“One substance, one assessment” chemicals assessment reform
On the 14th of October 2020, the European Commission adopted the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, the main objective of which is to ensure the better protection of citizens and the environment from harmful chemicals, and boost innovation by promoting the use of safer and more sustainable chemicals. The strategy was adopted as part of the European Green Deal which aims to transform Europe into a sustainable and carbon neutral economy. Key actions to be taken under the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability to facilitate its goals include phasing out PFAS in the EU (please refer to previous articles for more information), banning the most harmful chemicals in consumer products, and establishing a simpler “one substance, one assessment” process for assessing the risks and hazards of chemicals.
As of 7th December 2023, the Commission has taken action to reform the “one substance, one assessment” chemicals assessment by adopting three legislative proposals which will lead to faster, simplified and more transparent processes. The new measures will shorten the gap between the identification of a possible risk and the necessary regulatory action, which will ultimately lead to better and faster protection of people’s health and the environment. One of these measures includes the establishment of a Common Data Platform or a “one-stop shop” for data on chemicals. It will combine data currently held by EU agencies and the Commission, including data on hazards, physico-chemical properties, presence in the environment, emissions, uses, environmental sustainability and ongoing regulatory processes. Other measures will see the introduction of the systemic collection of human biomonitoring data generated in the EU to inform policy makers about the levels of chemicals found in people, and the introduction of a monitoring and outlook framework to facilitate the early detection of chemical risks by using a range of indicators. The proposals also aim to strengthen cooperation and consolidate scientific and technical work on chemicals in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Food Safety Authority, the European Environment Agency, and the European Medicines Agency, empower the ECHA to generate data when needed and ensure transparency in scientific studies on chemicals.
Next steps involve the examination of the proposals by the European Parliament and the Council. More information on each of the proposals can be found on the European Commission’s website.