PFAS restrictions are a fast-moving area in both the EU and the UK, with proposals and timelines that change. Whenever you read this, confirm the current restriction status and scope directly with ECHA and HSE before acting. Do not rely on a date from any summary.
PFAS are under sustained regulatory pressure, and the specifics are changing on separate tracks in the EU and the UK. For a formulator the practical exposure is not abstract policy, it is whether you can quickly say which of your products are affected and what you would do about it. This article is practical guidance, not legal advice.
What PFAS are and why the pressure
PFAS are a large family of substances valued for properties such as water, oil and heat resistance, which is why they turn up across coatings, lubricants, textiles and many other formulations. Concern about their persistence has put them under increasing regulatory scrutiny. The detail of which substances and uses are in scope of any restriction is exactly what you should confirm against ECHA and HSE rather than take from a summary.
The direction in the EU and the UK
The overall direction is towards tighter restriction, but it is a process with proposals, consultations and timelines that move, and the EU and GB positions are handled separately. The honest statement is that this is a live and changing area. Treat any specific claim about what is restricted, and by when, as something to verify on the day, in both regimes if you supply both. The mechanics of running two regimes are covered in our UK REACH vs EU REACH comparison.
What to do now
- Know where PFAS are in your range. You cannot respond to a restriction you cannot locate in your own products, so the first job is mapping which of your formulations and inputs involve PFAS at all.
- Watch both regimes. The EU and UK positions move separately. Track ECHA and HSE, and do not assume a change in one has happened in the other.
- Prepare the substitution question early. Where a product depends on PFAS, start the conversation about alternatives and their trade-offs before a deadline forces it.
- Talk to your suppliers. Much of the PFAS in a formulation arrives through inputs, so your suppliers’ positions and plans are part of your picture.
Start with knowing where the PFAS are
We build a maintained source of truth for your composition data, so a PFAS restriction becomes a query against your own products instead of a manual hunt. A short call, no pitch.
Book a technical callThe internal problem: which of your products
As with a candidate-list change, the public part is easy and the internal part is hard. Knowing which of your formulations and inputs involve PFAS, when composition data is scattered across systems and supplier documents, is the real work. It is the same problem, and the same solution, as the SVHC check: hold your composition data in one maintained place, mapped to substance identifiers, and the question becomes answerable in minutes rather than weeks.
Frequently asked questions
What are PFAS?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a large group of chemicals used for properties such as water and oil resistance. They are under increasing regulatory pressure. The exact substances in scope of any restriction should be confirmed against the primary source. This is practical guidance, not legal advice.
Are PFAS banned in the UK?
PFAS restrictions are a moving picture rather than a single settled ban, and the position changes. Confirm the current status and scope with HSE for Great Britain and ECHA for the EU before relying on any statement about what is or is not restricted.
How do I know if my products contain PFAS?
That is the hard internal question, and it usually means checking composition across your formulations and supplier inputs. It is the same challenge as tracking a candidate-list change, and the same maintained source of truth answers both.
Do the UK and EU restrictions match?
Not necessarily. The two regimes are maintained separately and can diverge. If you supply both markets, track both.
Sources
PFAS restriction status and scope change over time and differ between the EU and the UK. Confirm the current position against the primary sources. This article is practical guidance, not legal advice.