The final restriction, expected in 2025, will likely be challenged in court, Bartl said. Additional comments can then be filed during the remaining consultation, he said. Two committees whose opinions will help shape the final restrictions will pay attention to those initial comments, Bartl said during a webinar the law firm held on Tuesday about the proposed restriction.

It’s essential to comment within the first month of the consultation beginning, said Ales Bartl, a partner specializing in chemical laws in Keller and Heckman LLP’s Brussels office. ECHA is accepting public comments on its proposal for six months beginning March 22. The restriction would have “enormous impact on any company doing business in or with the EU,” said John Gardella, who chairs CMBG3 Law LLC’s PFAS, Environmental, Risk Management & Consulting, and ESG practice groups.Ī public meeting that ECHA will hold on April 5 to discuss its proposal “will be of critical importance” to US companies, Culleen said. The proposed requirements could affect the production and distribution of chemicals, mixtures of chemicals, and manufactured products, he said.Īffected business may need to reexamine the composition and design of thousands of products ranging from camping gear to more complex articles such as mobile phones, computers, automobiles, wind turbines, and more, Culleen said. 7 is “staggering,” said Lawrence Culleen, a partner with Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP who specializes in chemical regulations. The potential breadth of the restriction that the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) proposed on Feb. Companies exporting virtually any product to the European Union must know if their goods have PFAS and weigh in on the region’s new proposed phaseout of those chemicals, which could greatly affect many US companies, attorneys said.

Shawn's Law by Renae Kaye