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 with only limited derogations such as personal protective equipment.
The Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis published a draft opinion on March 26, 2026, favoring a broad restriction with time-limited, use-specific derogations and flagging eight unassessed sectors, including printing, machinery, military uses and technical textiles.
The 60-day consultation on the draft closed on May 25, 2026, with no further formal consultation planned. SEAC's final opinion is expected before the end of 2026, after which the European Commission intends to table its proposal.
The proposed restriction would ban manufacture, use and sale of PFAS above very low limits, with a default 18-month transition period.
Separately, Regulation (EU) 2025/1988 phases out PFAS in firefighting foams, and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has prohibited intentionally added PFAS in food-contact packaging above set limits since August 12, 2026.
