28/08/2025 (Agence Europe) – The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) decision to exclude the eight new use sectors from its assessment of the proposed universal restriction of PFASs, known as “forever chemicals” (see EUROPE 13696/11), is a “disaster”, declared the NGO ChemSec on Wednesday 27 August. Without the opinion of ECHA’s scientific committees on the printing, sealing, machinery, explosives, military, technical textiles and other medical applications sectors, “the EU Commission will not have the full picture when shaping the final restriction proposal”, according to ChemSec. These sectors “are sources of considerable PFAS use and emissions”, notes the NGO, which adds that the sealing applications sector alone is “expected to use 1.3 million tons of PFAS over the next 30 years”. ECHA has pleaded lack of time, but the NGO believes that the agency now has all the data it needs to take appropriate decisions. (FS)