Damning new report: EU fish polluted with ‘forever chemicals’, while governments seek to delay action

CCB • September 9, 2025
A new report from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and its member organisations reveals widespread PFAS contamination in wild fish across Europe, with many samples far exceeding proposed new safety limits. These so-called "forever chemicals" pose a growing threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems - yet EU Member States are pushing to delay action on needed pollution controls until 2039.

The EEB briefing, Forever chemicals poisoning Europe’s waters and fish: The tip of the PFAS iceberg,” analyses monitoring data from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Sweden. It shows that most fish samples tested between 2009 and 2023 contained dangerous levels of PFOS, a persistent PFAS identified as possibly carcinogenic for humans. 


Key findings: 

  • Nearly all reported values exceed proposed new EU safety limits; 
  • 24% of values in Sweden, 19% in France, and 15-17% in Austria and Spain exceed the limit by 500 times or more; 
  • Some samples from Sweden, Germany and Spain exceeded the proposed standard by over 10,000 times. 


This analysis only covers one PFAS chemical – PFOS – while new EU proposals would target a group of 24, suggesting the scale of contamination is likely far greater. 


Outdated EU rules are masking the true extent of the crisis. 

Member States are currently only required to monitor PFOS, and not the thousands of other harmful PFAS chemicals. A 2022 proposal from the EU Commission to update EU water pollution laws, including regulating a group of PFAS in coastal and freshwater, including biota, has faced several delays, with governments now seeking to push compliance until 2039  – potentially wasting more than a decade of action in the urgent fight against toxic pollution. 

The EEB is calling for immediate EU-level action to protect nature and public health from pollution. The next key moment: EU institutions meet on 23 September to decide the future of Europe’s water pollution standards. 

 

Sara Johansson and Athénaïs Georges, EEB said: 

"PFAS pollution of EU waters and its wildlife is widespread, yet badly underreported. Coherent obligations on Member States to act to limit further water pollution, e.g. by putting in place stricter discharge permits for industry are urgently needed. We urge the EU institutions to stop delaying action and to adopt updated EU water pollution standards, with a binding obligation for Member States to include measures to limit further pollution from PFAS and other priority pollutants in the next River Basin Management Plans." 


CCB contributed to the work of the EEB briefing with the analysis of the Polish data made by Ewa Leś, CCB Eutrophication Working Area Leader, founder of River University, and expert in freshwater security governance, who commented:

"Across Europe, PFOS contamination in rivers, lakes and coastal waters is alarmingly high, with fish in some countries showing levels more than 19,000 times above the new safety standards. While Sweden has taken early, preventive steps, most countries still lag behind in monitoring and transparency. In Poland, structured data from the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection is an important step forward – but citizens still lack full access to information on contaminated sites. Data precision protects public health, and we call on state institutions to strengthen monitoring and reporting."


***


Notes to editors 


For further information, contact: 
Ben Snelso, Communications Officer for Agriculture and Food, European Environmental Bureau benedict.snelson@eeb.org 


By CCB August 27, 2025
Council Must Follow Commission's Lead to Protect Critical Small Pelagic Fish Populations
Photos by IISD/ENB - Natalia Mroz
By CCB July 2, 2025
The first meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) was held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 23–27 June 2025 , bringing together government representatives, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, including the Coalition Clean Baltic representative, the private sector, youth, and academia. This marked the first global gathering since the GFC was adopted at the Fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) in 2023. The primary focus of OEWG-1 was to take stock of progress since ICCM5 and to discuss how best to operationalize the framework’s goals. Participants exchanged views on implementation needs and priorities, as well as preparatory work for the first International conference of GFC , expected in 2026. Advancing Implementation Programmes Across Key Sectors A central discussion point was the development of terms of reference (ToR) for three Implementation Programmes under the GFC. One of these programmes will include sector-specific sub-programmes , aiming to promote safer chemicals management practices in industries such as electronics, textiles, health care, and construction . The intent is to support sector-wide engagement, innovation, and accountability in reducing chemical risks. Delegates also addressed the selection and future treatment of chemical Issues of Concern (IoCs) - substances or groups of substances that require global attention, e.g. lead in paints, highly hazardous pesticides, environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants , and others) . While there was broad support for retaining all currently recognized IoCs, discussions highlighted the need for clear criteria, dedicated workplans, and adequate resourcing to ensure each IoC is actively addressed rather than left unresolved. Financing as a Cornerstone of Effective Implementation Discussions made clear that successful implementation of the GFC will require adequate, sustained, and predictable financial resources . The meeting explored the operation of the GFC Fund , with particular attention to how it might be improved to ensure equitable access to financial resources , especially for low- and middle-income countries. Ideas for a resource mobilization strategy were also shared, with many participants emphasizing the importance of sustained public and private sector contributions. There was significant support for applying the “polluter pays” principle , ensuring that industries contributing to chemical pollution take financial responsibility for managing its impacts. The intersessional work ahead of COP1 will be critical for shaping a robust financing mechanism that matches the framework’s ambition. Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides launched A major milestone from the meeting was the launch of the Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) . This new initiative aims to promote international collaboration, knowledge exchange, and support for safer alternatives, including agroecological approaches that reduce reliance on harmful substances in agriculture. Regional Perspectives: Implications for the Baltic Sea “ For the Baltic Sea region , chemicals management remains a critical environmental and public health issue ”, commented Eugeniy Lobanov, Leader of the Hazardous Substances Working Area at Coalition Clean Baltic . “ Implementation of the GFC provides an opportunity to reinforce regional actions under the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan , especially concerning the reduction of hazardous substances entering the marine environment, e.g., pharmaceutical pollutants ”. It is important that Baltic Sea countries actively contribute to the GFC’s development and ensure regional priorities are reflected in global strategies. To read summary report of OEWG 1 . *** Article written by Eugeniy Lobanov, CCB Hazardous Substances Working Area Leader Photos by IISD/ENB - Natalia Mroz