[Concern] The new progress of the proposal of EU REACH regulation to restrict perfluoro and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

On November 20th, 2024, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden jointly issued a detailed report, outlining the latest progress in restricting perfluoro and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Europe. The report is based on more than 5,600 scientific and technical feedbacks collected by five national authorities (the file submitter of PFAS proposal) and ECHA's Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) during the public consultation in 2023, aiming at updating and perfecting the management strategy of PFAS.

This kind of advice will help file submitters to update and improve PFAS information step by step, and help to identify the uses not specifically mentioned in the original proposal, which are being included in the existing departmental evaluation or classified as new departments as needed. Such as sealing applications, technical textiles, printing applications and other medical applications.

Examples of identified uses are as follows:

★ Sealing application: Fluoropolymer widely used in consumer, professional and industrial fields, covering seals, pipeline linings, gaskets, valve parts, etc.

★ Technical textiles: PFAS is used in high-performance films, medical applications (not medical devices) and outdoor technical textiles (such as awnings).

★ Printing application: involving permanent parts and consumables in the field of printing.

★ Other medical applications: used for pharmaceutical packaging and accessories.

In addition to the total ban or time-limited ban initially mentioned in the proposal, the government is also considering other restrictions. For example, another option may involve conditions that allow PFAS to continue to be produced, put on the market or used, rather than prohibiting it. This consideration is particularly important for uses and sectors where there is evidence that the ban may lead to disproportionate socio-economic impact. The uses of these options under consideration include but are not limited to the following:

◆ Battery

◆ Fuel cell

◆ Electrolytic cell

The parties concerned will evaluate the proportion of each option and compare it with the original two restrictions (i.e. total ban or time-limited derogation ban), and all these updated information will be provided to the ECHA Committee for the ongoing proposal evaluation.

Warm tips

The harmfulness of PFAS has been widely concerned around the world, and relevant PFAS control regulations have been issued in various regions accordingly. In recent years, the global PFAS legislation has been increasing continuously, and the scope of restrictions on PFAS has become more and more extensive. ZRLK suggests relevant enterprises to improve their product risk awareness, pay close attention to the progress of domestic and foreign laws and regulations in time, investigate the use of PFAS in products as soon as possible, and prepare PFAS alternatives in advance to ensure that products put on the market meet the regulatory requirements and avoid unnecessary economic losses. Our company has a professional technical team and rich experience in product testing, which can help you easily understand whether the products are safe and compliant. If you need it, please feel free to contact us, and our engineers will serve you at the first time!