Under the REACH regulation, the EU plans to ban the broad group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The consequences for the industry have been analyzed by VDMA in a position paper. According to the paper, the ban on the entire PFAS group of substances would endanger many industrial processes, especially the technologies of the energy turnaround. Many entrepreneurs from the mechanical and plant engineering sector are also calling for the ban to be halted and for the substances to be viewed in a differentiated manner.
Use of PFAS
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in production especially where extreme conditions prevail: high temperatures, strong abrasion or aggressive chemical conditions. This makes them indispensable as seals, valves or hoses in many industrial machines and systems. In addition, their use is necessary for important technologies of the energy transition, for example for the production of fuel cells, heat pumps, solar systems or water electrolysers.
The production, marketing and use of PFAS - and thus also of all these indispensable components - would no longer be possible after the REACH restriction came into force. It would therefore have a devastating effect on industry.
Unfounded ban
The VDMA describes the comprehensive PFAS ban of around 10,000 substances, as now planned by the EU due to environmental hazards in the area of consumer products (ski waxes, Teflon pans or outdoor jackets), as both excessive and unfounded. According to the OECD, a whole series of PFAS, the so-called "polymers of low concern," pose no danger to the environment. They should therefore be exempted from a ban, VDMA demands in a new position paper. This is all the more true as the EU is planning the ban without a sufficient scientific basis.
"A well-founded risk assessment of the 10,000 substances has not been carried out; everything is simply to be lumped together here. As a result, the planned ban would mean that European producers would have to do without PFAS, while competitors from non-European countries could continue to use the substances and thus gain considerable competitive advantages," explains Dr. Sarah Brückner, Head of VDMA Environment and Sustainability.
There would be a lack of both a standardized analysis method to identify products containing PFAS that are imported into Europe and corresponding information in the supply chains.
VDMA demands:
A differentiated regulation of PFAS substances based on a scientific basis.
A general exemption from the ban for polymers "of low concern" that are proven to be non-hazardous.
An exemption from the ban for PFAS products that do not come into contact with the environment (for example, because they are installed inside a machine).
A much longer transition period until the ban comes into force than the envisaged 18 months.
A much longer or indefinite period during which PFAS substances may be used for spare and wear parts for machines and systems already on the market.
