On October 10, 2026, the first batch of products covered by REACH Annex XVII entry 79 became subject to restriction. These include apparel and accessories for the general public (textile, leather and fur components), footwear, food contact paper and cardboard, mixtures for the general public and cosmetics.
From that date, products may not be placed on the EU market if the sum of PFHxA and its salts reaches or exceeds 25 ppb, or if the sum of PFHxA-related substances reaches or exceeds 1,000 ppb, both measured on a homogeneous material basis. The restriction stems from Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462, adopted in September 2024 with a two-year transition period.
PFHxA is a six-carbon short-chain perfluorocarboxylic acid widely used as a successor to PFOA in textile water- and oil-repellent finishes, paper grease-proofing agents and firefighting foams. The EU regulates the broader family of substances that can degrade or convert to PFHxA, including precursors such as 6:2 FTOH and 6:2 FTS.
The two thresholds must be calculated and assessed separately, so test reports covering only PFHxA are insufficient under the new rules. Exposure is judged per homogeneous material, meaning layered garments must be tested component by component.
Exemptions include risk category III personal protective equipment, medical devices, in vitro diagnostic devices and construction textiles. Textile products such as home textiles, curtains and furniture fabrics have a later deadline of October 10, 2027. Products already placed on the EU market before the effective date may continue to be sold.
