FR / PFAS: a public consultation dedicated to establishing a water pollution charge

The French Ministry for Ecological Transition has opened a public consultation on two draft texts relating to the specific charge for water pollution by PFAS, starting on 17/04.

Stakeholders are invited to give their opinion, until 08/05, on the following texts (also submitted to the French Interministerial mission for water, and to the French National Water Committee for its opinion):
• A decree relating to the charge for water pollution by PFAS substances;
• an order relating to the procedures for establishing this charge.

Created by the finance law for 2026, this charge "constitutes an incentive instrument aimed at reducing emissions at source, with a view to achieving the objective of 'zero new PFAS'. It is part of a national trajectory aimed at reducing industrial emissions of PFAS by 70% by 2027 and 100% by 2030", states the presentation note accompanying the draft application texts.

In concrete terms, this fee is to apply to facilities classified for Environmental Protection Plants (ICPE), "subject to authorisation, whose activities result in discharges of PFAS into water…