In January 2026, Itatec established its first four Working Groups (WGs), mirroring those of Euro-CASE (European Council of Academies of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering):
- PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances): led by the President of the College of Counsellors, Marco Apostolo (Syensqo), and Prof. Giuseppe Resnati (Emeritus at Politecnico di Milano).
- Soils: Synergizing Climate Protection and Climate Adaptation: led by fellow Debora Fino (Politecnico di Torino).
- Energy transition in Europe: Common goals but different paths: led by Lucia Odone (ENI) and Vice President Anna Laura Pisello (Università di Perugia).
- Innovation: led ad interim by General Secretary Matteo Pardo (CNR).
Itatec has also taken over the coordination of the Euro-CASE PFAS Working Group, which in four months of work has produced an initial deliverable, bringing Euro-CASE’s voice into the consultations under the REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals).
The REACH Regulatory Context
The European proposal to restrict PFAS represents one of the broadest regulatory initiatives ever launched under the REACH regulation, the European Union's framework for the safe management of chemical substances. The proposal, submitted by five States (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), aims to limit the manufacture, placing on the market, and use of thousands of fluorinated substances across numerous industrial and professional sectors.
The regulatory process is currently under evaluation by two scientific committees of the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency):
- RAC (Committee for Risk Assessment): responsible for evaluating risks to human health and the environment.
- SEAC (Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis): responsible for evaluating the socio-economic impacts.
Following the publication of the SEAC draft opinion, a public consultation was opened to gather technical, scientific, and economic contributions from industries, trade associations, authorities, and other stakeholders involved.
Itatec’s Contribution
Within this framework, Itatec coordinated and developed a technical-scientific contribution focused on:
- Proportionality of the restriction.
- Technical and economic feasibility of alternatives.
- Socio-economic impacts along value chains.
- Practicability and enforceability of the proposed measures.
- Monitorability of emissions and availability of analytical methods.
- Interaction with existing sector-specific regulations.
The work highlighted the need for a differentiated and scientifically robust approach in evaluating the various categories of PFAS, emphasizing:
- The role of fluorinated substances in strategic industrial and technological applications.
- The distinctions between fluoropolymers and other PFAS categories.
- The importance of considering real-world emissions, conditions of use, and end-of-life management.
- The need to ensure industrial continuity and European strategic autonomy in critical sectors.
Key Messages Developed by Itatec:
- Introduction of a pre-screening and grouping approach based on chemical structure and environmental behavior.
- Proportionate derogations for essential and industrial uses in the absence of viable alternatives.
- Leveraging existing control tools within industrial and sector-specific frameworks.
- Recognition of challenges related to monitoring, reporting, and analytical capacity.
- Attention to cumulative impacts across European supply chains.
The document prepared by Itatec was shared with Euro-CASE, which adopted it as its official contribution to the SEAC consultation and formally submitted it via the ECHA portal.
The initiative represents an important contribution to the European debate on PFAS regulation, at a crucial stage for the future of European industrial, environmental, and technological policy.
Fellows of the Itatec PFAS WG:
Coordinators: Marco Apostolo (Syensqo), fellow and Giuseppe Resnati (Emeritus, Politecnico di Milano)
Antonino Aricò (CNR), fellow
Fabio Assandri (Versalis-ENI), fellow
Valentina Beghetto (Università Venezia)
Federico Bella (Politecnico di Torino), fellow
Luca De Toni (Università di Padova)
Claudio Pettinari (Università di Camerino), fellow
Gianvito Vilè (Politecnico di Milano), fellow