FIA has published the document highlighting the current EU restrictions that impact the use of Firefighting foam across the United Kingdom. A number of restrictions are already in place, these are:

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)
PFOS was listed as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) in Annex B (restriction) of the UNEP
Stockholm Convention on POPs in 2009. Fire-fighting foams that were placed on the market
before 27 December 2006 could also be used until 27 June 2011. Any firefighting foams
containing PFOS should have been removed from use prior to June 2011 and ethically
disposed of.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
The legislation around Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) relates to any substances that can
degrade to produce PFOA which includes ‘long chain’ C8 fluorinated Firefighting foams.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/784 of 8 April 2020 amending Annex I to
Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the
listing of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds
(Text with EEA relevance) (legislation.gov.uk)
“It shall apply from 4 July 2020.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 8 April 2020.
By way of derogation, the use of PFOA, its salts and PFOA-related compounds shall be
allowed in fire-fighting foam for liquid fuel vapour suppression and liquid fuel fire (Class B
fires) already installed in systems, including both mobile and fixed systems, until 4 July 2025,
subject to the following conditions:

a. fire-fighting foam that contains or may contain PFOA, its salts and/or PFOA-related
compounds shall not be used for training;
b. fire-fighting foam that contains or may contain PFOA, its salts and/or PFOA-related
compounds shall not be used for testing unless all releases are contained;
c. as from 1 January 2023, uses of fire-fighting foam that contains or may contain PFOA, its
salts and/or PFOA-related compounds shall only be allowed in sites where all releases can
be contained;
d. fire-fighting foam stockpiles that contain or may contain PFOA, its salts and/or PFOArelated
compounds shall be managed in accordance with Article 5”.
 

Please click below to access the document