The public consultation on the draft report by the Socio-Economic Advisory Committee (SEAC) on PFAS closed on 25 May 2026. Vecco e.V. contributed a submission on PFAS in surface engineering. Key aspects include wetting agents, but also the use of materials such as PVDF, which have been standard in electroplating for years due to their chemical resistance.
Our central concern is the link between the current discussions on restricting Cr(VI) and the simultaneous restriction of PFAS. Here, key supply chains in European industrial production are at risk of being caught in a regulatory stranglehold from two sides.
Now that the committee’s final draft has been submitted and processed by the European Commission, the ‘final vote’ in the REACH Committee of Member States is scheduled for 2027. We expect the restriction to come into force in 2028. Hopefully, this will be accompanied by some sensible adjustments for the surface treatment industry.
Vecco’s comments on hard chrome plating, decorative chrome plating and chrome plating on plastics can be found in the Vecco members’ area and on the ECHA website.

Vecco Executive Board