On 2 June 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), together with the relevant authorities responsible for chemical substance regulation, announced a public consultation on a draft ministerial ordinance concerning chemical substances regulated under Article 1, Paragraph 1, Item 42 of the Enforcement Order of the Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, etc. (CSCL). The proposal is intended to implement recent amendments to the Enforcement Order following decisions under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), an international treaty aimed at eliminating or restricting chemicals that pose long-term risks to human health and the environment. A key element of the draft ordinance is the addition of long-chain perfluoroalkanoic acid (PFAA)-related substances to the list of chemicals designated as Class I Specified Chemical Substances. This classification applies to substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and potentially harmful, and subjects them to stringent controls on manufacture, import, and use within Japan. The proposed amendment is designed to align Japan’s domestic chemical management framework with international obligations under the Stockholm Convention and strengthen measures for controlling persistent pollutants
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