France Adopts New Decree to Ban PFAS in Consumer Products

First published: 5 Jan 2026

On 30 December 2025, the French government published Decree No. 2025-1376, introducing strict measures to prevent risks associated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The decree applies to a wide range of products, including cosmetics, textiles, footwear, and waterproofing agents. Under this regulation, the manufacture, import, export, and marketing of products containing PFAS is prohibited as of 1 January 2026. A transitional period of 12 months is granted for the sale of existing stock produced before this date. The decree specifies residual concentration thresholds for PFAS as follows:

• 25 ppb for individual PFAS (excluding polymers)
• 250 ppb for the sum of PFAS (with prior degradation of precursors, excluding polymers)
• 50 ppm for total fluorine content (including polymers). If the total fluorine measurement exceeds 50 mg F/kg, the manufacturer, importer, exporter, or producer must provide, upon request from the competent authorities, proof that the fluorine content originates from PFAS or non-PFAS substances.

In line with the REACH Universal PFAS restriction proposal Annex XV dossier, it is understood that the above 3 limits described in the Decree should be applied concurrently, meaning that all three concentration limits apply to any product under scope, and a product should not contain PFAS over any of the indicated concentration limits unless it is covered by any of the specific exemptions.

Scope:

• From 1 Jan 2026, the requirements, under the framework Law No. 2025-188, apply to:
  • Any cosmetic product containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances
  • Any wax product containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances
  • All textile clothing products, all footwear and all waterproofing agents for textile clothing and footwear products intended for consumers containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances
• From 1 Jan 2030, these will apply to:
  • Any textile product containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances is prohibited

Certain exemptions are allowed, notably for:

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) under EU Regulation 2016/425
• Military and civil protection gear
• Textile clothing and footwear incorporating at least 20% recycled material, where PFAS presence is limited to the recycled fraction

This decree implements provisions of Law No. 2025-188, which was adopted earlier this year to protect public health and the environment from PFAS-related risks. The regulation aligns with EU standards and anticipates future technical updates under European chemical safety regulations. The Ministry of Ecological Transition emphasised that these measures aim to reduce PFAS exposure, which has been linked to environmental persistence and potential health hazards.