PFAS have received a lot of attention in recent years...
from the scientific community, society and politics.
PFAS make up a large group of man-made substances...
with specific useful properties.
As a result, they are used on a large scale.
Some of these properties are...
that PFAS are water, grease, and dirt repellent.
This makes them suitable for applications...
in textiles and packaging.
Additionally, PFAS are resistant to corrosive substances...
can withstand extreme cold and heat...
and conduct electricity very poorly.
This also makes them useful in electronic applications and in industry.
However, these properties also have negative sides.
PFAS are harmful to the environment and to human health.
They are a group of substances that break down very poorly...
in the environment and spread easily.
As a result, almost all living things come into contact with PFAS:
plants, animals, and people.
Even in the vicinity of the RIVM.
Studies show...
that almost all Dutch people have PFAS in their blood...
sometimes at levels that can affect health.
PFAS have been linked to a weakened immune system...
increased cholesterol levels...
and in some cases...
a potentially carcinogenic effect.
Once PFAS are present in the environment...
it is very difficult to remove this group of substances.
And if it is possible at all, it is often extremely costly.
That is why it is most effective to address PFAS ...
before they end up in the environment.
For this reason, the Netherlands...
together with Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark...
has submitted a proposal to restrict the use of PFAS.
This proposal was submitted to the European Chemicals Agency, ECHA.
More than 5,600 responses were received...
from stakeholders, providing additional information...
about the use of PFAS...
and the proposed measures.
In total, this amounted to more than 100,000 pages...
which have been processed to further improve the dossier.
Currently, the scientific committees of ECHA...
are assessing the dossier.
The plan is to be ready in the spring of 2026.
After that...
there will be a consultation...
giving an opportunity to react on the proposed measures.
Where possible, we propose to quickly ban PFAS.
Where that is (not yet) possible, the industry will be given extra time...
to come up with suitable alternatives.
In this way, we are trying to ensure that in the future...
almost no PFAS will end up in the environment.