RIVM: Official start to ban PFAS in Europe

Het Nederlandse RIVM geeft samen met Duitsland, Zweden, Denemarken en Noorwegen het goede voorbeeld met de voorbereiding van een voorstel voor het volledige verbod op het gebruik, de verkoop en de productie van PFAS in Europa.

2021 | RIVM: Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, Nederland

Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Norway formally announced the intention to submit a restriction proposal for PFAS to the European Chemicals Agency ECHA by 19 July 2022. A restriction proposal is a first step towards a European ban on PFAS. With a restriction on manufacturing, marketing authorisation and use of PFAS, the countries want to stop the spread of PFAS in the environment and improve the quality of the environment and the health of people in the European Union. Special about this restriction is that it includes more than 6000 substances and many uses and products.

Survey on PFAS and alternatives: call for information

The five countries have published summaries of the information they have gathered about PFAS so far. In addition, they have created a questionnaire in to gather further information to fill knowledge gaps. This survey is primarily aimed at relevant industry and industry associations, but is also aimed at companies that produce or have knowledge of alternatives to PFAS.

The aim of the survey is to ensure that the information about PFAS and alternatives is accurate and representative of the market situation so that we have the best basis for a knowledge-based restriction proposal for next year. Among other things, such information may form the basis for assessing any derogations or special conditions for certain applications of PFAS that are particularly important to society and where alternatives are not available.

Deadline for survey completion is 17 October 2021

In order to make such assessments, the five countries depend on cooperation with the industry and organisations, as they often have the most detailed information required in such assessments.

The questionnaire is open until 17 October 2021 and is available here.

We ask relevant companies to review the relevant information and to report necessary corrections or provide additional information.