On Tuesday, 17 December, the Council of the EU reminded the European Commission that revising the REACH regulation on chemicals was an urgent matter. On the same day, with the support of Denmark, Finland, and Luxembourg, Sweden had the subject added to the Environment Council’s agenda.
Swedish Minister for the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari thus hoped to be able to “make a timely contribution to the Commission’s current considerations for the upcoming revision of REACH”. Austria, France, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, and the Netherlands also took the floor. “The time has come to keep [our] promises”, declared Luxembourg’s Minister of the Environment Serge Wilmes.
Protecting health and the environment. “[L]et’s once and for all detoxify our daily life,” urged the Swedish minister. In her opinion, the REACH revision will need to enable a “more effective” ban on substances that are carcinogenic or that disrupt the endocrine system. The Netherlands felt that PFASs ought to be a priority and that “combined exposure to chemicals” [i.e., pollutants]—which causes “cocktail effects”—must be taken into consideration through a “mixture assessment” in REACH.
Circular economy. For Sweden and Austria, detoxifying recycled materials in order to achieve the transition to the circular economy is also an urgent matter. Austria explained that this will have to be taken in consideration from the product-design stage, building a bridge with the new ecodesign regulation.
Boosting the EU’s competitiveness. According to France, Denmark, and Finland, the revision will also need to boost European industry’s competitiveness by simplifying procedures, providing predictability, and sending clear signals to economic players.
In order to protect citizens from dangerous substances and the EU from unfair competition, Denmark reiterated—echoing the letter that six Member States sent Jessika Roswall on Wednesday, 11 December—that Member States must no longer export products that are banned in the EU. France proposed tightening controls on banned substances that are produced in third countries and reenter the single market. According to this Member State, the revision of the text will need to be accompanied by mirror clauses.
New European Commissioner for the Environment Jessika Roswall replied that the European Commission would present its proposal for a revision by the end of 2025. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)