Your regular update for technical and industry information
Your regular update for technical and industry information
MARCH 2023 - ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS, HARDLINES, SOFTLINES, TOYS AND CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS
On 22 March 2023, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launched the 1st public consultation1 of the proposal2 to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) under REACH Annex XVII.
The proposed restriction aims to address the risks to human health and the environment posed by the uses of PFASs, which target more than 10000 substances which meet the definition of PFAS under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). All PFASs within the proposal scope have very high persistence and can remain in the environment for decades to centuries. In addition, many PFASs have varying toxicological effects. They are bioaccumulative, mobile and can even reach remote and pristine areas of the world. As is known, PFASs are present in a wide range of products intended for industrial, professional and consumer uses and are continuously released into the environment. Taking these risks posed by the uses of PFASs into account, five European authorities (Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden) prepared a dossier to propose the restriction on PFAS under REACH Annex XVII.
This proposal does not cover the uses of PFAS in firefighting foams, because the use of PFAS in firefighting foams has been addressed in another restriction proposal3.
The public consultation will end on 25 September 2023, and ECHA will work on its final opinion based on the comments collected. After that, ECHA will send the final opinion to the European Commission (EC), which will make the decision on whether to include the proposed restriction in REACH Annex XVII.
Moreover, an online information session4 will be held on 5 April 2023. During the session, experts from ECHA and the five national authorities will explain the restriction process, the content of the proposal and how to participate in the consultation. They will also respond to questions from the participants.
Table A shows the details of the proposed restriction.
Table A.
Restricted substance |
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) |
Proposed scope of restriction |
Substances, mixtures and articles |
Proposed limit |
|
Proposed exemption |
|
Proposed date of application |
18 months after the date of entry into force |
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