While some PFAS have been restricted under the Stockholm Convention, many remain unregulated globally, contributing to ongoing health and environmental concerns.

Non-stick pans were removed from the final draft following lobbying from industry players such as Tefal.

For products containing at least 20% recycled material from post-consumer waste, PFAS exposure is limited to the recycled fraction rather than the whole product.

The law, approved earlier, includes exceptions for certain essential industrial textiles and barred nonessential items like nonstick saucepans after industry lobbying.

France will enforce a ban on production and sale of cosmetics and most clothing containing PFAS, with the ban taking effect on January 1, 2026, as part of a broader Europe-wide move toward PFAS-free textiles by 2030.

The initiative expands over time to cover all textiles across Europe, including furniture and automotive products, with a 2030 deadline for full PFAS restrictions.

The initial ban targets clothing, footwear, cosmetics, and ski waxes, and later measures extend PFAS restrictions to all textiles, while exemptions apply where substitutes are unavailable.

Despite actions like PFOA and PFOS restrictions under the Stockholm Convention, major producers such as the United States and China have not uniformly adopted broader PFAS restrictions.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals used since the 1940s to render products nonstick and water- or stain-resistant; they persist in the environment and pose health risks including liver damage, high cholesterol, immune effects, low birthweights, and cancer.

The overarching measure aims to curb PFAS exposure due to their persistence and health hazards across humans and ecosystems.

The decree sets residual PFAS concentration thresholds that trigger the ban and lists exemptions for military, civil defense textiles, certain industrial uses, and some medical textiles when substitutes are unavailable.

The ban targets products with viable alternatives and excludes some essential industrial textiles from restriction.