European Union

EU-wide Universal Reach restriction proposal: The Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) of ECHA reached provisional conclusions during their June meetings on the following sectors:

  • Consumer mixtures, cosmetics, and ski wax (discussed in March plenary)
  • Metal plating and the manufacture of metal products (discussed in June)

Additionally, RAC provisionally concluded on the scope of the restriction and the hazards of PFAS. It notably clarified that the primary concern with PFAS is their persistence, meaning that PFAS can remain in the environment for an extended period. RAC also determined that the exclusion of certain PFAS from the scope of the restriction based on their potential degradation in the environment is not sufficiently justified.

It is important to note that, so far, persistence does not constitute a standalone hazard, if not associated with bioaccumulation, mobility and/or other toxicity (as PBT/vPVB or PMT/vPvM).

The committees also announced the sectors they will evaluate in their upcoming meetings. In September, they will thus focus on:

  • Textiles, upholstery, leather, apparel, carpets (TULAC)
  • Food contact materials and packaging
  • Petroleum and mining

After that, the next sectors for discussion will be:

  • Applications of fluorinated gases
  • Transport
  • Construction products

Following the updates made to the proposal by the five national authorities currently working on a revision of the restriction dossier, the opinions of the two ECHA technical committees will be delivered to the European Commission. It is unlikely that the opinions will be delivered before the end of 2024.

EU Member States’

France – The Administrative Court of Lyon has issued an order suspending the execution of a prefectural decree that authorized a large Japanese manufacturer to establish a new production unit in the Rhone Region. The court sided with the claimants, noting the absence of an impact study on PFAS in the prefecture’s decision to permit the relocation of the production unit.

The judge emphasized that the PFAS in question are classified as CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic for reproduction) and are currently under scrutiny, with potential for a future ban.

The decision also considered the densely populated nature of the site, where factories have discharged significant amounts of PFAS into water and air over many decades. This ruling contrasts sharply with the prefecture’s earlier stance this month, which argued that imposing stringent requirements on the Japanese manufacturer (such as demanding a substitution plan) exceeded both national and European regulations on PFAS use, particularly since there is currently no law in force prohibiting their use.

On a related note, the first reading of the bill that aims at introducing a national ban on certain uses of PFAS was completed on May 30 in the Senate. After the dissolution of the National Assembly, the President of the Senate will need to resend the text to the future Assembly to restart the process. The alliance of La France Insoumise (LFI), Parti Socialiste (PS), Les Verts (Greens), and Parti Communiste (PC) have already confirmed their intention to support the ban.

Denmark – Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced its intention to secure a “ban” on endocrine disruptors (including PFAS, given their ability to interfere with hormone systems) in the next mandate, following a visit to the PFAS-affected town of Korsør during the campaign trail. The Prime Minister will propose a new approach to the precautionary principle, under which it would no longer be possible to introduce a chemical for use in consumer products without first proving that it is not an endocrine disruptor. He advocates for the EU to completely phase out the use of endocrine disruptors that have already been identified. Denmark is also working on a specific ban targeting PFAS, which is expected to come into effect in 2025.

Research

UNEP study on POPs – The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published a study on June 17 on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), a family of substances that also includes some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The research involved gathering data between 2016 and 2024 on the presence of POPs in various environments (air, water, soil, food, breast milk) across 42 countries in Africa, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean. The studies confirm an increasing global prevalence of PFAS, even in remote areas.

Impact of PFAS on human health – A new study conducted by a pool of researchers found that PFAS accumulate in rats’ testes. The research also revealed that this exposure can alter sperm and potentially impact children’s health, leading to conditions such as liver disease.