Brief overview of the ECHA proposal

Euralarm has provided a condensed overview of the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) proposed restrictions on PFAS, with a particular focus on its implications for firefighting gases. The ECHA, a European Union agency representing the EU and EEA countries including Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Norway, published the proposal on 7th February 2023. Submitted by Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, the extensive document stretches to 1,780 pages and covers a wide range of PFAS applications.

Breakdown of PFAS applications

The PFAS proposal encompasses 14 sectors, featuring a diverse range of applications. These sectors include textiles, food packaging, metal products manufacturing, consumer mixtures, cosmetics, ski wax, fluorinated gases, medical devices, transport, electronics and semiconductors, the energy sector, construction products, lubricants, and petroleum and mining. Euralarm’s summary emphasises the implications for the ‘applications of fluorinated gases’ sector, of which firefighting gases are a part.

Euralarm’s stance on the proposal

Drawing conclusions from the factsheet, Euralarm said it anticipates that any ‘entry into force’ (EiF) for legislation will likely not occur before the end of 2025. Therefore, under the proposed restrictions, fluorinated gases like FK-5-1-12 or HB-55, which are currently unrestricted by the F-Gas regulation, should remain available for use at least until mid-2039.

Future monitoring and updates

Euralarm also said it lends its support to ECHA’s position that the current proposal does not intend to mandate the removal of installed systems. As this process unfolds, Euralarm has commited to monitoring developments closely and promises regular updates about changes for all interested parties.