DEEP DIVE: PFAS in Europe: France Makes a Bold Move

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is not a new topic in the French public discourse, but the discussion has heated up, with the French National Assembly voting unanimously on 4 April 2024 to ban the “forever” chemicals from hundreds of products. Two PFAS-related bills, both sponsored by Green MP Nicolas Thierry (Girard), targeted what Thierry called “the largest mass pollution in our history."

The first bill, Resolution No. 275, calls for revising the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 of the European Union (EU) to tighten control of registration files, speed up evaluation of substances, improve identification of dangerous substances, and integrate the "cocktail effect" idea. The bill also suggests a broadening of the generic risk assessment approach while maintaining proportionate risk control. It suggests “avoiding a too restrictive approach to essential uses to limit exposure to all substances identified as dangerous,” such as endocrine disruptors or PFAS, while promoting “research and development of safe and sustainable alternatives from the design stage.”