Helsinki, 26 September 2023 – At the end of the consultation on 25 September, ECHA received more than 5,600 comments from more than 4,400 organizations, companies and individuals. More than 4,400 organizations, companies and individuals submitted comments and information on proposals to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the European Economic Area. These opinions will be examined by ECHA's Scientific Committee on Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) and will take into account the input that provides relevant evidence-based information in the opinion development process.
The five countries that drafted the initial proposal will also review the consultation inputs and may update their initial proposals based on those inputs.
Many of the comments submitted during the consultation have been published on the ECHA's **. Information identified as confidential will not be made public. Comments received by the deadline are currently being processed and will be published shortly.
BackgroundThe restriction proposal was drafted by the authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. It was filed with ECHA on January 13, 2023. It aims to reduce PFAS emissions into the environment and make products and processes safer for people. The six-month consultation runs from March 22 to September 25, 2023.
Number of comments by country
Note: The high number of comments from Sweden is due to individual comments submitted to ECHA by the national movement.
Reviews by consultant type
Next step
RAC and SEAC are evaluating the proposed restrictions and considering the relevant information received through the consultation. These committees form independent, scientific opinions at a series of meetings at which draft opinions are discussed. Attention is paid to all aspects and affected sectors.
ECHA will submit its final opinion to the European Commission in the shortest possible time, while ensuring that the Scientific Committee conducts a proper review. Once the committee has adopted their comments, they will communicate them to the public.
The European Commission will decide on this restriction together with EU member states.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large family of thousands of synthetic chemicals that are widely used throughout society and found in the environment. Both of them contain carbon-fluorine bonds, which are one of the strongest chemical bonds in organic chemistry. This means that they are resistant to degradation when in use as well as in the environment. Most PFAS are also readily transported in an environment far away from the source of their release. PFAS is often observed to contaminate groundwater, surface water, and soil. Cleaning up contaminated sites is technically difficult and expensive. If they continue to be released, they will continue to accumulate in the environment, drinking water, and food.
PFAS have a wide range of different physical and chemical properties. They can be gaseous, liquid, or solid high molecular weight polymers. They are sometimes described as long and short chains as a way to group PFAS that may behave similarly in the environment. PFAS are also divided into subgroups in various other ways based on their structure. PFAS are widely used because of their unique desirable properties. For example, they are stable at high temperatures. Many of them also have surfactant properties and functions, for example, as water and oil repellents. Some of the major industry sectors that use PFAS include Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Aviation, Textiles, Leather & Apparel, Construction & Household Products, Electronics, Fire Protection, Food Processing, and Medical Supplies. Over the past few decades, global manufacturers have begun to replace long-chain PFAS with short-chain PFAS or non-fluorinated substances. The driver of this trend is that the adverse effects of long-chain PFAS on human health and the environment were first assessed and recognized by scientists and authorities around the world. Short-chain PFAS may also have similar or other noteworthy properties.
**：echa