A group of citizens in the EU affected by PFAS, the synthetic forever chemical, have requested a meeting with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The aim is to highlight the "devastating" health and environmental consequences of PFAS, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) announced on Wednesday.
According to the EBB, the request comes from citizens in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.
This is not the first time victims of PFAS pollution have tried to engage with the European Commission. In October 2023, a request for a meeting with von der Leyen went unanswered. On Wednesday night, activists projected a banner on the Berlaymont Building reading: "Ban PFAS Now!"
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, consist of over 14,000 chemicals used as non-stick, water-repellent, stain-resistant, and heat-resistant agents. NGOs link them to severe health issues.
In Belgium, the municipality of Zwijndrecht (East Flanders) experienced significant pollution from a 3M factory. High levels of PFAS were also detected in Wallonia, in places like Chièvres, Nandrin, Florenne, and recently in Ittre.
"This is not just a local issue; it’s a national and European crisis," said Toon Penen, an activist from the Grondrecht collective. He claims to have witnessed the pollution’s impact on his community’s environment and health firsthand. "It is urgent to strengthen regulations to protect communities like ours across Europe."
The Forever Lobbying Project, an investigation by several media outlets, revealed in mid-January that cleaning Europe’s water and soil from these substances could cost between €95 billion and €2 trillion.
A second part of the investigation exposes the lobbying efforts by the chemical industry to block a proposed ban on these pollutants.
