ECHA supports EU-wide ban on PFAS while cautioning economic impacts
The European Chemicals Agency has backed an EU-wide ban on PFAS, citing persistent risks to human health and the environment.
ECHA’s risk committee said evidence is “clear” that PFAS pose serious risks, adding current regulations are insufficient to limit exposure and environmental damage.
The European Commission will decide whether to turn the recommendation into law, as advisers warn of economic disruption in sectors lacking alternatives.
Briefing summary
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has recommended a ban on PFAS due to their persistent health and environmental risks, highlighting the inadequacy of current regulations.
Despite supporting an EU-wide restriction, ECHA’s socio-economic analysis committee cautioned against potential disruptions in industries lacking alternatives, including clean technology sectors reliant on PFAS.
Communities affected by PFAS pollution have expressed frustration over a lack of dialogue with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, staging protests for stronger regulatory action to address their concerns.
EU Chemicals Agency backs ‘forever chemicals’ ban, with final decision to the Commission
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.
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.
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
the EU executive will then decide whether to turn the recommendations into law.
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.