European Union

• Progress on PFAS restriction proposal –The Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) continue evaluating the universal PFAS restriction proposal on a sector-by-sector basis. In their June meetings, the committees reached preliminary conclusions regarding medical devices and lubricants. RAC estimates show nearly 12,000 tonnes of PFAS emissions related to medical applications and around 50,000 tonnes from lubricants over 30 years. SEAC also concluded its preliminary assessment of PFAS use in the transport sector, covering automotive, aerospace, maritime, rail, and agricultural vehicles. In September, both committees will examine PFAS use in electronics, semiconductors, and the production of PFAS compounds, including liquids, gases, and polymers.
  
• Healthcare professionals call for full PFAS ban, including medical uses –More than 120 healthcare professionals from across Europe have signed an open letter to EU policymakers urging the adoption of a full ban on PFAS, including in medical devices and applications. The letter, coordinated by Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe, was addressed to the European Commission, ECHA, and national authorities involved in the ongoing REACH restriction process.
  
  The signatories argue that healthcare must not be used as a pretext to delay urgently needed action on PFAS pollution. They emphasize that many medical uses of PFAS already have safer, non-fluorinated alternatives, and that allowing broad exemptions risks undermining the objectives of the restriction.
  
• European Parliament calls for local involvement in PFAS water management –A cross-party group of members of the European Parliament has submitted a formal question to the European Commission, calling for the inclusion of local authorities in managing the rising costs of PFAS contamination in drinking water. Referring to estimates from the EU Water Strategy of approximately €18 billion in annual treatment costs, the signatories highlight that municipalities are currently bearing most of the financial burden. The group has asked the Commission to explain how local actors will be involved in assessing these costs and in designing public-private partnerships to support water decontamination efforts.
  
• Denmark to lead REACH revision talks during EU Council presidency –Denmark will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union from July to December 2025 and has announced plans to prioritise the modernisation and simplification of the REACH regulation. The Danish government’s work programme emphasises ensuring consumer products are free from hazardous chemicals, including unnecessary PFAS, and advancing worker protection by progressing the sixth revision of the directive on carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic (CMR) substances at work. Poland currently holds the presidency and will hand over to Denmark at the beginning of July.

EU Member States

France

• Environmental Authority urges PFAS integration in sediment regulation –France’s Environmental Authority has issued a formal opinion recommending that PFAS be incorporated into regulatory criteria for sediment management. Reviewing the Seine dredging plan, the authority noted that current documentation lacks PFAS testing or threshold considerations, despite known contamination in the river. The absence of clear criteria could lead to risky practices such as agricultural spreading or landfill reuse. The authority advises that an alert threshold be defined as an initial step and encourages restrictions on sediment use in areas where PFAS levels may be elevated.

Netherlands

• Municipalities demand national PFAS ban amid EU delays: All 324 Dutch municipalities, represented by the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), have called on the national government to impose a domestic ban on PFAS chemicals, citing slow progress in the EU-wide restriction process. The motion calls for banning import, production, and use of PFAS except for essential applications, and urges the government to form partnerships with businesses and research institutes to work towards a PFAS-free society. It also requests a clear action plan within one year and financial support for municipalities to manage contamination. The Dutch government has yet to respond.

Other

United Kingdom

• Parliamentary inquiry hears warnings over PFAS ban impacts –  On 25 June, the UK Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) held an evidence session as part of its ongoing inquiry into PFAS. A senior official warned that a precautionary approach banning the entire PFAS group, including fluoropolymers, could be catastrophic for the UK chemicals sector and its efforts to reach net zero.  The session also featured testimony supporting a precautionary PFAS ban from NGO representatives and academic experts. Concerns were raised about the narrow scope of the UK’s existing regulatory analysis, which currently excludes thousands of PFAS substances, such as fluoropolymers, from potential restrictions. This contrasts with the EU’s broader universal restriction proposal. There were also calls to improve the UK REACH framework and align it with the principle of preventing harm. Evidence was presented suggesting that incineration at temperatures above 1,000°C can destroy PFAS compounds, and that such technologies are already in use. The EAC will continue to gather evidence and is expected to publish a report at the end of the inquiry. A timeline has not yet been announced.
  
• UK outlines new approach to persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) substances to support PFAS risk management –The UK government has published an interim strategy to identify and regulate persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) chemicals, with a focus on PFAS. Defra’s June 2025 policy paper highlights that current UK REACH provisions address PMT-type substances only partially and calls for a clearer regulatory framework to manage their risks. The approach introduces a non-threshold assumption, aiming to minimize emissions given the chemicals’ high persistence and mobility, even where toxicity data are incomplete.
  
  The PMT framework will inform the preparation of a UK REACH restriction dossier on PFAS and serve as a foundation for future regulation of similar substances. Defra acknowledges ongoing international discussions on PMT criteria, including work under the UN Globally Harmonised System (GHS), and does not intend to align UK hazard classifications with new EU classes unless globally agreed standards emerge. Priorities include improving screening methods for substance mobility, developing hazard-based tools, and enhancing environmental monitoring. The Environment Agency will spearhead related research to support OECD guideline development and predictive risk models.
  
• Chemical restrictions placing strain on European space sector operations –On June 17, the 6th ESA REACH Workshop was held at ESA’s ESTEC facility in Noordwijk, Netherlands, focusing on the implications of chemical restrictions on the space sector. The workshop featured presentations from ESA officials, representatives of the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and industry experts. Discussions addressed the current status of REACH revisions and highlighted challenges faced by related sectors such as defense. Representatives from industry and the European Space Agency (ESA) expressed concerns that EU restrictions on substances such as PFAS, chromates, and cyclic siloxanes could pose significant challenges for the European space sector. These chemicals are critical to spacecraft and launcher components, including insulation, adhesives, cables, and lubricants.