Overview
- A Commission-commissioned analysis forecasts cumulative EU costs between €330 billion and €1.7 trillion by 2050 depending on policy choices.
- The highest-cost scenario assumes extensive soil remediation and wastewater treatment to meet strict water-quality targets for roughly two dozen PFAS, while the lowest-cost scenario stops production and use without additional water treatment.
- If no further action is taken beyond current rules, the study estimates about €440 billion in costs driven largely by health impacts on children, nearby residents and exposed workers.
- The authors caution that health damages are likely underestimated because the assessment covered only four PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFNA.
- EU action remains sectoral for now, with new drinking-water limits, upcoming food-packaging rules and a French law restricting certain PFAS in consumer goods, as broader restrictions await ECHA risk (March 2026) and socio-economic (end-2026) opinions.