G/TBT/N/EU/731  
3 August 2020  
(20-5375) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
European Comm ission  
EU-TBT Enquiry Point  
Fax: +(32) 2 299 80 43  
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/e n/  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  
Perfluorocarboxylic acids containing 9 to 14 carbon atoms in the chain (C9 -C14 PFCAs), 
their salts and related substances. (The term "C9 -C14 PFCAs" is used as an abbreviation 
for:  
PFNA - Perfluorononan -1-oic acid (C9 -PFCA) CAS 375 -95-1 EC 206 -801-3  
PFDA - Nonadecafluorodecanoic acid (C10 -PFCA) CAS 335 -76-2 EC 206 -400-3  
PFUnDA - Henicosafluoroundecanoic acid (C11 -PFCA) CAS 2058 -94-8 EC 218 -165-4 
PFDoDA - Tricosafluorododecanoic acid (C12 -PFCA) CAS 307 -55-1 EC 206 -203-2  
PFTrDA - Pentacosafluorotridecanoi c acid (C13 -PFCA) CAS 72629 -94-8 EC 276 -745-2 
PFTDA - Heptacosafluorotetradecanoic acid (C14 -PFCA) CAS 376 -06-7 EC 206 -803-4 
C9-C14 PFCA related substances can be transformed in the environment to C9 -C14 PFCAs.  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft 
Commission Regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council as regards perfluorocarboxylic acids 
containing  9 to 14 carbon atoms in the chain (C9 -C14 PF CAs), their salts and related 
substances (5  page(s), in English; 4 page(s), in English)  G/TBT/N/EU/731  
 
- 2 - 
 
  6. Description of content:  This draft Regulation would amend Annex XVII to Regulation 
(EC) No 1907/2006 as follows:  
A restriction is proposed on the manufacturing of C 9-C14 PFCAs, their salts and related 
substances within the EU. Furthermore, the proposal restricts the use, placing on the 
market and import of C9 -C14 PFCAs, their salts and related substances as substances on 
their own, in a mixture or in an article in a concentration equal to or above 25 ppb for the 
sum of C9 -C14 PFCAs and their salts or 260 ppb for the sum of C9 -C14 PFCA related 
substances.   
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  This restriction is intended to prevent a switch by industry using PFOA -based 
substances ("C8 chemistry") to longer chain PFCAs ("C9 -C14 chemistry") to fulfil the same 
role in the end products ("regrettable substitution"). C9 -C14 PFCAs are PBT/vPvB 
substa nces, thus their emissions have to be minimised. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is 
restricted under REACH, Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1000 of 13 June 2017, from 
4 July 2020; Other  
8. Relevant documents:   
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Pa rliament and of the Council on the 
Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH Regulation):  
http://eur -lex.europa.eu/lega l-
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1423064258789&uri=CELEX:32006R1907  
https://echa.europa.eu/registry -of-restriction -intentions/ -
/dislist/details/0b0236e18195edb3  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  First quarter of 2021  
Proposed date of entry into force:  20 days from publication in the Official Journal of the 
EU. Application of the restriction would be deferred for 18 months after entry into force.  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
European Commission  
EU-TBT Enquiry Point  
Fax: + (32) 2 299 80 43  
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the EU -TBT Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -
databases/tbt/en/  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/EEC/20_4682_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnat tachments/2020/TBT/EEC/20_4682_01_e.pdf