The European Commission’s delay in revising the REACH regulation (Regulation 1907/2006 on the evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances) is putting human health, the environment and the competitiveness of European industry at risk, according to a study published by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and CHEM Trust on Wednesday 15 March.
This review, initially scheduled for 2022, has been postponed to the end of 2023, making it impossible to adopt the reform during this legislature, much to the dismay of environmental NGOs (see EUROPE 13046/30).
In their report, the two NGOs set out to show that this delay will allow the continued flawed management of hazardous chemical substances such as PFAS and will jeopardise the future of the EU’s green transition.
More specifically, NGOs believe that the postponement will have a negative impact on the following:
- the European Green Deal targets for biodiversity, air and water quality and human health, including for workers and consumers;
- the EU’s transition to a sustainable, circular and resilient economy, with a clear focus on innovation and investors;
- the development of safer alternatives, which will undermine efforts to detoxify everyday consumer products, including childcare articles and durable textiles;
- the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
For the report: https://aeur.eu/f/5tf (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)