Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 23rd April 2026 Issue no. 1207
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ECHA SEAC on REACH PFAS restrictions consultation explained
Testing, inspection & certification company SGS, has published SafeGuardS 050.26, focusing on the European Chemicals Agency's consultation on the draft opinion of the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS – often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’) under the EU's Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemical (REACH) regulation.
Many PFAS chemicals are increasingly subject to global regulatory control due to the environmental and human and animal health harms they have been found to cause through characteristics such as bioaccumulation and toxicity.
The two-month consultation was launched in March. SEAC and the Risk Assessment Committee both support an EU-wide restriction, subject to specific, time-limited exemptions, on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of PFAS. Additionally, they stress that restrictions should be complemented by effective measures to minimise emissions. PFAS have been broadly defined under the draft SEAC opinion, which would prohibit them both as substances on their own and when present in mixtures and articles.
The draft opinion reviews all proposed derogations and sets out SEAC's conclusions on their appropriateness. The proposed prohibitions and restrictions would affect manufacturers, users and importers across multiple European supply chains and would apply 18 months from the date of entry into force.
SGS experts publish SafeGuardS to keep stakeholders informed about regulatory changes that could impact their business. SafeGuardS 050.26 provides additional insight into the key highlights of the SEAC draft opinion and includes a useful table outlining substance scope and applicable requirements.
Stakeholders are encouraged to refer to the original SafeGuardS 050.26 for more details.
23rd April 2026