It has been a couple of months since the UK PFAS Plan was published and made countless headlines. Today (23 April 2026), having gathered evidence as part of a parliamentary inquiry, the House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee (“EAC“) published a report titled ‘Addressing the risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)‘.
The report summarises the conclusions drawn by the EAC in the course of its inquiry and makes recommendations grouped into three areas:
- Preventing PFAS at source
- Human exposure and risk management
- Addressing pollution.
There is a lot to digest in this report, so we have highlighted some notable examples of the conclusions and recommendations reached by the EAC:
- The EAC finds that the UK PFAS Plan “lacks the specificity needed to inform and deliver action”, and without clear requirements on what to monitor, the methods to use, thresholds for concern, adequate funding, and laboratory capacity, enforcement efforts will be undermined.
- In the corporate disclosure space, the EAC advocates for a Government consultation on mandatory PFAS disclosures across supply chains within six months.
- Government should consult by March 2027 on establishing a PFAS Remediation Fund. In addition, the EAC is seeking a commitment that Government will commit to funding the research and development of non-incineration PFAS destruction technologies.
- UK REACH should be reformed by March 2027 to avoid further delay in restricting PFAS. The Government should “adopt an essential‑use approach to regulating PFAS, prioritising the rapid restriction of PFAS in non‑essential applications.”
- The EAC calls for clearly defined exemptions for essential uses, with time‑limited derogations where substitutes are still being developed.
- Some specific consumer goods are singled out by the EAC, with a recommendations that the Government “commission the Health and Safety Executive under UK REACH to bring forward restrictions on PFAS in non‑essential consumer products (e.g. food packaging, cookware and school uniforms) without delay and begin a phased restriction from 2027.”
- There are also allusions in the report to alignment with other jurisdictions. The EAC recognises that “many lessons relevant to the UK are already emerging from studies and regulatory processes across the European Union and beyond”. It recommends that the Government “draw on international best practice and collaborate with established PFAS research programmes to ensure that the UK is fully aligned with and contributing to this global evidence base.” The EU’s PFAS restriction is currently in a decisive phase for companies across multiple sectors, as the draft opinion of the Committee for Socioeconomic Analysis (SEAC – part of the European Chemical Agency) is subject to public consultation until 25 May.
- The move to introduce statutory limits for PFAS in drinking water is a “welcome step” but significant gaps remain in managing and limiting human exposure to PFAS through food and agricultural pathways. The food chain in particular is highlighted as an area where producers, retailers, and regulators need limits on the levels and types of PFAS in agricultural processes.
The EAC’s remit is “to consider the extent to which the policies and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development, and to audit their performance against sustainable development and environmental protection targets.” It does not have the power to set law or policy, but these findings are still notable and will require Government response.
The Government undertakes, where possible, to respond to reports of select committees like the EAC within two months.
We have been following this inquiry since it opened in April 2025. Should you wish to discuss possible ramifications on your business, please contact our Environmental, Safety, and Health team.