The European Chemicals Agency has moved closer to backing one of Europe’s most sweeping chemical restrictions by supporting a broad curtailment of PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals.” The proposal reflects a shift from managing risks to gradually phasing out their use, while aiming to avoid sudden disruption to industries that depend on them.
The push for tighter controls follows calls from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands, which urged action in 2022 over growing concerns about environmental and health risks. The European Commission is expected to decide whether to act on the agency’s opinion by the end of 2026.
First developed in the 1940s, PFAS are widely used in consumer goods and industrial processes, from non-stick cookware to clean technologies, due to their durability and resistance to water and grease. However, their persistence means they accumulate in the environment, with a 2024 EU report finding them widespread in rivers and lakes.
PFAS have also been detected in the human body, including in blood and breast milk, raising further health concerns. Communities affected by contamination have been pushing for stronger EU action, staging protests in Brussels after failing to secure meetings with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
via Euronews
