Ninety-four groups urge the EU to ban PFAS substances after ‘Forever Lobbying Project’ revelations.
A coalition of 94 European civil society organisations has issued an urgent call to the European Commission, demanding decisive action against “forever chemicals” following revelations of the IJ4EU-supported Forever Lobbying Project.
The investigation by 46 journalists in 16 countries exposed a long-running campaign by the PFAS industry to weaken proposed EU regulations. Used widely in industrial and consumer products since the 1950s, PFAS substances are linked to severe health issues, including cancer, endocrine disruption and infertility.
In an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the coalition describes PFAS pollution as a generational crisis threatening public health, the environment and democratic integrity across the continent.
“The findings of the recent Forever Lobbying Project have uncovered yet another PFAS pollution scandal within the EU,” the coalition said. “These revelations are a wake-up call to act with determination against what has become the ‘poison of the century’ and probably ‘the most serious pollution crisis humanity has ever faced’.”
The coalition argues that the contamination of Europe’s water, soil, air and food with PFAS has reached alarming levels, affecting even unborn children.
‘Poison of the century’
The Forever Lobbying Project estimates that cleaning up PFAS pollution in Europe could cost €2 trillion over 20 years, with an annual burden of €100 billion in perpetuity. These figures exclude additional healthcare costs, estimated at €52-84 billion annually.
“PFAS contamination undermines fundamental human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment,” the letter says. It accuses the PFAS industry of knowingly concealing safety risks for decades while engaging in tactics similar to those employed by the tobacco and fossil fuel industries to delay regulation.
The coalition points to an orchestrated lobbying campaign by the PFAS industry, accusing it of prioritising corporate profits over public health. According to the letter, the industry has exploited fear-based messaging and disinformation to influence EU policymakers and dilute proposed restrictions on these chemicals.
Just some of the 94 NGOs that signed the open letter
Eight-point plan
The coalition outlines an eight-point plan urging the EU to implement robust regulation and hold polluters accountable. Key recommendations include:
- A universal ban on PFAS to stop pollution at its source.
- Minimizing industry interference by ensuring transparency in lobbying efforts.
- Enforcing the polluter-pays principle to make chemical companies cover cleanup and healthcare costs.
- Implementing widespread environmental monitoring and investing in cleanup technologies.
- Providing financial and legal support to those affected by PFAS exposure.
- Accelerating the development and adoption of safer alternatives to PFAS.
- Strengthening the EU’s chemical laws to prevent future pollution crises.
- Promoting global measures against PFAS through international frameworks such as the Stockholm Convention.
The letter appeals to the EU to set an example of global leadership by adopting a toxic-free, sustainable economy. “This is our generational duty: to protect our children, uphold human rights, safeguard our environment, and secure a resilient, sustainable future,” the coalition writes.
The European Commission has been working on a proposal to restrict PFAS under its REACH chemicals regulation, with a final decision expected later this year. However, critics argue that corporate lobbying could undermine the ambition and scope of the regulations.
The Forever Lobbying Project builds on the work of an earlier cross-border investigation, The Forever Pollution Project, also supported by IJ4EU.