On 26 August 2024, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured the chemical industry that he would advocate for a “pragmatic approach that supports, rather than hinders, Germany’s industrial development.” He emphasized that PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and potential long-term harm, are “essential for many modern chemical industry processes and renewable energy production.”
This statement followed a July letter from 500 companies urging Scholz to convene a PFAS summit and establish an ongoing dialogue. They also requested a revision of the proposed restrictions, calling for a risk-based approach and separate treatment for fluoropolymers, with exemptions for “harmless” variants.
Notably, Germany is one of the five countries that submitted a proposal for universal PFAS restrictions to ECHA’s scientific committees in March 2023. In April, the German environmental group BUND revealed high levels of PFAS contamination in tap water across the country.
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