PFAS are chemicals found in many products.
These substances spread easily...
are harmful to the environment and health...
and do not disappear.
To prevent new PFAS...
from entering the environment...
five European countries are working together...
on a proposal for an EU ban.
Bureau REACH, part of the RIVM...
is cooperating on behalf of the Netherlands.
The ban would target every type of PFAS...
manufactured in, or imported into Europe...
forcing companies to look for safer alternatives.
In the first phase of the process...
all scientific information...
was collected and studied...
and the applications of PFAS were mapped out.
Stakeholders were given six months...
to share relevant information...
the Dutch House of Representatives was informed...
and finally the five countries prepared...
a dossier containing their proposal.
On 13 January 2023, this dossier...
was submitted to the European Chemicals Agency...
or ECHA, to perform a conformity check.
In the second phase...
ECHA will make the dossier public...
and give people 6 months to respond.
After that, independent scientists...
will give their recommendations...
and then everyone can respond to these too.
In the third phase...
the proposal and the scientific recommendations...
will be submitted to the European Commission.
They will vote on implementing a ban...
and then the law will come into force.
The ban will take effect after a few months...
though for applications that are difficult to replace...
companies will get more time to find an alternative.
Ultimately, a European ban on PFAS...
will ensure a safer and healthier living environment.