ECHA launches PFAS consultation, calls for stakeholder input

Helsinki – The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched a 60-day consultation on a draft opinion covering the proposed restriction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), inviting “evidence-based comments” from stakeholders.

The consultation, which opens 26 March and runs until 25 May, relates to the draft opinion adopted by ECHA’s Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) 10 March.

ECHA said stakeholders — including industry, NGOs, researchers and the public — are invited to submit information to help inform SEAC’s final opinion.

The consultation will follow a structured survey format, asking participants to assess the “potential impacts of restricting the use of PFAS across various sectors.”

Contributors are also asked to provide data on the “availability and feasibility of alternatives” to the substances.

Any submitted information marked confidential “will be treated appropriately,” while all non-confidential responses will be published on the agency's website.

ECHA clarified that the consultation will not cover hazards and risks to human health and the environment, as they will be addressed separately by its Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC).

The focus, it said, will be on the socio-economic aspects outlined in the SEAC draft, with the agency urging contributors to review the document and follow published guidelines.

According to ECHA, the information gathered will be used to “confirm or modify the committee’s conclusions” before SEAC adopts its final opinion, expected by the end of 2026.

Once adopted, the final SEAC and RAC opinions will be submitted to the European Commission, which will propose a restriction for discussion and vote by EU member states under the REACH framework.