#PFAS, #Restrictions, #REACH
The European Commission has published a regulation on restrictions on the use of PFAS in firefighting foams. The regulation provides for appropriate transitional deadlines, imposes additional obligations on users of foams and fire extinguishers, and introduces additional requirements for the labelling of foams, fire extinguishers and wastewater.
On 3rd October 2025 the European Commission published the legal act restricting the use of PFAS substances (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1988 amends Annex XVII to REACH by restricting the use of PFAS substances in firefighting foams.
According to the regulation, PFAS substances may not be placed on the market or used in extinguishing foams in a concentration equal to or greater than 1 mg/l, from 23 October 2030.
The regulation enters into force 20 days after its publication (from 23 October 2025), but the restriction includes transitional periods ranging from 12 months to 10 years – depending on the situation.
Dates of application:
- until 23 October 2026 in extinguishing foams used in portable fire extinguishers;
- until 23 April 2027 in extinguishing foams and alcohol-resistant foams in portable fire extinguishers; in fire extinguishers used for training and testing and fire extinguishers used by fire brigade units;
- until 23 October 2035 in fire-fighting foams used in the military or civil sector;
- until 31 December 2030 in portable fire extinguishers;
Obligations of users:
From 23 October 2026, a user using foams and fire extinguishers with PFAS substances in a concentration equal to or greater than 1 mg/l has additional obligations:
- meets the conditions of the restrictions of the Regulation
- uses foams only to extinguish fires of flammable liquids (fire class B)
- reduces emissions and indirect exposure to a minimum
- ensures the selective collection of foams, waste and wastewater from the use of foams
- develops a management plan for foams and fire extinguishers containing PFAS
- carry out an appropriate risk assessment
The management plan shall be reviewed annually and kept for at least 15 years for making available to the competent authorities for control purposes upon request.
Additional labelling:
Fire extinguishers and foams containing PFAS must be labelled in the official languages of the Member States where the extinguishing foam is placed on the market, unless otherwise agreed by the Member States concerned.
Both foams, fire extinguishers and wastewater must be appropriately labelled and contain the wording: “WARNING: Contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with a concentration equal to or greater than 1 mg/l in relation to the sum of all PFAS”. This information must be marked in a visiable, legible and durable manner.
Next steps:
The European Commission plans to develop a single, universal restriction or piece of legislation on PFAS substances that would cover all uses of PFAS except for that used in firefighting foams.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_2286
Ekotox website: https://ekotox.eu/chemicals-management/
