European Commission extends chemical ban to long-chain acids with narrow industrial exemptions

The European Commission has widened the EU’s ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by adding long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts and related compounds to the list of persistent organic pollutants whose production, use, import and export are prohibited. The change is contained in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1972, adopted in Brussels on 7 September 2026 and published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 12 November 2026. The new rules will apply from 16 December 2026.

The delegated act amends Part A of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants, acting under Article 15(1) of that regulation. It transposes into Union law a decision taken at the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention, held from 28 April to 9 May 2025, which amended Annex A to the Convention to include long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids with specific exemptions. The Union had supported that inclusion on the basis of Council Decision (EU) 2025/868 of 23 April 2025.

Until now, the EU restricted a narrower family of these substances: the C9-C14 perfluorocarboxylic acids listed in entry 68 of Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH), subject to derogations that have partly expired. Annex A to the Convention covers the broader C9-C21 group, which the Commission now brings into the Union regime. Entry into force follows the twentieth day after publication, but the date of application was deferred so that the amendment coincides with the entry into force of the Convention amendment for the Union.

A wider family of substances enters the ban list

The new entry covers linear and branched perfluorocarboxylic acids of the formula CnF2n+1COOH where 8 ≤ n ≤ 20, together with their salts and any compounds with the potential to degrade or be transformed into them. Twelve identifiers are listed for the group, including:

• 375-95-1, 335-76-2, 2058-94-8 and 307-55-1
• 72629-94-8, 376-06-7, 141074-63-7 and 67905-19-5
• 57475-95-3, 16517-11-6, 133921-38-7 and 68310-12-3

PFOA-related compounds covered by the separate entry for perfluorooctanoic acid are excluded from the new definition.

Limit values for unintentional trace contamination

To reinforce enforcement, the regulation sets thresholds below which the substances may be present as unintentional trace contaminants in substances, mixtures and articles:

• 0,025 mg/kg (0,0000025 % by weight) for the sum of C9-C21 perfluorocarboxylic acids and their salts.
• 0,26 mg/kg (0,000026 %) for the sum of the related compounds.
• 10 mg/kg where the substances are used as a transported isolated intermediate for the production of fluorochemicals with a perfluorocarbon chain of six atoms or fewer.
• 0,1 mg/kg for C9-C14 acids in fluoroplastics and fluoroelastomers containing perfluoroalkoxy groups, and 15 mg/kg for C15-C21 acids, both until 16 December 2030; from 17 December 2030, 0,1 mg/kg applies to the whole C9-C21 group.
• 1 mg/kg for C9-C14 acids and 15 mg/kg for C15-C21 acids in polytetrafluoroethylene micropowders produced by ionising irradiation or thermal degradation, until 16 December 2030.

Deadlines set for semiconductors and fire-fighting foams

The act keeps narrow, time-limited exemptions rather than a blanket authorisation:

• C9-C14 acids in semiconductors used in spare parts for electronic equipment placed on the market before 31 December 2023 may be placed on the market and used until 30 December 2030.
• C15-C21 acids in semiconductors used in spare parts are allowed until 16 December 2031, provided they were initially used in the component being replaced or repaired.
• In installed fire-fighting foam for Class B fires, limits of 1 mg/kg for the acids and their salts and 10 mg/kg for related compounds apply until 3 August 2028.
• Fluorine-free foam installed after cleaning of a fire-fighting system may contain up to 10 mg/kg originating from the equipment.
• Articles containing C9-C14 acids already in use in the Union before 31 December 2023, and articles containing C15-C21 acids in use before 17 December 2026, may continue to be used.

The Commission also dropped the derogation for C9-C14 acids in can coating for pressurised metered-dose inhalers, which the relevant stakeholder confirmed is no longer needed.

What it means for industry

Chemical, coatings and electronics manufacturers and importers now face a single C9-C21 threshold regime instead of the narrower REACH-based restriction, with analytical limits attached to every exemption. Companies placing fluoropolymers, PTFE micropowders or foams on the Union market must document trace contamination against the values in force from 16 December 2026, and the staggered 2028, 2030 and 2031 deadlines leave little room to postpone substitution. The regulation is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States, without national transposition.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, 12 November 2026, p. 1/8 (official reference: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1972, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2026/1972/oj).