March 3, 2025
More than 930 Japanese companies in 2023 submitted objections to public comments on the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)’s proposal to tighten restrictions on PFAS.
Japanese Communist Party Dietmember Tatsumi Kotaro revealed this fact at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee on February 28.
Of the 5,642 comments ECHA received, approximately 20%, or 938, were from Japanese companies, all of which were in opposition to the proposed restrictions.
According to Tatsumi, an association of PFAS makers and sales companies in Japan held a meeting in March 2023 and called on participating companies to submit their opinions to ECHA. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) had encouraged industry groups to attend this meeting.
Tatsumi said, “METI took a leading role in urging a large number of Japanese companies to submit opinions opposing the tightening of PFAS regulations in Europe,” and criticized METI for indirectly “meddling in Europe’s internal affairs”.
He stated, “The lesson Japan learned from the Minamata disease disaster is that we should not prioritize the economy over the environment, human life, and health,” and demanded that the government promote economic growth and innovation to be oriented to protect public health.
Japanese Communist Party Dietmember Tatsumi Kotaro revealed this fact at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee on February 28.
Of the 5,642 comments ECHA received, approximately 20%, or 938, were from Japanese companies, all of which were in opposition to the proposed restrictions.
According to Tatsumi, an association of PFAS makers and sales companies in Japan held a meeting in March 2023 and called on participating companies to submit their opinions to ECHA. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) had encouraged industry groups to attend this meeting.
Tatsumi said, “METI took a leading role in urging a large number of Japanese companies to submit opinions opposing the tightening of PFAS regulations in Europe,” and criticized METI for indirectly “meddling in Europe’s internal affairs”.
He stated, “The lesson Japan learned from the Minamata disease disaster is that we should not prioritize the economy over the environment, human life, and health,” and demanded that the government promote economic growth and innovation to be oriented to protect public health.
