The European Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall, said that she did not know when the Commission intended to publish its proposal for the revision of the REACH regulation at the ‘Environment’ Council meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday 21 October.
“We have received a negative opinion and DG Environment and DG Single Market are currently assessing it. We don’t have a timeline at the moment”, said Jessika Roswall.
The proposal was expected at the end of the year, before ECHA’s impact study was rejected by an internal European Commission committee at the end of September (see EUROPE 13732/17).
The revision of REACH - the legislation governing the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals - has so far not featured in the Commission’s draft work programme for 2026.
Sweden, which had initiated the request under ‘any other business’, called on the Commission to “update the document as soon as possible, to include it in its timeline and to prepare for constructive negotiations”.
The same request was made by Luxembourg, Austria, Lithuania, Hungary, Spain and the Netherlands, who asked the European Commission for “details”. Hungary has asked the Commission to explain what the blocking factors are. Spain said it would be necessary to start “negotiations” as soon as possible.
The simplification and modernisation agenda championed by the Member States in the revision of the REACH regulation must not jeopardise the protection of the environment and citizens, said several delegations. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)