On Wednesday 28 January, the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Management Board published an updated policy aimed at preventing potential conflicts of interest.
Sharon McGuinness, Executive Director of ECHA, emphasised that “avoiding conflicts of interest is fundamental to ensure ECHA’s independence and transparency. The revised policy helps to safeguard public trust in our scientific opinions and independent decision-making”.
In the procurement of scientific services, ECHA is assessing both companies and individual experts for any conflicts of interest before the start of the contract. This approach is designed to ensure that contractors commit not to work at the same time for private sector clients on a similar topic.
The policy also provides guidelines for ECHA staff and further clarifies the independence requirements of the different members, advisers, observers and experts in the Agency’s committees and expert groups.
In July 2025, Transparency International EU and three other NGOs criticised ECHA’s use of a major consultancy firm, Ramboll, for scientific work on PFAS, while at the same time it was advising private companies lobbying against restrictions on these same substances (see EUROPE 13718/21). This alleged conflict of interest has raised concerns about the scientific independence and transparency of the Agency’s work, in a particularly sensitive area where decisions have a major regulatory and economic impact.
The revision of the policy on preventing conflicts of interest is therefore part of an institutional response to these criticisms, with the aim of strengthening the rules applicable before scientific contracts are awarded or continued, and preventing similar situations from recurring.
The issue of preventing conflicts of interest is also being discussed by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union as part of the negotiations on the new ECHA regulation.
A number of amendments in the draft report by Christophe Clergeau (S&D, French), discussed by the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment on 28 January, aim to strengthen the fight against conflicts of interest, in particular by introducing a framework for reporting any attempt to exert pressure or influence (draft report: https://aeur.eu/f/ki8 ).
The new ECHA rules: https://aeur.eu/f/khi (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)