New surface water watchlist requires Member States to monitor triazoles, 6PPD-quinone and TFA precursor Fluoxetine in surface waters in the next years
The Commission adopted the fifth watchlist of substances in surface waters suspected of posing a risk to the environment and human health on 28 February. The surface watchlist mechanism was established in 2013 to improve the available information on substances of concern. Member States have to monitor the substances on the list at least once per year for up to four years. The new watchlist contains twelve chemicals or groups of chemicals, some of which are new on the list, some of which were included in the previous watchlist but for which the Commission considered that insufficient high-quality monitoring data have so far been obtained. The list includes several PMT/vPvM substances or precursors of PMT/vPvM substances:
- 6PPD-quinone (CAS no. 2754428-18-5) (new on the watchlist)
- 10 azole fungicides, including in particular bromuconazole (CAS no. 116255-48-2), climbazole (CAS no. 38083-17-9), difenoconazole (CAS no. 119446-68-3), mefentrifluconazole (CAS no. 1417782-03-6), and triticonazole (CAS no. 131983-72-7) (all new on the watchlist)
- TFA precursor Fluoxetine (CAS no. 54910-89-3) (new on the watchlist)
- UV blocker Benzophenone-3 (CAS no. 131-57-7) (from previous watchlist)
The data will help the Commission to determine whether the substances pose a widespread risk and should be considered for inclusion in the list of priority substances under the Water Framework Directive (i.e. substances for which an EQS should be determined).
ENVI Committee includes information on substances in articles and alternatives to substances of concern in common chemicals data platform and expands ECHA’s tasks to investigate emerging chemical risks
The European Parliament’s ENVI Committee adopted its report on the one substance, one assessment package on 18 February. The report on the common data platform proposes to include in the platform a database of information on substances in articles and a database of information on alternatives to substances of concern.
The ENVI Committee has added the possibility for researchers to submit to ECHA publicly available research data on chemicals related to an entry in the common data platform. If ECHA assesses that the data submitted fulfils the quality and reporting requirements, defined by a Commission guidance, it must then be hosted on the common data platform. This new provision aims to increase the uptake of independent research studies, often given comparatively low weight as evidence in hazard and risk assessment of chemicals.
Based on the annual reports on early warning signals that ECHA is tasked with, the ENVI Committee has adopted an amendment requiring the Commission and national authorities to ‘undertake regulatory, policy or enforcement actions’ on the signals within six months of the presentation of the report, or to ‘justify if they decide not to proceed with any action’.
ENVI Committee has also extended the possibilities for ECHA to commission scientific studies to investigate further emerging chemical risks identified through the early warning system and to conduct Union-wide data sampling survey of human biomonitoring in collaboration with Member states. The report also stipulates that ECHA can request from a business operator a sample of substance that is indispensable to perform the scientific study. Amendments from the ENVI Committee also require that ECHA, in cooperation with EFSA, commissions every five years an EU-wide human biomonitoring study that covers all EU member states and propose the creation of a ‘chemicals exposure index’ for each region in the EU, to provide an overview of the population’s exposure to chemical substances.
Finally, the Committee specifies that the platform must be accessible to authorities and the public free of charge, establishes a minimum list of datasets that should be available on the date the platform is released, and shortens the timeframe for making available all datasets to 8 years (instead of 10 years). The report will be adopted in plenary the week of 31 March.
France adopts PFAS ban in textiles, cosmetics and ski waxes
The draft law to protect the public from the risks associated with PFAS was adopted by the French Parliament on 20 February 2025. The law bans, from 1 January 2026, the manufacturing, placing on the market, import and export of cosmetic products, waxes, clothing, shoes and waterproofing agents containing PFAS (with the exception of certain protective clothing and footwear for professional uses, notably for defence and civil protection). The law bans, from 1 January 2030, the manufacturing, placing on the market, import and export of all textiles containing PFAS (with some exceptions for essential uses, the list of which will be adopted through implementing acts). These bans will however not apply to products containing PFAS in concentrations less than or equal to a residual value that will be defined by an implementing act. The ban in food contact materials, initially included in the proposal, was removed, since the adoption of amendment to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation banning the placing on the market of food contact packaging containing PFAS in the EU.
