The European Commission has adopted the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, as of 14 October, an ambitious programme that is touted to be the biggest reform of chemical regulations since REACH (registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals).

The EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability forms part of the EU’s flagship 2019 Green Deal environment programme which cemented the ambition to make the bloc’s economy sustainable, circular and climate-neutral by 2050.

The strategy strives for a toxic-free environment, setting out actions to promote the safer use of chemicals by industry, and by taking a much tougher stance on compounds that have the potential to pose a risk to human health or the environment.

The strategy cracks down on some groups of substances, such as endocrine disruptors (EDs). It will introduce legally binding ED identification criteria across all relevant EU laws, and an outright ban on EDs in consumer products as soon as they are identified.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) will be banned in fire-fighting foams and any other uses unless they are ‘essential for society’. The EU will provide research and innovation funding for PFAS substitutes under the Horizon Europe Programme.

Other initiatives under the strategy include:

  • A ‘one substance, one assessment’ approach to increase chemical testing transparency.
  • Better access to data on chemicals and information tools for the general public.
  • Pressure on international markets to improve chemical safety globally.
  • Zero tolerance for non-compliance with REACH.
  • New hazard classes covering environmental toxicity, persistency, mobility and bioaccumulation under the CLP (classification, labelling and packaging) regulation.
  • Finding a way to address the combined effect on human health and the environment by daily exposure to a wide mix of chemicals from different sources.
  • Extending Reach registration duties to certain polymers of concern.

The commission plans to introduce all of these measures between now and 2024.

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