On March 3, 2026, European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) ECHA’s Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) has adopted its opinion on the universal restriction proposal for all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the EU’s REACH Regulation. This marks the first part of ECHA’s two-committee scientific evaluation of the broad PFAS restriction proposed in January 2023 by the national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
The proposal targets all PFAS substances and virtually all uses across the EU/EEA, aiming to significantly reduce PFAS emissions into the environment and make products and processes safer for human health. RAC’s opinion is based on an extensive, independent assessment covering PFAS hazards, production volumes, emissions, overall risks to human health and the environment, as well as the proposed restriction’s effectiveness, practicality, and enforceability.
RAC focuses specifically on risk evaluation (human health and environmental impacts from manufacture, placing on the market, and use), while the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) assesses socio-economic impacts, including availability of alternatives.
Next steps:
1. RAC opinion to be published soon with full details.
2. SEAC expected to agree its draft opinion the following week (early March 2026), followed by a 60-day public consultation.
3. SEAC final opinion anticipated by end of 2026.
4. Combined ECHA Committees’ opinions will then be submitted to the European Commission.
5. The Commission will prepare a draft restriction for discussion and vote in the REACH Committee (Member States representatives).
PFAS are highly persistent (“forever chemicals”) that do not degrade in the environment, travel long distances via water and air, contaminate groundwater and drinking water (costly to remediate), and bioaccumulate in humans, animals, and plants. Certain PFAS are linked to serious toxic effects, including cancer and reproductive harm. The original proposal underwent a six-month public consultation from March 22 to September 25, 2023.
This step advances one of the most comprehensive chemical restrictions ever proposed in the EU, addressing widespread environmental and health concerns from PFAS.