Belgium sued over 'forever chemicals' — country ranks first in Europe for PFAS levels

The country's authorities knew for decades about the record pollution from "forever chemicals" PFAS but took no action. As reported by Euronews, Belgium ranks first in Europe for PFAS pollution levels. For Kazakhstan, which is actively developing its chemical and mining industries, the European precedent is a signal that concealing environmental risks is becoming legally dangerous.

The Gist of It

• The NGO ClientEarth has filed a complaint with the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), the supervisory body of the Council of Europe. This is the organization's first appeal to this particular body, chosen for its broad enforcement powers.
• PFAS ("forever chemicals") are a group of more than 10,000 synthetic compounds. They are linked to cancer, diabetes, obesity, and reduced fertility. They take hundreds of years to break down and accumulate in soil, water, and human blood.
• The main pollution hotspots in Belgium are the municipality of Zwijndrecht near Antwerp (a 3M corporation plant) and Chièvres near the French border (an airbase). Flemish authorities were notified of the problem as early as 2017 — and did nothing.
• ClientEarth is seeking a complete ban on PFAS in Belgium, systematic biomonitoring of the population, and large-scale cleanup of the territories.
• A decision from the ECSR on the admissibility of the complaint is expected in 2027, with a final verdict in 2–3 years.

What are PFAS and Why Are They Dangerous?

PFAS are found in non-stick cookware, pizza boxes, waterproof clothing, menstrual pads — literally everywhere in modern life. Their resistance to degradation, which makes them technologically valuable, simultaneously turns them into an environmental disaster: once released into the environment, they accumulate in soil, water, and living organisms for centuries.

In 2023, the WHO classified perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as a human carcinogen.

Professor of Environmental Medicine at the Danish National Institute of Public Health, Philippe Grandjean, explains the scale of the threat: "PFAS affect sperm health and increase the risk of infertility. PFAS cross the placenta, and thus the mother shares her 'PFAS burden' with the fetus. Thirdly, PFAS are excreted in breast milk."

Belgium Knew — and Stayed Silent

The core of ClientEarth's complaint is not the pollution itself, but the conduct of the authorities. Members of the Flemish government, including the country's current Prime Minister Bart De Wever (then mayor of Antwerp), were informed about the pollution near the 3M plant in Zwijndrecht as early as 2017. No measures were taken. Discussions about the problem between 3M and Flemish authorities began as early as the early 2000s — but the scale of the risk was systematically downplayed.

Environmental lawyer at ClientEarth, Hélène Duguy, clearly states the essence of the case: "The pollution has been going on for a very long time, and we have found that the authorities have had information about this problem for many years, if not decades, but very little has been done."

It is this systemic inaction, according to the organization, that violates citizens' rights — to health, to a safe environment, to protection by the state. For the first time, such pollution is being classified as a violation of social rights, not just environmental norms.

Cleanup is Nearly Impossible

One of the most alarming conclusions is the practical irreversibility of the pollution. A study published on July 6 in the journal Environmental Science showed that even if Europe invests 100 billion euros annually in cleanup efforts, only a small fraction of PFAS can be removed from the environment. This is why ClientEarth insists not only on cleanup but also on a complete ban of these substances and biomonitoring of vulnerable groups — children and pregnant women.

The Kazakhstan Context

PFAS in Kazakhstan is a topic that is practically unheard of in the public sphere. Meanwhile, the domestic mining, chemical, and agrochemical industries use compounds related to PFAS or that create similar pollution problems. Industrial zones around Balkhash, Ust-Kamenogorsk, and Taraz have historically accumulated a significant chemical burden on soil and water, the monitoring of which remains unsystematic.

The European precedent — where a government is held legally responsible not for the pollution itself, but for inaction despite having information about it — is fundamentally important. It means it is not enough to "not know" about a problem. The state is obliged to know, inform citizens, and act. The recently adopted law "On Soil Protection" in Kazakhstan creates an institutional basis for such monitoring — the question is whether it will be applied seriously to industrial polluters.

Author's Conclusion

The Belgian case is a precedent that changes the rules of the game for industrial polluters and their regulators across Europe. State silence in the face of a known environmental threat can now be classified as a human rights violation. For Kazakhstan, which is building its environmental monitoring system, this lesson is worth learning before similar lawsuits start being filed against domestic authorities.