Cabinet opposes nationwide PFAS ban

The caretaker Cabinet sees no reason to introduce a national ban on the use or discharge of PFAS. Neither option will quickly reduce these chemical substances in the environment, the minister and state secretary of infrastructure and water management, Robert Tieman and Thierry Aartsen, wrote to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.

PFAS are man-made chemicals used to make products water- and stain-resistant. They don’t break down easily and can build up in the environment and the body, causing health risks.

The Netherlands has been pushing for a European PFAS ban for several years, but it is proving to be a challenging and time-consuming process. For this reason, municipalities and water authorities are pushing for a national ban. A majority in the Tweede Kamer ordered the Cabinet to look into the possibilities for this last year.

Legally, it is possible to ban the use or discharge of PFAS, the politicians conclude. But enforcing these rules would take “a lot of effort.” Moreover, the Netherlands would then be stricter than many other European countries, thereby disadvantaging its own businesses. An important goal of this Cabinet was precisely to avoid doing that.

"Companies are already required to do everything reasonably achievable to work toward zero PFAS emissions," the ministers wrote to parliament. They are, however, willing to further consider a discharge ban specifically targeting sectors that release large amounts of new PFAS into the environment.

The call for a rapid ban gained more support after result from a study were released by the RIVM earlier this month. The health institute reported that virtually everyone in the Netherlands has PFAS in their blood above what is considered a safe level.