Regarding products coming into contact with drinking water (PDWs), the High Council for Public Health (HCSP) considers it essential to maintain a policy to prevent their putting on the market, which does not allow, under the pretext of free flows, the marketing of materials or products which can release undesirable compounds into water or facilitate the development of biofilms. To this end, it is absolutely essential to have european harmonized methods for assessing quality and safety of PDWs.

The transposition into French law of European provisions stemming from the Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (Drinking Water Directive, DWD) and its implementing acts adopted in 2024, addresses this need for harmonization. These texts are part of a continuum of harmonized procedures implemented over the past 20 years by France, Germany, the Netherlands, and initially the United Kingdom, and specifically address:

• starting substances, compositions, and constituents authorized for use in the manufacture of PDWs (test methods and establishment of European positive lists);
• conformity assessment for products intended to come into contact with drinking water, as well as rules concerning the designation of conformity assessment bodies;
• harmonized specifications for the labeling of PDWs.

The HCSP formulated proposals prior to the publication of Decree No. 2026-80 of February 11, 2026, concerning PDWs.