The European Union (EU) is showing signs of fully regulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are widely used in industrial products such as semiconductors, displays, batteries, and automobiles. Meanwhile, the South Korean government has expressed the opinion that "careful consideration is necessary."
On the 25th (local time), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the National Institute of Technology and Standards announced that they conveyed concerns and requests related to PFAS to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO TBT), respectively.
PFAS are widely used in industry due to their excellent water repellency, oil repellency, chemical resistance, and heat resistance, as they do not react with water, oil, chemicals, or heat and maintain their original molecular structure, despite the problem of accumulating in the human body and environment because they are not easily decomposed.
The domestic industry has been concerned that if the use of PFAS is completely restricted while it is difficult to immediately find substitute materials for PFAS functions, production and export of Korean products could be disrupted. Accordingly, in addition to submitting opinions to the EU by industry associations such as those for semiconductors, displays, batteries, and automobiles, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy also conveyed concerns jointly with the industry.
The government pointed out as a concern that it would be difficult to develop substitute materials within the regulatory grace period (5 or 12 years), which could cause significant confusion and shock to the global supply chain. It also included concerns that problems in battery and semiconductor production and post-use battery recycling could delay the spread of electric vehicles, causing setbacks in carbon neutrality and the transition to a circular economy.
Additionally, the government conveyed concerns that a blanket restriction on the use of more than 10,000 PFAS substances without verifying the harmfulness of each to humans and the environment constitutes excessive regulation, and that among the PFAS used by industry, many cases lack molecular structure information, making it difficult to confirm whether they are subject to regulation.
The government stated that it requested an accurate understanding of the current status and required time for substitute material development to reset a realistic grace period. It also requested that exemptions from regulation be applied to items used in medical devices, electric vehicles, semiconductors, or those without technical and economic substitutes for a considerable period, and that the regulatory targets be clearly defined only by "harmful PFAS" verified for human and environmental toxicity.
Meanwhile, the European Chemicals Agency announced on February 7 that it would fully regulate PFAS and would conduct a six-month public consultation process starting March 22. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "We will continue to assert the opinions of the Korean government and industry through trade consultations with the EU while monitoring the progress of future discussions."
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