to strategic sectors supporting the digital and green transitions.
Commission holds keys for ultimate word
Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall said that tackling PFAS pollution is a “priority” and welcomed the agency’s work, which has launched a public consultation to shape the final proposal before it is handed to the Commission by the end of the year.
The EU executive will then decide whether to turn the recommendations into law.
Expected exemptions shall be proposed by the EU executive following input from environmental organisations, industry and civil society, yet the derogations are likely to focus on the broader socio-economic impact on industry, according to a Commission official.
“We support the transition away from forever chemicals. As always, any new rules need to be simple by design and give certainty, clarity and predictability for consumers as well as businesses. We also need to ensure a Single Market approach to avoid national fragmentation,” said Roswall.
Christine Hermann, policy officer for chemicals at the EEB, said ECHA’s opinion on PFAS is “an important milestone” which should be followed by an “ambitious proposal” from the EU executive for a “comprehensive restriction on PFAS”.
The ECHA is an EU agency that works to ensure the safe use of chemicals. It manages the technical and administrative aspects of implementing the EU laws on registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals.