Tech Watch: New French Ban on the Use of PFAS on Consumer Products

On 28 February 2025, the French National Assembly and the Senate adopted Law No. 2025-188 of February 27, 2025, aimed at protecting the population from the risks associated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances.

The main requirements are:

Ban the use of PFAS on consumer products
Additional restrictions on all PFAS-containing textiles
A tax on manufacturers whose activities lead to PFAS discharges. The fee rate is set at €100 per hundred grams of PFAS discharged per year into the water

Main dates	Manufacture, import, export, and placing on the market, whether for payment or free of charge, of any textile product containing PFAS is prohibited
1 January 2026	Cosmetic product Wax product containing Textile clothing products, footwear, and waterproofing agents for consumers except for textile clothing and footwear designed for the protection and safety of individuals, particularly in the performance of national defence or civil security missions
1 January 2030	Any textile except for textile products necessary for essential uses, those contributing to the exercise of national sovereignty and for which there is no substitute and technical textiles for industrial use.

France's PFAS restrictions are still being defined, with key details such as exemptions and residual thresholds to be addressed in upcoming decrees.

For more information, please refer to the official publication on the Legifrance website here.