20.02.2025 | Fundamental right
France has approved a new law to better protect the population from the risks of PFAS. The law bans the use of these 'forever chemicals' in three product categories and introduces a levy on industrial discharges into water. This is in line with the 'polluter pays' principle.
Progressive legislation against PFAS
The French National Assembly and the Senate have on February 20, 2025 a bill adopted to to limit the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)The law was proposed by Green Party MP Nicolas Thierry and is considered one of the strictest in the world“In just two and a half years, this issue has gone from being a hidden environmental problem to a national priority,” said Thierry (The World, February 20, 2025).
So far, only Denmark (2020) and the US state of Maine (2021) have passed similar laws. French law will ban the production, import and sale of PFAS in three consumer categories: cosmetics, textiles (except protective workwear) and ski wax. By 2030, the ban will be extended to all textiles.
However, a complete ban on PFAS was watered down to political and industrial support to guarantee. The original text proposed a total ban by 2027, except for 'essential applications' for which there is no alternative. Thierry calls the exclusion of cookware, under pressure from the industry, his “biggest disappointment” (The Parisian, February 18, 2025).
Water pollution and 'the polluter pays'
The law also contains measures against PFAS pollution in waterA levy of €100 per 100 grams of PFAS discharged into water will be introduced. This measure, aimed at large chemical companies such as Arkema, Solvay and BASF, should help with the financing of drinking water purification (The World, February 20, 2025).
In addition, there is increasing attention for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a PFAS compound widely distributed in air, soil and water. Paris's public water company is considering legal action to hold chemical companies responsible for the clean-up costs, which could amount to up to billions of euros per year. Research by environmental scientist Hans Peter Arp estimates that the total costs of PFAS pollution in France could amount to €12 billion annually (The World, February 20, 2025).
More transparency and stricter controls
An important step in the law is the expansion of PFAS control in drinking waterRegional health services will be required to publicly publish information containing data on PFAS contamination in tap and bottled waterFurthermore, all detectable PFAS compounds must now be monitored in water, depending on local conditions.
Another measure focuses on industrial emissions: factories will be given five years to completely eliminate their PFAS discharges into water. to stopHowever, MP Thierry warned that some companies may be shifting their emissions into the air, which could require stricter regulations emissions makes necessary (The World, February 20, 2025).
The protection of workers in the chemical industry is also receiving attention. The CGT trade union requested an emergency meeting with the government on 6 February 2025 on the worker exposure to PFAS, which she calls a "new health scandal" (The World, February 20, 2025).
Conclusion
France takes an important step in the fight against PFAS pollution. Although the ban is not as broad as initially planned, the law means one of the strictest PFAS regulations in the worldThe coming years will show whether other European countries will follow this example.
Sources: The World (February 20, 2025), The Parisian (February 18, 2025).
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2025/02/20/france-adopts-one-of-the-most-ambitious-laws-on-pfas_6738382_114.html
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