The European debate on PFAS is becoming a broader test of Europe’s ability to reconcile environmental protection, industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy.

Speaking at the PFAS Summit Europe 2026 in Brussels, EU Focus Group Partner Pavel Glukhov discussed the implications of the proposed PFAS restriction alongside representatives from industry, legal practice and European stakeholders.

PFAS remain essential to a wide range of technologies considered strategic for Europe, including semiconductors, batteries, renewable energy equipment and advanced manufacturing. At the same time, expectations for high levels of environmental and health protection continue to shape the regulatory debate.

The challenge is therefore not to choose between sustainability and competitiveness, but to develop regulatory solutions capable of addressing both.

For EU Focus Group, the PFAS debate illustrates a wider challenge facing European policymaking: how to reconcile scientific evidence, industrial realities and Europe’s long-term strategic interests within a workable regulatory framework.