On June 15, 2020, the EU published Regulation (EU) 2020/784 that amends current EU legislation restricting the use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The new regulation specifically restricts the use perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds and comes into force on July 4, 2020. The move is part of the recast of the EUs POPs regulation. The substances have also been agreed for international elimination under the Stockholm Convention, of which the EU is a signatory.
The regulation sets a maximum concentration of 0.025 mg/kg for PFOA and any of its salts, and a maximum concentration of 1 mg/kg for PFOA-related compounds. It also includes some specific exemptions for the production of pharmaceutical products and for all articles already in use before July 4, 2020. Temporary exemptions exist until July 4, 2023 for some textiles used for occupational safety and for the manufacture of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) for some specific applications. Other exemptions exist until July 4, 2025 for photolithography, medical devices, and fire-fighting foams already installed in certain systems.
Read More
Lam Lye Ching (January 29, 2021). “Japan to ban PFOA, its salts and compounds from October.” Chemical Watch
SGS (June 30, 2020). “EU Regulates PFOA Chemicals Under POP Recast.”
Chemical Watch (April 16, 2020). “EU adopts law implementing PFOA ban.”
Chemical Watch (July 7, 2020). “EU restrictions on PFOA now apply.”
Ginger Harvey (December 9, 2020). “Global ban on PFOA enters into force for most countries.” Chemical Watch
Reference
EU (June 30, 2020). “Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/784 of 8 April 2020 amending Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the listing of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds.” (pdf)
