Chemicals

Subscribe to Chemicals via RSS

The European Parliament and the Council are shaping their positions on the Chemicals Omnibus simplification proposal published by the Commission on 8 July 2025.

Discussions on the text are expected to be heated, with an important involvement of civil society groups.

Certain political groups and Member States have notably been very vocal at the local…

European Union

ECHA scientific committees on track to finalise opinions on the PFAS restriction. ECHA confirmed on 17 December that its two scientific committees, the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC), remain on schedule to deliver their opinions on the proposed PFAS restriction. The committees’ December meetings enabled the adoption…

European Union

Universal PFAS Restriction. The minutes of ECHA’s 68th SEAC meeting (15–19 September 2025) outline that SEAC experts reached provisional conclusions for the lubricants and energy sectors, covering regulatory alternatives, substitution options, socio-economic impacts, potential sector-specific derogations and associated uncertainties. Discussions on the electronics and semiconductors sectors will continue in December, with further…

The Battery Regulation ((EU) 2023/1542) (Regulation) entered into force on 17 August 2023, superseding the Battery Directive (2006/66/EC). The Regulation establishes a harmonised framework designed to strengthen the internal market, promote the circular economy and mitigate environmental and social impacts across the full battery life cycle.

As part of the implementation of this framework…

  • ECHA updates stakeholders on SEAC consultation for PFAS restriction – On 30 October 2025, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) held a webinar outlining the upcoming consultation on the expected draft Opinion of the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) regarding the proposed PFAS restriction under REACH. A presentation summarising the consultation process was published
…
  • PFAS generic restriction (REACH): sector-specific provisional conclusions – During its plenary session from 8–12 September, ECHA’s Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) reached provisional conclusions regarding the adequacy of restricting PFAS presence and use in electronics and semiconductors. Meanwhile, the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) arrived at provisional conclusions on the potential impact of
…

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched a  Call for Evidence to support the preparation of a study report under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40). The study, as mandated in Article 5(2) PPWR, aims to map substances of concern (SoC) that are present in packaging and packaging components that…

  • Generic PFAS Restriction – Updated Proposal – In 2023, five EU Member States submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) a joint proposal to restrict PFAS under REACH, with options ranging from a full ban to phased restrictions. Following a six-month public consultation that generated approximately 5,600 comments, the authorities have now issued
…

In 2023, four EU Member States (Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden) and Norway, submitted an initial proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) seeking a universal ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with phased restrictions. That proposal underwent a six-month public consultation period in the same year, during which ECHA received approximately 5,600…

  • Progress update on the Universal PFAS restriction proposal – The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has confirmed that its scientific committees will resume discussions on the universal PFAS restriction under REACH Annex XVII in September. The Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) will meet from 8–12 September 2025, and the Committee for Socio-Economic
…