RAC and SEAC Will Continue to Evaluate Proposed PFAS Restriction in 2025

According to the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) September 2024 summary of the current status of the scientific evaluation of the proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), ECHA’s Scientific Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) are continuing to evaluate the 2023 proposal to restrict more than 10,000 PFAS under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. According to the summary, RAC and SEAC have completed discussion of the following sectors and topics:

• Hazards of PFAS (RAC only) (provisional conclusions June 2024);

• General approach to emissions estimation (including waste) (RAC only) (discussions in June 2024, September 2024);

• General approach to socio-economic analysis (SEAC only) (discussions in March 2024, June 2024; discussions will continue later, timing to be confirmed);

• Consumer mixtures, cosmetics, and ski wax (provisional conclusions June 2024);

• Metal plating (provisional conclusions June 2024);

• Petroleum and mining (provisional conclusions September 2024);

• Textiles, upholstery, leather, apparel, carpets (TULAC) (discussions September 2024, November 2024);

• Food contact materials and packaging (discussions September 2024, November 2024);

• Construction products (discussion scheduled for November 2024);

• Applications of fluorinated gases (discussion scheduled for upcoming meetings in 2025);

• Transport Discussion (discussion scheduled for upcoming meetings in 2025); and

• Energy Discussion (discussion scheduled for upcoming meetings in 2025).

The summary notes that conclusions agreed at RAC and SEAC meetings “are provisional until the committees finalise the evaluation of the entire restriction proposal (including all sectors of use) and adopt their opinions.” ECHA will then communicate the opinions to the public. More information on the 2023 restriction proposal is available in our February 13, 2023, memorandum.