Overview
- The Wirtschaftsministerkonferenz has opposed a sweeping PFAS prohibition on grounds that it would trigger widespread industrial decline across EU member states.
- Chair Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut warned that banning all PFAS compounds would dismantle key manufacturing sectors by removing essential chemical inputs.
- Schleswig-Holstein Economic Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen noted that of over 10,000 PFAS substances, around 2,000 are deemed harmless and merit exemption.
- PFAS are used in everything from nonstick cookware to weather-resistant textiles and face scrutiny for their persistence in the environment and associations with liver damage and certain cancers.
- Ministers also urged improved frameworks for the defense industry, calling for accelerated procurement and targeted infrastructure investments to bolster strategic capabilities.