KIMO AND THE NORTH SEA COMMISSION CALL FOR AMBITIOUS ACTION AGAINST PFAS POLLUTION

KIMO and the North Sea Commission call for ambitious action against PFAS pollution in the marine environment. KIMO and the North Sea Commission (NSC) have issued a powerful joint statement urging the European Union to adopt ambitious and comprehensive measures to combat PFAS pollution, a growing threat to marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

This call to action comes during the critical ongoing revision of the EU’s REACH regulation, a pivotal moment for chemical policy in Europe. The purpose of the statement is to ensure that the perspective of coastal communities, which experience the consequences of PFAS pollution most directly, is heard at the highest levels of decision-making.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of thousands of synthetic “forever chemicals” known for their persistence in the environment and potential health risks. They are found throughout the marine environment—in water, sediments, sea ice, and sea spray—and accumulate at alarming concentrations in the marine food chain, from plankton to top predators.

Although PFAS pollution in the marine environment is caused by a multitude of factors not specific to coastal communities, these communities experience the negative effects of PFAS pollution first-hand with potentially severe effects on local agriculture, tourism and wildlife activities. Hence, the presence of PFAS not only has environmental effects, but also severe financial effects that hit coastal communities the hardest.

Both organisations maintain that a full ban on all PFAS compounds, based on the precautionary principle, is the ultimate goal, but recognizing that there are diverging interests at play, the statement affirms that:

“While we wait in anticipation, hopeful for a full ban of all PFAS compounds, we also recognise that transformation sometime takes time. If the upcoming revision of the REACH Regulation will only be a first step, we must recognise the urgency of action beyond regulating use.”

For this reason, the statement outlines four urgent priority areas for action developed by KIMO’s international PFAS Working Group, in collaboration with the North Sea Commission (which is a member of the group). These priorities are essential to protect coastal regions and their inhabitants:

1. A Comprehensive Ban: Urging the European Commission to be ambitious by banning the use of all PFAS compounds and establishing a clear, stepwise approach to achieve this.
2. Systemic Monitoring: Establishing a common EU-wide monitoring approach to understand the presence and implications of PFAS in the marine environment, moving beyond a sole focus on drinking water
3. Closing Knowledge Gaps: Allocating funding through EU research mechanisms to thoroughly examine the presence and impact of PFAS, both within and beyond EU borders.
4. Support for Coastal Communities: Addressing the disproportionate burden on coastal municipalities by facilitating research and adopting a ‘polluter pays’ principle to provide financial support for remediation.

“We cannot risk the health of the marine environment, and the European Union has a responsibility to act,” the statement concludes. “The revision of the REACH Regulation presents an important opportunity for the European Commission to pave the way for ambitious PFAS regulation within the European Economic Area and beyond.”

Together, KIMO and the North Sea Commission represent 27 regions and 80 coastal municipalities across eleven countries bordering the North-East Atlantic, North Sea, Irish Sea, and Baltic Sea, giving a powerful collective voice to communities on the front line of chemical pollution.

About KIMO

KIMO is an international network of local authorities working to protect and preserve coastal waters and marine environments. We link local action to international policy, advocating for clean, healthy seas.

About the North Sea Commission

The North Sea Commission is a transnational cooperation organisation within the CPMR, representing regions bordering the North Sea. It works to promote common interests and tackle shared challenges for a sustainable North Sea Region.

Image: Pixabay

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