The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has announced that it has received a restriction proposal for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from five national authorities (Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden). Described by the Agency as “one of the broadest in EU’s history”, this proposal will be published on 7 February 2023.
“The restriction proposal comes after the five authorities found risks in the manufacture, placement on the market and use of PFASs that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed throughout the EU and the European Economic Area,” ECHA explains.
In a statement issued on 13 January, the RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) said that the proposed restriction “seeks a ban on both the use and production of PFAS in order to reduce the risks these substances pose to humans and the environment.”
Why ban PFASs
Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have been working together to draft a proposal for a European PFAS ban since 2019.
PFAS are known to have potentially harmful effects on human health. They can also be harmful to nature. Many PFAS barely degrade in the environment or do not degrade at all.
The precise effects vary depending on the specific PFAS. One PFAS may spread faster or be more harmful than another. Furthermore, there are many PFAS about which scientists know little if anything.
A ban on PFASs is therefore particularly complex to implement, given that there are more than 10,000 different PFASs, according to the RIVM… …
