The Economic Ministers’ Conference has spoken out against a flat -rate ban on the so -called eternal slide chemicals PFAS.
The chairwoman, the Baden-Württemberg department head Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut (CDU), said in Stuttgart that one knew about the effects on people’s health. In the event of a ban, however, entire production areas in the EU would break away. This would act as a broad de -industrialization program.
More than 10,000 different PFAS chemicals
The Schleswig-Holstein Minister of Economic Affairs Claus Ruhe Madsen (CDU) said after the two-day conference that he saw the EU chemical regulation with concern. “In the chemical industry and the value chains it depends on it, it causes significant planning, innovation and investment backlog for immense damage.” A flat -rate ban from Pfas is the wrong way. Of the 10,000 substances, 2000 are completely harmless.
PfAS chemicals (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds) do not occur naturally in the environment and survive in the environment for an extremely long time depending on the fabric. They can get more and more accumulated. Pfas are suspected of causing liver damage as well as kidney and testicular cancer.
Use in anoraks and pans
Due to their unique characteristics, the substances are used in a large number, especially in industrial products and everyday objects – from anoraks to pans to cosmetics. In the European Union, a ban is being discussed with some exceptions. Industrial associations see this a threat to high-tech industries.
The Conference of Economics Ministers also spoke out for better framework conditions for the defense industry. Hamburg department head Melanie Leonhard (SPD) said that this included improvements in the award of order, quickly public procurement, and also investments in reliable public infrastructures. Last but not least, the ports included significant logistics infrastructures.