European Union

EU has taken a regulatory approach to reduce risks to certain PFASs to “ensure a level playing field” in the EU market. Regulations to reduce PFOS, PFOA, and APFO have been developed in collaboration with advocacy groups, industry, and the research community. PFOS has been prohibited/restricted in its use, production, import, and export under EU Commission Regulation No 757/2010 of 24 August 2010 a regulation that complements provisions of international agreements on POPs.

In addition, PFOS is proposed to be included as priority hazardous substance in Directive (COM(2011)876) amending the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and Directive on Environmental Quality Standards (Directive 2008/105/EC).

RISK REDUCTION APPROACHES FOR PFASs

Action	Path taken	BEPs Implemented	Category of PFASss addressed	Articles covered?	Life cycle stage(s) addressed	Method of approach	Public- private partnership encouraged?	Level of constraint
PFOA and APFO harmonised classification under Reg. (EC) No. 1272/2008 (2013); Classification, labelling, packaging of dangerous substances and mixtures	Manage the manufacture, sale, import and export	Minimisation of PFASs used	PFOA and APFO	No	Chemical manufacture, product (mixtures and articles) manufacture and use	Regulatory	No	Reporting obligations for companies
PFOA and APFO covered by Annex XVII entries 28-30 of REACH; Ban on the placing on the market as substances, constituents of other substances or in mixtures for supply to the general public	Manage the manufacture, sale, import and export	Minimisation of PFASs used	PFOA and APFO	No	Mixtures for consumer use	Regulatory	No	Reporting obligations for companies
Proposal for restriction of PFOA, its salts and PFOA- related substances under REACH (2014)	Manage the manufacture, sale, import and export	Minimisation of PFASs used	PFOA, its salts and PFOA- related substances	Yes	Chemical manufacture, product (mixtures and articles) manufacture and use	Regulatory	No	Reporting obligations for companies
Several PFASs listed on draft Community Rolling Action Plant (CoRAP) for substance evaluation withing the next years Link to CoRAP list of substances	Evaluation	No information available	Several (especially alternatives to PFOA- and PFOA- related substances)	Will be considered in exposure assessment	Whole life cycle	Assessment	No	None

PFOA/APFO and C11-C14 PFCAs are listed as substances of very high concern (SVHC) under the EU Chemicals Regulation REACH, which requires registration, notification, and duty to communicate on articles that contain these PFASs with the ultimate aim to substitute the substances completely. PFOA and AFPO are also required to be classified, labelled, and packaged under regulation EC No 1272/2008 and there is a ban on placing these chemicals on the market as substances, constituents of other substances, or in mixtures for supply to the general public.

A comparable classification and labelling is proposed for PFNA, and PFDA by Sweden. Additionally, PFOA, its salts and related substances have been proposed to be restricted under REACH. Legislative proposals in the EU are subject to risk and socio-economic analysis by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and alternatives are considered by ECHA in the decision making process.

NATIONAL RESOURCES ON ALTERNATIVES

Surface treatment of metals and plastic