French MPs approve bill to restrict use of PFAS

French MPs have approved the first reading of a bill that is designed to restrict the manufacture and sale of non-essential products containing PFAS, known as forever chemicals. The list of products excluded cookware after protests from manufacturers. If the bill survives the legislative process and pressure from interested parties, it could become effective from January 2026. The ban could be extended to all textiles by 2030, according to euronews. The bill includes a ‘polluter pays’ principle, which would see manufacturers charged for the clean-up of chemical contamination of drinking water. The exclusion of Tefal pans and other kitchen utensils, reportedly based partly on lobbying from kitchenware manufacturer SEB, has disappointed environmental campaigners. “The sacrifice of individual and collective well-being on the altar of financial interests and sacrosanct competitiveness must stop,” French politician Clémentine Autain wrote on X, said the news channel. Action groups have been calling for an EU-wide ban on PFAS as legal battles build in the US as its government places restrictions on their use. In January 2023, a joint proposal to ban PFAS was presented to the EU by Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. These countries already have internal rules on PFAS. Denmark was the first country to ban them in 2020. Plans for an EU-wide ban appear to be on the back-burner as pressure mounts on Brussels from business groups to cut red tape and ensure that Europe can remain competitive in global markets. But last month, the EU did give the greenlight to ban PFHxA, a subgroup of forever chemicals used in food packaging and clothing over the next three years. A general ban on PFAS in food packaging and toys is also expected, though industrial uses have been notably omitted from restrictions so far, reported euronews. Maximum concentrations of PFAS in water have already been set that will apply from January 2026. A proposal to restrict the chemicals in firefighting foams has gained backing from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). French newspaper Le Monde reported that the bill passed following “heated debate” between the left and the presidential camp. It was approved unanimously by the National Assembly committee, with 186 votes in favour and none against. The bill was introduced by environmentalist Nicolas Thierry and called for a ban on the manufacture, import and sale of any cosmetic product, wax product (for skis) or clothing textile product containing per- and polyfluoroalkylated (PFAS) substances, with the exception of protective clothing for safety and civil security professionals from 1 January 2026. The World Health Organisation is carrying out ongoing research into the health risks posed by PFAS and is expanding its remit beyond drinking water. Announcing the findings of its consultation on the topic last November, it said: “The most widely studied of these PFAS are perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Although the stability of PFOS and PFOA as well as their surfactant properties make them useful in consumer and industrial applications, there are concerns with their persistence and impacts on the environment and human health, as a result of exposure through the widespread uses of these chemicals. Drinking water is one of several environmental sources of human exposure to PFAS, along with exposure via food, use in consumer products and occupational exposures.”

French MPs approve bill to restrict use of PFAS

Pressure will build for EU-wide ban if bill proceeds

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