On August 7, 2025, the French Ministry of Ecological Transition launched two public consultations on draft decrees implementing Law No. 2025-188 of February 27, 2025, known as the “PFAS Law”.
This represents a crucial step in the national strategy to reduce and eliminate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with direct implications for several industries and for the entire European market.
Ban on PFAS in consumer products
The law introduces a ban on the production, import, export, and placing on the market of certain products containing PFAS. The first implementing decree clarifies the scope, establishing:
Definition of PFAS: aligned with the OECD (2021) definition, i.e. any substance containing at least one fully fluorinated –CF₂ or –CF₃ group.
Affected categories: textiles, footwear, cosmetics, waxes, and waterproofing agents.
Actors concerned: manufacturers, importers, distributors, and suppliers.
Permitted residual concentration thresholds:
25 ppb for each PFAS measurable by targeted analysis (excluding polymers)
250 ppb for the sum of PFAS (including degraded precursors)
50 ppm for polymeric PFAS
These limits are in line with current analytical detection capabilities and may be updated in light of scientific and technical progress.
Initial exemptions (from 2026): personal protective equipment (PPE) regulated under Regulation (EU) 2016/425 and waterproofing products for PPE maintenance.
Long-term exemptions (from 2030): technical industrial textiles, medical textiles, and products essential for healthcare or national sovereignty, where no PFAS-free alternatives exist.
Progressive reduction of industrial PFAS discharges
The second decree focuses on industrial wastewater containing PFAS.
The targets set are:
–70% reduction of emissions (compared to 2023 levels) by February 27, 2028
Complete elimination of PFAS discharges by February 2030
This roadmap builds on a 2023 monitoring campaign, which revealed the presence of PFAS in about half of the industrial sites analyzed.
The draft aims to fill gaps in French law, which until now had only limited provisions covering PFOS (25 µg/l in effluents from authorized ICPE sites). The new scheme foresees a broader approach, potentially applying to all industrial sites, including those not classified as ICPE.
It also introduces an economic disincentive mechanism: a fee of €100 for every 100 grams of PFAS discharged into water by authorized facilities (the list of substances subject to the fee will be specified in a separate decree).
Future outlook
France positions itself among the most ambitious European countries in tackling PFAS, setting strict limits for consumer products and binding targets for industrial wastewater reduction.
For companies, this means a rapid adjustment but also an opportunity for innovation and sustainable growth.
Analytical supports brands and suppliers in achieving compliance with the new PFAS restrictions. Contact us to learn how we can support you.
