On Monday, the 20th of January 2025, EU environmental commissioner Jessika Rosswall announced to the press that the European Union was seeking a bloc-wide ban on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (known under the acronym PFAS) in consumer products. The measure is set to come into force next year, as the Commission will determine exemptions based on the “essential” role some PFAS products play in the economy.
Emil Panzaru, Research Director at the Consumer Choice Center, warned that the decision would only have negative consequences: “A ban will cause economic chaos. PFAS are integral to thousands of items, from medical equipment to semiconductor chips, batteries, and household appliances. Without them, we cannot have laptops, TVs, modern cars, solar panels, heat pumps, cooking appliances, or computers.”
Panzaru added: “The decision contradicts the EU’s efforts to shore up its microchip industry, nullifying the increased investments promised by earlier 40-billion euro subsidy from the European Chip Act. Worse still, replacements for the PFAS that go into renewables are either impossible to find or come in the form of rare earth minerals from China, undermining the EU’s strategic autonomy and energy security.”
“Talk of exemptions to try and calm doubts is unrealistic. Calling some of these functions ‘essential’ and others ‘non-essential’ is a politically arbitrary decision that does not reflect economic realities. After all, the coating developed for non-stick cooking proved helpful in medical stents that save lives in the batteries that help power cars, and in the microchips that power our digital age. Besides, even the sections exempt from a ban must follow strict rules for use and disposal, creating artificial scarcities where there should be abundance in consumer goods.”
Panzaru concluded: “The only sensible course of action is to renounce the plan for a sweeping ban entirely. Instead, PFAS products should be evaluated rationally and on a case-by-case basis. Keep in mind both the costs and benefits of their use and focus on the actual concentrations that real-life people are likely to encounter. In some pollution cases, applying existing environmental rules more thoroughly is all that is needed.”
See HERE for an early detailed breakdown of the negative effects of an EU-wide PFAS ban by the Consumer Choice Center in the press.
– PRESS RELEASE ENDS –
About the Consumer Choice Center:
The Consumer Choice Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending the rights of consumers around the world. Our mission is to promote freedom of choice, healthy competition and evidence-based policies that benefit consumers. We work to ensure that consumers have access to a variety of quality products and services and can make informed decisions about their lifestyle and consumption.