PFAS: Water Discharges to Face Fee Starting September 1

France is set to introduce a new financial penalty for industries that discharge "eternal pollutants," known as PFAS, into waterways. The fee, scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026, aims to generate funds for water depollution initiatives.

The measure, published in the Official Journal, establishes a rate of 100 euros for every 100 grams of PFAS released. This fee was initially slated for March 1, 2026, but the government decided to postpone its implementation by six months. This delay was intended to "guarantee its legal security," particularly following a recent expansion of the list of monitored substances.

The law against PFAS, championed by ecologist lawmaker Nicolas Thierry and enacted in February 2025, targets per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals, widely used in industry and consumer products, have raised health concerns due to their persistence in the environment and potential links to various health issues, including elevated cholesterol, cancers, and adverse effects on fertility and fetal development.

The decree specifies that the fee applies to the mass of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances contained in water discharged by a liable party over a calendar year. The determination of these substances will be based on either continuous self-monitoring or periodic campaigns, with a requirement for checks at the launch of activity and at least every five years. The government has identified 28 specific PFAS molecules, including the ubiquitous TFA (trifluoroacetic acid), as the basis for this fee.

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guarantee its legal security