European Space Restrictions Task Force discusses 2nd consultation response on Universal PFAS with ASD

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At its 10th meeting on 23 April 2026 – organised as a full-day workshop in hybrid format at ESA ESTEC and online – the European Space Restrictions Task Force (RTF) discussed the planned Space Sector response to the now on-going European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) consultation on the draft opinion of the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) on restricting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a group (also called “Universal PFAS” or “UPFAS”) under the EU REACH Regulation.

The meeting gathered 25 participants from across the space industry, materials suppliers, space agencies, research institutes, the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD).

The ECHA consultation, which is currently underway for 60 days from 26 March to 25 May 2026, is the last formal opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to the UPFAS restriction process under EU REACH. Given that the space sector still does not have its own single derogation proposal and is instead proposed to be bundled with “transport” as well as other cross-cutting sectors such as lubricants, electronics and applications of fluorinated gases, its specificities are not duly taken into account and would create clearly disproportionate consequences if a corresponding restriction was implemented.

The preparation of the Eurospace (RTF) response to the ECHA consultation is closely aligned with ASD, which is also preparing a comprehensive response addressing its broader scope of uses, not limited to space.

The RTF has been established in 2023 within the European Space Components Coordination (ESCC) system by initiative of the Materials and Processes Technology Board (MPTB), which is currently chaired by the ESA REACH Officer. It currently comprises 31 organisations and is an open forum. New participants with a proven Space Sector interest, including those from outside the MPTB, may be admitted.

Further information:

  • ECHA news alert of 26 March 2026 about the launch of the public consultation on the draft SEAC PFAS opinion, available here
  • Eurospace news alert of 25 September 2023 on the 1st RTF consultation response on UPFAS to ECHA in 2023, available here
  • Eurospace news alert of 17 December 2025 on the updated summary in different languages to inform about the UPFAS state of play, available here
  • Secretariat: Valentin Marie, Research Analyst & Compliance Manager, ASD-EUROSPACE, valentin.marie@eurospace.org, +33 (0) 7 86 58 74 34
  • RTF Coordinator: Tim Becker, Senior Legal Advisor, REACHLaw Ltd., tim.becker@reachlaw.fi; +358 (0)40 773 8143