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3 agosto 2017

PFOA under REACH

New measures from the European Union into force starting from 2020

The European Union has published a set of measures to regulate the use of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and related substances in a wide range of products, under Annex XVII of REACH.
The new law will be implemented in different steps stanting from July 4, 2020.

In 2016, the World Trade Organization (WTO) had diffused a proposal from the Union to regulate PFOA and similar substances under REACH. The process conclusion dates back to June this year with the publication of EU Regulation 2017/1000.

The new measures provide a number of exemptions, including the following:

- articles placed on the market before July 4, 2020
- by-products from manufacturing substances
- applications in photo-lithography processes for semi-conductors or etching processes for compound semiconductors
- applications in photographic coatings for films, paper or printing plates
- manufacture of implantable medical devices (Directive 93/42/EEC)
- perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its derivatives under Part A of Annex I to Regulation (EC) 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Included since 2013 in the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SHVC), the perfluorooctanoic acid is today classified in Category 1B as a reprotoxic substance (toxic to reproduction) and in Category 2 as a carcinogenic substance in the Regulation 1272/2008 related to the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures – the so called CLP Regulation.

PFOA, its salts and related substances have a large number of applications. They are used as waterproofing or anti-dirt agents for fabrics, skins, paper and floor waxes due to their oil-repellent and water-repellent properties. They are also employed in the manufacture of fluoropolymers and fluoroelastomers, and as surfactants in fire-fighting foams.

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