State of play

On 13 January 2023, five Member States submitted to European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) a restriction proposal under the REACH Regulation covering per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The restriction would ban the manufacture, placing on the market and use of PFAS in non-essential applications. PFAS covers an extremely broad range of substances, which may include certain HFOs and HFC blends used as refrigerants in HVACR equipment, and substances used in the manufacture of filter media.

ECHA’s six-month consultation ran until September 2023. It is carrying out a scientific evaluation of the proposal. Once the scientific evaluations are adopted, they are sent to the European Commission, who together with the EU Member States will then decide on a potential restriction.