Five Key Features Of The EU's Proposed PFAS Restrictions

On February 7, 2023, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) released a 211-page proposal regarding PFAS restrictions.¹ The restrictions are being proposed pursuant to EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals ('REACH'), the European Union's main regulation governing chemicals that are placed on the market for use and distribution. If implemented without change, the restrictions would largely eliminate the production and use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Europe in most applications above certain very low levels. The proposal also would prohibit PFAS above those levels in substances and mixtures as well as in manufactured articles. The proposed restrictions are contained in a lengthy document spanning more than 200 pages and another set of annexes containing nearly 2,000 pages of supporting material. The restriction proposal was prepared based on a dossier submitted in January by