Authorities from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden submitted the REACH group restriction proposal on January 13, 2023. It covers more than 10,000 substances using a definition aligned with the OECD, from fluoropolymers in industrial seals to water-repellent coatings.
ECHA's Committee for Risk Assessment adopted its final opinion on March 2, 2026, concluding that PFAS pose an EU-wide risk justifying restriction and supporting a full ban on risk grounds with only a PPE derogation. The Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis published its draft opinion on March 26, 2026, favoring a broad restriction with time-limited, use-specific derogations.
The 60-day consultation on the SEAC draft closed on May 25, 2026, and no further formal consultation is planned. RAC recommendations include limits of 25 ppb for any individual PFAS measured by targeted analysis excluding polymers, 250 ppb for the sum of PFAS, and 50 ppm for total PFAS including polymers, with a default 18-month transition period.
SEAC flagged eight sectors not yet assessed, including printing, machinery, military uses and technical textiles, and recommended interim derogations while that work is completed. EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi told the European Parliament on September 17 that ECHA was in the final stages of its assessment.
Separate rules are already in force, including Regulation (EU) 2025/1988 phasing out PFAS in firefighting foams and PPWR limits on intentionally added PFAS in food-contact packaging since August 12, 2026.
