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On April 14, 2025, the European Commission adopted the delegated regulation amending the EU Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/1021). This decision follows a public consultation process on the draft text initiated in December 2023 for a 4-week period.
The amendment mainly includes the changes of PFOS substance identification, as well as introducing stricter concentration limits for PFOS present as an unintentional trace contaminant (UTC).
The entry "Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives (PFOS)" in Annex I, Part A, of the POPs Regulation is amended as follows:
| Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 | Amendment | Effective date | |
| Substance identification | Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives (PFOS) C8F17SO2X (X = OH, Metal salt (O-M+), halide, amide, and other derivatives including polymers) | Perfluroctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and PFOS-related compounds C8F17SO2X (X = OH, Metal salt (O-M+ ), halide, amide, and other related compounds including polymers) | The twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) |
Specific exemption on intermediate use or other specification | Point 1: ≤10 mg/kg (0,001 % by weight) of PFOS as UTC in substances or mixtures | Point 1: ≤0,025 mg/kg (0,0000025 % by weight) of PFOS or any of its salts as UTC in substances, mixtures or articles | December 3, 2025 |
| Point 2:<0.1% by weight (calculated with reference to the mass of structurally or micro-structurally distinct parts that contain PFOS) of PFOS as UTC in semi-finished products or articles, or parts thereof, or 1 μg/m2 for the amount of PFOS as UTC in the coated material | Point 2: ≤1mg/kg (0.0001% by weight) for the sum of concentration of all PFOS-related compounds as UTC in substances, mixtures or articles | December 3, 2025 | |
| Point 3 | Unchanged | The twentieth day following its publication in OJEU | |
| Point 4 | Deleted | The twentieth day following its publication in OJEU | |
| Point 5 | Deleted | The twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. |
Following the adoption of the text by the Commission, the European Parliament and Council shall have two months to formulate any objections. If they do not, the delegated regulation enters into force.
Click here to access the text of the Delegated regulation and its Annex.
