Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) are a very large group of substances (around 10,000 substances), which have very useful properties for industry and everyday life (e.g. high resistance).
Examples of use:
- Consumer goods (cookware, pizza boxes, ...)
- Textile products (rain jackets, carpet coatings, ...)
- Weather protection paints (house facades, wind turbines, ...)
- Medical products (intraocular lenses for cataract sufferers, stents, needles, ...)
- Electronics (semiconductors, batteries, ...)
- Automobiles (fuel lines, seals, ...)
- Lubricants (chain oils, switches, fittings, ...)
- pesticides
- Fire extinguishing foams
- Aerospace (interference-free communication from the cockpit to the wings)
- Other
Since the 2000s, however, it has been recognized that the longevity and other properties of some substance group members are very harmful to human health and the environment.
In terms of human health, this means, among other things, that the following effects are highly likely to be associated with PFAS:
- Liver damage
- Various types of cancer
- Reduced immune response and effect of vaccinations
- Other effects
According to the Annex XV Restriction Report, contamination of groundwater, surface water (freshwater, estuarine and marine water) and organisms with PFAS is already widespread.
EU approach
In July 2021, the intention was published that PFAS should be comprehensively restricted. The first public consultation was launched in March 2023, which generated an unusually high level of participation with over 5,600 responses. This is not surprising, as PFAS are essential for certain applications.
The ECHA committees RAC (Committee for Risk Assessment) and SEAC (Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis) divided the feedback into sectors and met until the end of 2025 to formulate and publish a draft SEAC opinion.
The public can provide feedback on this SEAC draft opinion one last time as part of the REACH restriction process.
Socio-economic impacts are in demand here. These are, for example
- Substitution costs
- Effects on production sites
- supply chains
- Market availability
- Expected benefits through emissions reduction
Atypically, the questions for the consultation could already be viewed in advance in a "Guidance for Respondents", including
- "What is or are the process(es) or product(s) PFAS (or an alternative to PFAS) are used in? How and why are they used?
- Do suitable alternatives exist for this use/application?
- What is the availability of alternatives for this use/application? Select all options that apply in general for this use/application and provide an explanation of each point in the next question.
- ..."
The SEAC consultation asks about the consequences of the complete ban: If PFAS were completely banned:
- Would your company have supply difficulties?
- How much more expensive are the alternatives?
- How much loss would this mean for your company?
- How many jobs would have to be cut as a result?
- Would a site have to be closed?
Important:
- This 60-day consultation is the last opportunity to contribute practical and economic effects to the process.
- Above all, reliable information on socio-economic impacts per application and sector is required.
The SEAC consultation is open from March 26, 2026 to May 25, 2026.
SEAC will finalize the opinion by the end of 2026 and then submit it to the EU Commission. The Commission will then submit a draft amendment to Annex XVII.
The final decision will be taken in a committee procedure after careful examination and with the involvement of the Member States and the European Parliament.
Do you have any questions about the SEAC consultation? We are at your disposal for further support. Simply send us an email with your question or use our contact form.
For more information on PFAS as well as other material compliance topics, please also read
→ France: PFAS ban in textiles, from March 10, 2025
→ PFAS - Updates, August 09, 2024
→ Material Compliance in the EU (REACH, RoHS, SCIP and more)
Author's note
This article has been machine translated into English.
