This year, the European Court of Justice issued a ruling on GenX. The verdict is that the substances released by the use of GenX technology belong to the category of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). These substances also belong to the PFAS group.
In 2019, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) decided to put the substances released by GenX on the SVHC list. This was done at the initiative of Bureau REACH. Chemours Netherlands objected to this decision before the Court of Justice of the European Union, which rejected the objection in 2022. Chemours Netherlands then appealed, but this too was rejected by the European Court of Justice.
The example of GenX illustrates how the Netherlands effectively and meaningfully engaged in this matter. When a substance is designated as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC), stricter requirements apply to permitting. Companies must do more to prevent emissions into the air or water.