PFAS: Risks, Uses, and Replacements for a Sustainable Future
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used for their water-, heat-, and stain-resistant properties in thousands of products – from medical devices to firefighting foam. But their persistence in the environment, potential health impacts, and growing public concern have turned PFAS into one of the most urgent policy challenges in chemical regulation today.
This workshop brings together leading scientists, policymakers, industry experts, and civil society voices to provide a comprehensive, science-based overview of PFAS, their benefits and risks, and options for future regulation.
🏛️ European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium📍 Room A5E-3
🗓️ 5 March 2026 🕰️ 13:00 – 15:00
Registration will close on February 27th.
13:00 – 13:05 | Welcome by the host, MEP Dimitris Tsiodras, European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium,
13:05 – 13:08 | Welcome by EuChemS, Angela Agostiano, EuChemS President, Bari, Italy
13:08 – 13:15 | Setting the scene, Floris Rutjes, Scientific Chair of EuChemS PFAS event
13:15 – 13:25 | PFAS restrictions: A huge challenge for public health and the innovation in industry, Maria Spyraki, ECHA Management Board member
13:25 – 13:40 | Title to be confirmed, Martin Scheringer, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
13:40 – 13:55 | Legal considerations for the health sector, Ruxandra Cana, Steptoe
13:55 – 14:10 | Title to be confirmed, Takayuki Nakamura, Fluoropolymers Product Group of Plastics Europe
14:10 – 14:25 | Is it impossible to substitute PFAS broadly, or just difficult and inconvenient? – Examples from the industry, data availability of alternatives and how legislation can drive innovation, Emil Damgaard-Møller, Danish Technological Institute, Taastrup, Denmark
14:25 – 14:35 | Title to be confirmed, Denis Mottet, European Commission, DG GROW
14:35 – 14:50 | Q&A session
14:50 – 15:00 | Concluding remarks, MEP Dimitris Tsiodras and Floris Rutjes
Dimitris Tsiodras
Dimitris Tsiodras obtained his Bachelor in Political Science from Athens University (NKUA) and his MA in International Relations from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA. Acclaimed journalist for 27 years in some of the most prominent Greek media he has always been engaged in areas of policy, international relations and European Union evolution.
From 2019 to 2024 he was head of the Press Office to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. In 2012 he was head of the Press office to Prime Minister Loukas Papadimos and Government spokesman at the caretaker government of Panagiotis Pikramenos. In 2015-2019 he was spokesman of the political party Potami.Dimitris is author of two books on Europe: European Patriotism or Ethnocentrisms (2017) and European unification: The adventures of a vision (2024, Minoas publications).
Angela Agostiano
Angela Agostiano is a Full Professor at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy, specialising in Chemical-Physical Processes. Her research focuses on preparing and characterising nanosised semiconductors for applications in photochemistry, environmental science, and sensing.
She served as the first female President of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI) from 2017 to 2019, promoting SCI’s European dimension and connecting diverse chemistry disciplines, academia, industry, and professional organisations. She also worked on major social issues, drafting positions on chemical weapons to support the image and culture of chemistry in society and politics.
In 2022, she was elected EuChems President-Elect and began her full presidency in 2024. Agostiano also chairs the EuChemS Task Group on Inclusion and Diversity.
Floris Rutjes
Floris Rutjes has served the scientific community as President of the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society‘s (KNCV) and as Vice-Dean and Professor at Radboud University in the Netherlands. His area of research is the synthesis of organic molecules: (i) developing new and sustainable (catalytic) synthesis methodology, (ii) the design and synthesis of biologically active small molecules, (iii) new click-probes for bio-orthogonal conjugation, and (iv) continuous flow chemistry in microreactor systems.
He is involved in bridging the gap between the scientific innovation and commercial application of science. For this, he has received the “Most entrepreneurial scientist of the Netherlands” award in 2008, alongside other honours, such as the “2003 AstraZeneca award for research in organic chemistry” and “2002 Gold Medal of the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV)”. More information about his work can be found here.
He was elected EuChemS President-Elect in 2019, at the in Bucharest, Romania. Under his presidency, EuChemS adjusted to the COVID Crisis, increased its policy activities and further established the visibility of the EuChemS brand.
Maria Spyraki
Maria Spyraki is serving as a Member of the Management Board of ECHA, appointed by the European Parliament. She is also working in International Relations, for International Trade S.A, as Director. She has served as a Member of the European Parliament for two mandates 2014- 2024 working on energy and chemicals’ legislation. Between other, Maria Spyraki is the rapporteur of the revised CLP. She is also the awarded MEP for 2019 for Industry, Research and Innovation. Before she got into politics, she has also worked for 22 years as a journalist at her home country, Greece. Her first degree is in Chemistry, and she also holds an MSc in economics and energy policy.
Martin Scheringer
Ruxandra Cana
Ruxandra advises and defends clients in matters related to EU regulatory law and litigation, with a strong emphasis on product, environmental, and sustainability regulations, and climate change challenges. Her experience spans a wide array of sectors, from raw materials (including chemicals and minerals) to products such as electronics, consumer apparel, medical devices, cosmetics, food, and food contact materials. She is well-versed in regulations such as ESPR/Eco-design, Product Liability and Green Claims, REACH, CLP, PFAS, BPR, PPPR, PPWR, POPs, CPR, and WEEE/RoHS, and regularly provides guidance on supply chain-related matters, particularly those concerning environmental and regulatory issues.
With extensive litigation experience, Ruxandra has defended nearly 100 actions before the European Court of Justice and the Board of Appeal of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and has established herself as a trusted advisor to more than 30 industry groups, consistently providing valuable insights and successful, strategic guidance.
Takayuki Nakamura
Takayuki Nakamura has been working for Daikin Industries, Ltd. Chemicals Division, Japanese company, for 39 years. He obtained his Bachelor and Master in Polymer Science at Kyoto University and Ph.D. in Organic Fluorine Chemistry at University of Durham, UK. His knowledge and experience cover broad range of fluorochemical products and businesses.
He has been involved with PFAS related work since 2002 in USA and Japan and now is working on PFAS advocacy in the EU at Daikin Chemical Europe GmbH located in Dusseldorf.
He is serving as a vice chair of Technical Working Group (TWG), Fluoropolymers Product Group (FPG) under Plastics Europe.
Emil Damgaard-Møller
Emil Damgaard-Møller, PhD in materials chemistry and senior Consultant at Danish Technological Institute. Emil have been intensively working with PFAS for the past 3 years, mainly focusing on identifying and developing good alternatives for PFAS through close collaboration with the industry, with a track record showing several examples of improved performance when replacing PFAS through innovation processes. Emil is also currently leading the “Danish EPA’s PFAS partnership with the industry”, consisting of +60 Danish companies with a shared purpose of accelerating the minimization and phase-out of PFAS in the industry.
Denis Mottet