EC Publishes Report on Developing the Essential Use Concept

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton

The European Commission (EC) has published a report entitled Supporting the Commission in Developing an Essential Use Concept. The report presents the outcome of a project to support the EC to define further the essential use concept and associated criteria to help phase out the most harmful chemicals. According to the abstract, the report investigates how the essential use concept could be implemented in European Union (EU) legislation, including the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, food contact materials legislation, the Cosmetic Products Regulation, the Taxonomy Regulation, and the End-of-life Vehicles Directive. For REACH, the report identifies “sub-options” for the essential use concept that could apply within options for the reform of authorization and restriction, as considered in the targeted revision of REACH. The report includes a qualitative assessment of expected impacts from the introduction of the essential use concept in REACH. The abstract states that the evidence base was built up through a review of legislation and literature; a targeted survey; interviews; and a workshop.