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Leak: Commission to launch PFAS clean-ups in water resilience strategy
The European Commission is preparing to support a major clean-up initiative targeting Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and human body, according to a leaked proposal seen by Euronews.
The operation, which is expected to start in 2026, is a central feature of the forthcoming EU Water Resilience Strategy.
Controversially shelved by the previous Commission and now slated for presentation by 4 June, the new strategy aims to address increasingly severe flooding, droughts, and escalating water pollution across Europe.
According to a leaked draft of the proposal seen by Euronews, the Commission warns that “urgent action is needed to tackle pollutants of emerging concern which pose a risk to our vital sources of drinking water.”
“The EU must embark on decisive efforts to clean up these and other ubiquitous, persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic substances, particularly where such chemicals remain indispensable for societal or industrial use,” the draft continues.
The leaked document stresses that remediation should follow the “polluter pays” principle, with public funding reserved for so-called orphan sites, namely locations where no responsible party can be identified.
The estimated cost of cleaning up PFAS contamination across Europe ranges from €5 billion to €100 billion annually, according to the Commission. The water sector alone could face up to €18 billion in additional yearly expenses for drinking water treatment. Costs for wastewater and sewage sludge management are projected to be even higher.
Among the planned initiatives is a public-private partnership launching in 2026, focused on the detection and clean-up of PFAS and other persistent chemicals. The initiative will align with recently revised EU legislation on industrial emissions, drinking water, and wastewater, and is intended to foster innovation and market development within the European water sector.
“Innovation and digitalisation are indispensable to remove emerging pollutants like PFAS and other toxic micro-substances,” the Commission notes in the draft adding that bio-based technologies could offer long-term solutions. The document also highlights the importance of achieving energy neutrality in the wastewater sector and improving integrated urban water management.
The PFAS actions in the strategy are intended to complement ongoing efforts under the revision of the EU’s REACH framework, as outlined in President von der Leyen’s 2024–2029 political guidelines, which are also slated for revision soon.
By the end of 2025, the Commission aims to adopt a comprehensive restriction on all PFAS in firefighting foams, identified as one of the primary sources of PFAS emissions.
PFAS and other highly persistent pollutants continue to accumulate in EU waters, with estimated health-related costs ranging from €52 billion to €84 billion annually.
Aligned with the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Commission also proposes a monitoring and outlook system to tackle water and marine pollution at its source.
Trump congratulates Colombia presidential candidate
Trump congratulated Abelardo De La Espriella, known by many as ‘El Tigre,’ following an initial ballot count. While not officially called, the narrow lead signals a potential rightward shift for Colombia. (Reuters.)
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Progressive candidate Iván Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia’s presidential election to conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The concession came days after Cepeda initially refused to acknowledge defeat following preliminary results that showed de la Espriella as the apparent winner.
“At this stage of the vote count, I have decided to accept the result emerging from that process, which indicates that Abelardo de la Espriella is the new President of the Republic,” Cepeda said in an address to the nation.
“I do so as an act of democratic responsibility.”
TRUMP SAYS COLOMBIA’S ‘EL TIGRE’ WILL BE A ‘GREAT PRESIDENT’ AS SOCIALIST OPPONENT LAUNCHES LEGAL CHALLENGE
Ivan Cepeda speaks during a campaign rally in Cali, Colombia, on June 6, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)
De la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never previously run for office, known to his supporters as “El Tigre,” defeated Senate member Iván Cepeda by one percentage point in a remarkably close election, according to officials.
“The vote count shows an extraordinarily narrow margin between the two options vying for the trust of the Colombian people,” he said. “Less than 1% of the vote separates the candidacies that participated in this contest.”
Despite his concession, Cepeda made serious allegations that de la Espriella’s victory was influenced by “foreign interference” by the United States and the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate voters.
“During this process, we denounced the open and improper foreign interference in Colombia’s internal affairs—particularly the interventions by the United States government, and specifically the interventions by President Donald Trump in support of Abelardo de la Espriella’s candidacy,” he said.
He further accused the opposing campaign of widespread vote-buying and unethical tactics that he said undermined the legitimacy of the election results.
ANTI-CARTEL HARDLINER CHANNELS TRUMP IN BID TO END COLOMBIA’S LEFTIST ERA IN PIVOTAL ELECTION
Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a speech to supporters during a campaign rally in Palmira, near Cali, Colombia on May 14, 2026. (Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP via Getty Images)
President-elect de la Espriella will begin his four-year term in August.
“Starting August 7, we will work with determination to consolidate a common agenda that strengthens the security, freedom, and prosperity of our nations,” de la Espriella in a post on X.
The result will effectively end outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s leftist influence on the state and the policies Cepeda had pledged to continue if he won the election.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, left, and President Donald Trump are shown in separate photographs. (Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images; Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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A core pillar of Petro’s signature agenda was his “total peace” strategy, aimed at opening negotiations with remaining guerrilla forces, drug cartels, and armed paramilitary groups in an effort to end Colombia’s decades long internal conflict.
In contrast, de la Espriella has pledged a more hardline approach, including a militarized crackdown on criminal organizations, proposals to build mega-prisons, expand fossil fuel fracking, and revive the controversial practice of aerial glyphosate spraying to eradicate coca crops.
The president-elect, who holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship, has also said he plans to add Colombia to the Trump-dubbed “Shield of the Americas,” a proposed coalition aimed at coordinating efforts against criminal groups in Latin America.
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Ten years after the UK voted to exit the European Union, the debate over Brexit’s legacy is far from over. MEPs Barry Andrews (Renew Europe) and Sander Smit (European Conservatives & Reformists) go head-to-head on whether Brexit has strengthened or weakened Europe—and whether Britain could or should one day return to the bloc.
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For Irish MEP Barry Andrews, the answer is clear. He argues that leaving the EU was a mistake and a “total disaster” for the UK, pointing to years of political instability and economic challenges since the referendum. He also contends that Brexit has ultimately strengthened support for the European project, stating that “there is nobody looking to leave the European Union anymore.”
Dutch MEP Sander Smit takes a different view, saying the EU still misses “the UK’s crucial voice for fiscal and financial discipline” and warning against a more centralised Europe. “Our future lies in a stronger partnership,” he says. “Let the UK and EU countries move beyond the past and work together as natural, sovereign allies.”
The Ring is hosted by Méabh Mc Mahon, produced by Luis Albertos Altarejos and Amaia Echevarria, and edited by Vassilis Glynos.
You can contact us at: thering@euronews.com
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