Consultation on PFAS restriction closed

According to a release from the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), 5600 comments from 4400 organizations, companies and individuals have been received by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on the proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS ) in the European Economic Area. The comments will now be reviewed by the authorities of the five countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden) that drafted the original proposal, as well as ECHA's Scientific Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC). The authorities will consider whether any adaptation of the original proposal is required as a result of the consultation inputs. Likewise, the scientific committees will consider the submitted information when preparing their opinions. Many comments submitted during the consultation are already available on ECHA's website. Some comments were received very close to the deadline and will be viewable shortly.

A first evaluation by ECHA shows that within the European Union (EU) the largest number of comments (1369) was submitted from Sweden. For the most part, these were comments from individuals submitted as a result of a national campaign. Second in the number of comments from the EU is Germany with 1298 submissions. Many stakeholders also participated in the consultation from Asia (especially Japan, China) and the USA. More information and graphs on participation in the consultation are available on ECHA's website. RAC and SEAC are now evaluating the proposed restriction in light of the relevant information received during the consultation. The committees prepare their independent, scientific opinions in a series of meetings where draft opinions are discussed. Progressive attention is given to all aspects and sectors concerned. ECHA's goal is to submit the final opinions of the Committees to the European Commission as soon as possible, while ensuring adequate consideration by the Scientific Committees. Once the committees have adopted their opinions, they will be made public. The Commission will then decide on the restriction together with the EU member states. This decision is expected in 2025.