On June 23, 2025, the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS) published a briefing assessing the EU’s progress on the 85 actions introduced in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability in 2020 and meant to “curb chemical pollution, safeguard human and environmental health, and boost innovation and competitiveness in the chemicals sector” (FPF reported). The brief states that, “[w]hile notable progress has been made… several key actions remain unfulfilled” such as “the delayed revision of the REACH Regulation and the failure to ban exports of hazardous chemicals prohibited within the EU.”
The “notable progress” includes revisions to the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation (FPF reported) and the Industrial Emissions Directive, as well as a provisional Parliament–Council deal on the “one substance, one assessment” package to streamline hazard and risk evaluations across the EU (FPF reported).
The REACH revision, referred to in 12 of the 85 actions in the Chemicals Strategy, has stalled. Originally promised for 2022 and intended to build on the European Commission’s 2018 evaluation (which found REACH effective but in need of simplification and burden reduction, FPF reported), the proposal was postponed to Q4 2023 in the Commission’s 2023 work program, then not released and omitted from the 2024 program (FPF reported). It has now reappeared on the Commission’s agenda for late 2025 (FPF reported).
Reference
Camille Siefridt, EPRS (June 2025). “Briefing: Targeted scrutiny of the EU chemicals strategy for sustainability.” European Parliament (pdf).
Read more
Leigh Stringer (June 26, 2025). “EU Parliament briefing paper rebukes disconnect between CSS and new initiatives.” Chemical Watch News & Insight
