EU Roadmap to Reduce Chemicals

EU roadmap to reduce chemicals – published on cemarking.net – April 29, 2022

This roadmap is from the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency). In it, it defines its priorities in the period extending to the revision of the REACH regulation. This is estimated to be in 2027. Companies affected by this should prepare for the coming restrictions.
EU Roadmap to Reduce Chemicals
New EU Roadmap for Chemical Restrictions | Graphic by Ellina Goncharova from Alura Group

EU Strategy for Chemical Substances

In the EU, thousands of chemical substances will be curbed in the reasonably near future. This is described in a “Roadmap on Restrictions” from the European Commission. It published this on April 25, 2022 as part of the EU Strategy for Chemicals. Not only is this going to have essential consequences for the Chemical Industry. But also the manufacturers of products are going to be affected. They will probably have to adapt their articles. After all, they may not contain any substances in excess of the specified limits.

Objectives of the Restrictions Roadmap

The Restriction Roadmap has three main objectives:

  1. This EU roadmap to reduce chemicals must ensure that the commitments under the strategy can be fulfilled in a transparent and timely manner. The Rolling List included in the Annex sets out the restrictions that have been planned and prepared, and those that have progressed, in particular for the most harmful substances. It will be the cornerstone for the multiannual planning under Article 68 of REACH on introducing new and amending current restrictions and Article 69 of REACH on preparing proposals for the period up to 2025-2027, until the new rules on the generic approach are put in place.
  2. Provide an overview, through its Rolling List, of we are using the available authority resources. The Rolling List contains (groups of) substances that are being considered for a risk management measure or for which an entry in the Registry of Intentions (RoI) has been submitted.
  3. This EU roadmap to reduce chemicals must provide transparency to stakeholders on the restriction work by authorities and allows companies to anticipate (potential) upcoming restrictions, e.g. by already beginning substitution activities

EU Roadmap to Reduce Chemicals – Roadmap Restrictions

The most remarkable thing about the EU roadmap to reduce chemicals is that the scope of this plan is very broad. Where the focus is now on individual regulation or regulation in small groups, that focus will undoubtedly shift. From now on, the focus will be on regulating chemicals by groups. All in all, the restriction process will have to be in place within 24 months. Furthermore, it is expected that around 2030 another 5 to 7 thousand chemicals will be restricted.

The UK government has yet to announce its chemicals strategy.

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