On 14 April, FEC participated in a breakfast discussion hosted at the European Parliament by MEP Stefan Köhler, on “PFAS – Fluoropolymers at the crossroads of safety, performance and regulation : towards a proportionate and risk-based PFAS regulation in favor of EU consumers, society and industrial competitiveness”
It brought together policymakers and industry representatives to discuss the future of fluoropolymers in uses in products. FEC presented the industry’s perspective, alongside contributions from Orgalim, ZVEI and Alfred Bernard (Professor Emeritus at UCLouvain). The discussion gathered over 30 participants, including Members of the European Parliament, staff, and representatives from DG GROW.
At stake: ensuring a proportionate and risk-based approach to PFAS regulation.
We push back against the growing misinformation surrounding PTFE-coated cookware.
This is a key European industry that risks being disproportionately impacted by the proposed PFAS restriction. As currently designed, the measure would effectively ban PTFE-coated cookware, putting up to 3,000 jobs at risk for a close to 0 environmental benefit in PFAS emissions. It would also reduce product affordability, increase safety risks for consumers, and potentially lead to higher overall emissions.
The evidence is clear: PTFE-coated cookware is safe, and no fully equivalent alternatives exist at scale.
Treating all PFAS applications as equivalent disregards science and weakens sound policymaking.
Solutions:
• Differentiate based on science. Durable PTFE-coated cookware should not be regulated like all PFAS uses. We call on the European Parliament to support the exclusion of fluoropolymers in cookware.
• Focus on effective solutions. Prioritise emission reductions through best practices, such as closed-loop aluminium systems and improved post-consumer recycling, rather than banning essential uses without credible alternatives.