The law also introduces a number of provisions related to PFAS in drinking water, including;
- An obligation for regional health authorities to control a wider list of PFAS in drinking water than required the Drinking water Directive. In the parliamentary debates, the rapporteur mentioned in particular TFA.
- A requirement to establish and make publicly available a map, to be updated annually, of all the sites that have emitted or are emitting PFAS into the environment, including, where possible, quantitative measurements of emissions.
- A requirement for the Government to propose updated health standards for PFAS in water intended for human consumption within a year of the adoption of the law
- A requirement for the government to adopt a national action plan for the gradual reduction of industrial emissions of PFAS in water, with the aim of eliminating these discharges within 5 years of the adoption of the law
- A requirement for the government to put forward an action plan for financing the decontamination of drinking water within a year of the adoption of the law
- A fee based on PFAS discharges into water payable by certain industrial installations to the water agencies (similar to what already exists in France for other pollutants like phosphorus, nitrites or nitrates). The fee (€100 per 100 grams) and will be used to finance drinking water filtration systems. The list of substances concerned by the fee will be adopted by an implementing act.
- A requirement for the regional health agencies to publish annual regional reports on the monitoring of PFAS in drinking water, particularly bottled water, and for the Health Minister to publish an annual national report on the quality of drinking water in France with regard to PFAS.
Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook report shows stronger EU action is needed to achieve 2030 pollution reduction targets
The Commission and the European Environment Agency published on 3 March the second Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook report. The report provides an overview of the EU’s work and progress to meet the 2030 zero pollution targets. Although the report notes progress towards some of the pollution reduction targets (marine litter, pesticides and antimicrobials), the report concludes that much stronger action is necessary in the EU to achieve its 2030 pollution reduction targets.
Upcoming consultation deadlines:
- Deadline to provide feedback to the call for evidence on the European Water Resilience Strategy: 4 March 2025.
- Deadline to provide feedback to the call for evidence on the evaluation of the Cosmetic Products Regulation: 21 March 2025
New surface water watchlist requires Member States to monitor triazoles, 6PPD-quinone and TFA precursor Fluoxetine in surface waters in the next years
The Commission adopted the fifth watchlist of substances in surface waters suspected of posing a risk to the environment and human health on 28 February. The surface watchlist mechanism was established in 2013 to improve the available information on substances of concern. Member States have to monitor the substances on the list at least once per year for up to four years. The new watchlist contains twelve chemicals or groups of chemicals, some of which are new on the list, some of which were included in the previous watchlist but for which the Commission considered that insufficient high-quality monitoring data have so far been obtained. The list includes several PMT/vPvM substances or precursors of PMT/vPvM substances:
- 6PPD-quinone (CAS no. 2754428-18-5) (new on the watchlist)
- 10 azole fungicides, including in particular bromuconazole (CAS no. 116255-48-2), climbazole (CAS no. 38083-17-9), difenoconazole (CAS no. 119446-68-3), mefentrifluconazole (CAS no. 1417782-03-6), and triticonazole (CAS no. 131983-72-7) (all new on the watchlist)
- TFA precursor Fluoxetine (CAS no. 54910-89-3) (new on the watchlist)
- UV blocker Benzophenone-3 (CAS no. 131-57-7) (from previous watchlist)
The data will help the Commission to determine whether the substances pose a widespread risk and should be considered for inclusion in the list of priority substances under the Water Framework Directive (i.e. substances for which an EQS should be determined).
ENVI Committee includes information on substances in articles and alternatives to substances of concern in common chemicals data platform and expands ECHA’s tasks to investigate emerging chemical risks
The European Parliament’s ENVI Committee adopted its report on the one substance, one assessment package on 18 February. The report on the common data platform proposes to include in the platform a database of information on substances in articles and a database of information on alternatives to substances of concern.
The ENVI Committee has added the possibility for researchers to submit to ECHA publicly available research data on chemicals related to an entry in the common data platform. If ECHA assesses that the data submitted fulfils the quality and reporting requirements, defined by a Commission guidance, it must then be hosted on the common data platform. This new provision aims to increase the uptake of independent research studies, often given comparatively low weight as evidence in hazard and risk assessment of chemicals.
