Key Role of Fluoropolymers in Renewable Energy Evolution and EU's Zero-Emission Industry

News Article: Industry Groups Call for Balanced Approach to Fluoropolymer Regulation

On June 15, 2023, a joint statement was issued by major industry associations and trade groups representing the fluoropolymer sector, advocating for an exemption for the production and use of fluoropolymers in industrial applications. The organizations emphasized the importance of fluoropolymers for the clean energy transition and the EU's net-zero industry.

The statement comes in response to a PFAS restriction proposal, drafted by five European countries and presented to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in January 2023. The proposal aims to regulate PFAS, a group of substances that includes fluoropolymers, due to their potential environmental and health impacts.

However, the co-signatories of the joint statement expressed concerns about the proposal's potential issues, particularly its failure to consider the specific profiles of fluoropolymers and its possible impact on the EU's clean technology sectors. They argued that a PFAS-group approach could have significant implications for these sectors and could lead to dire consequences, including the restriction of fluoropolymers.

The organizations urged the European Commission and ECHA to grant an exemption for fluoropolymer production and use in industrial applications. They suggested that this exemption should be part of a comprehensive regulatory framework addressing fluoropolymers' lifecycle emissions. The statement also highlighted the role of fluoropolymers in the EU's net-zero industry and the digital and clean energy transitions, strategies being pursued to achieve the EU's climate and energy objectives, which include the use of net-zero technologies.

The joint statement underscored the need to consider the specific profiles of fluoropolymers when regulating them and advocated for a balanced approach that considers their role in clean technology sectors. The co-signatories supported efforts to regulate PFAS, but with a more nuanced approach to ensure minimal impact on these sectors.

The EU's strategic autonomy is being pursued through the collaboration of key sectors, and this joint statement is a testament to that. The organizations involved in the statement believe that a more nuanced approach to regulating fluoropolymers will not only protect the environment and public health but also support the EU's clean technology sectors and its goal of achieving a net-zero industry.