United Kingdom Launches Its First National Strategy To Tackle PFAS

In Short

The Background: On February 3, 2026, the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, or Defra, published the first comprehensive, UK‑wide policy paper ("PFAS Plan") on per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"), which are sometimes called "forever chemicals." It sets a coordinated national strategy and establishes a long-term, science-based and proportionate framework to address PFAS and minimise their purported impacts on public health and the environment.

The Result: The PFAS Plan is structured around three core pillars: Section 1 (Understanding PFAS sources), which focuses on improving understanding of where PFAS are used, how they enter the environment and the purported risks they pose; Section 2 (Tackling PFAS pathways), which aims to reduce usage and prevent releases through chemical regulation and support for purported safer alternatives; and Section 3 (Reducing ongoing exposure to PFAS), which concentrates on managing legacy