Residents of PFAS-polluted areas gather in Brussels asking for political action
10 April 2026
Citizens affected by PFAS pollution from Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands protested in front of the European Commission Berlaymont building, to call for an EU‑wide ban on PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”, and demand justice. Demonstrators failed to meet with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to explain how exposure to and contamination by PFAS affect their daily lives. Von der Leyen declined to meet with them.
French newspaper Le Monde as a “historic moment in the fight for a PFAS ban”.
In an opinion piece, published in Le Monde, the association Notre Affaire à Tous criticised industry attempts to weaken PFAS protections by pushing for greater deregulation of the European chemicals sector. They denounce the European Commission’s “Omnibus” proposals, which in their view, prioritise industrial interests over the public good.