Based on the annual reports on early warning signals that ECHA is tasked with, the ENVI Committee has adopted an amendment requiring the Commission and national authorities to ‘undertake regulatory, policy or enforcement actions’ on the signals within six months of the presentation of the report, or to ‘justify if they decide not to proceed with any action’.
ENVI Committee has also extended the possibilities for ECHA to commission scientific studies to investigate further emerging chemical risks identified through the early warning system and to conduct Union-wide data sampling survey of human biomonitoring in collaboration with Member states. The report also stipulates that ECHA can request from a business operator a sample of substance that is indispensable to perform the scientific study. Amendments from the ENVI Committee also require that ECHA, in cooperation with EFSA, commissions every five years an EU-wide human biomonitoring study that covers all EU member states and propose the creation of a ‘chemicals exposure index’ for each region in the EU, to provide an overview of the population’s exposure to chemical substances.
Finally, the Committee specifies that the platform must be accessible to authorities and the public free of charge, establishes a minimum list of datasets that should be available on the date the platform is released, and shortens the timeframe for making available all datasets to 8 years (instead of 10 years). The report will be adopted in plenary the week of 31 March.
France adopts PFAS ban in textiles, cosmetics and ski waxes
The draft law to protect the public from the risks associated with PFAS was adopted by the French Parliament on 20 February 2025. The law bans, from 1 January 2026, the manufacturing, placing on the market, import and export of cosmetic products, waxes, clothing, shoes and waterproofing agents containing PFAS (with the exception of certain protective clothing and footwear for professional uses, notably for defence and civil protection). The law bans, from 1 January 2030, the manufacturing, placing on the market, import and export of all textiles containing PFAS (with some exceptions for essential uses, the list of which will be adopted through implementing acts). These bans will however not apply to products containing PFAS in concentrations less than or equal to a residual value that will be defined by an implementing act. The ban in food contact materials, initially included in the proposal, was removed, since the adoption of amendment to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation banning the placing on the market of food contact packaging containing PFAS in the EU.
The law also introduces a number of provisions related to PFAS in drinking water, including;
- An obligation for regional health authorities to control a wider list of PFAS in drinking water than required the Drinking water Directive. In the parliamentary debates, the rapporteur mentioned in particular TFA.
- A requirement to establish and make publicly available a map, to be updated annually, of all the sites that have emitted or are emitting PFAS into the environment, including, where possible, quantitative measurements of emissions.
- A requirement for the Government to propose updated health standards for PFAS in water intended for human consumption within a year of the adoption of the law
- A requirement for the government to adopt a national action plan for the gradual reduction of industrial emissions of PFAS in water, with the aim of eliminating these discharges within 5 years of the adoption of the law
- A requirement for the government to put forward an action plan for financing the decontamination of drinking water within a year of the adoption of the law
- A fee based on PFAS discharges into water payable by certain industrial installations to the water agencies (similar to what already exists in France for other pollutants like phosphorus, nitrites or nitrates). The fee (€100 per 100 grams) and will be used to finance drinking water filtration systems. The list of substances concerned by the fee will be adopted by an implementing act.
- A requirement for the regional health agencies to publish annual regional reports on the monitoring of PFAS in drinking water, particularly bottled water, and for the Health Minister to publish an annual national report on the quality of drinking water in France with regard to PFAS.
Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook report shows stronger EU action is needed to achieve 2030 pollution reduction targets
The Commission and the European Environment Agency published on 3 March the second Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook report. The report provides an overview of the EU’s work and progress to meet the 2030 zero pollution targets. Although the report notes progress towards some of the pollution reduction targets (marine litter, pesticides and antimicrobials), the report concludes that much stronger action is necessary in the EU to achieve its 2030 pollution reduction targets.
Upcoming consultation deadlines:
- Deadline to provide feedback to the call for evidence on the European Water Resilience Strategy: 4 March 2025.
- Deadline to provide feedback to the call for evidence on the evaluation of the Cosmetic Products Regulation: 21 March 2025