Five National Authorities propose EU restriction on PFASs under REACH: a timeline of upcoming events

National authorities from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden have submitted a proposal to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) under REACH. ECHA is now completing its administrative checks on the proposed restriction and supporting documents. This is what will happen in the coming months:

• February 2023 - ECHA will publish the detailed proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substancens (PFASs) under REACH, the European Union’s (EU) chemical regulation and the national authorities will host a hybrid media event in Brussels.
• March 2023 - ECHA’s scientific committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) will check that the proposed restriction meets the legal requirements of REACH in their meetings.
• 22 March 2023 - A six-month consultation on the proposed restriction of PFASs is planned to begin.
• 5 April 2023 - An online information session will be organised to explain the restriction process and help those interested in participating in the consultation.
• Up to 12 months later - The opinions of RAC and SEAC are normally ready within 12 months of the start of the scientific evaluation, in accordance with REACH, however, due to the complexity of the proposal and the extent of information that is expected from the consultation, the committees may need more time to finalize their opinions. Once adopted, the opinions are sent to the European Commission, who together with the EU Member States will then decide on a potential restriction.