No focus on PFAS prevention in EU Water Resilience Strategy

By Claudia De Meulemeester | Sustainable View | June 5, 2025

Read the full article by Claudia De Meulemeester (Sustainable View)

"The plan published by the European Commission on Tuesday aimed at improving the EU’s management of its water resources does not include preventive measures against pollution from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

In her political guidelines for the current legislative cycle (2024–29), commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she intends to provide “clarity” on “forever chemicals”. EU experts are reviewing the use of PFAS under the bloc’s main chemical regulation — Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (Reach).

“We are disappointed by the absence of concrete actions on pollution prevention, which is essential for safeguarding water at its source,” says Natural Mineral Waters Europe secretary-general Patricia Fosselard. This is particularly true for pollution from persistent chemicals such as PFAS, the industry association adds."