EU Commission:
Deadline Extension Coming for the Use of PFOA in Firefighting Foams

The deadline for the ban on fire extinguishing foams containing PFOA is being postponed from July 4, 2025 to December 3, 2025. New concentration limits for unintentional trace contaminants have also been proposed. The EU Commission for Consultation has published the corresponding draft. Feedback can be given until December 6.

Background

With this initiative, the EU wants to provide the affected companies more time to switch to fluorine-free foams and thus avoid having companies switch to other fluorinated substances because of time pressure. PFOA and its salts belong to the group of PFAS, a group of more than 10,000 substances that are currently subject to a restriction process.

Legislative regulation on the use of POPs

PFOA, its salts and PFOA-related compounds were included in Annex A (elimination) of the Stockholm Convention in 2019. The substance is listed in Annex I of the EU POP Regulation.

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