REACHblog®

After February 5, 2027, companies wishing to benefit from the reduced fees for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SME) must apply for company size validation prior to submitting their Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) dossiers. This contrasts with the current process, where SME status is confirmed retrospectively, after registrations are submitted. Under the European Commission’s updated REACH Fee Regulation, SMEs planning to...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on March 3, 2026, that its Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) has concluded its evaluation of the proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the European Union’s (EU) Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation. ECHA notes that RAC drew on “an extensive and independent evaluation of PFAS hazards, volumes, emissions, risks and the likely effectiveness of a restriction as well as...

The United Kingdom’s (UK) Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced on February 3, 2026, that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a PFAS Plan, a “cross-government, science-led” plan to understand the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on public health and the environment, with coordinated actions to minimize risks. Defra notes that there is no universally agreed definition of PFAS, but states that the Organisation for Economic...

On February 10, 2026, EPPA, a Brussels-based regulatory and public affairs consultancy, will hold a webinar on “Shaping the ETS/CBAM Reforms: Strategic Insights for Energy-Intensive industries.” According to EPPA, as of 2026, both the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS) Directive and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) Regulation will undergo significant design changes that will reshape the operating landscape for Europe’s energy-intensive...

As reported in our July 17, 2025, blog item, the United Kingdom’s (UK) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) began a public consultation on July 14, 2025, on its proposals to extend the UK REACH transitional registration submission deadlines. UK REACH was amended in 2023 to extend the deadlines three years to October 2026, October 2028, and October 2030. The proposed new deadlines under consultation were: Option 1:...

The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) met in December 2025. According to ECHA’s December 17, 2025, press release, RAC and SEAC progressed their evaluation of the updated proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the European Union’s (EU) Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. According to ECHA, both committees reached provisional...

The European Commission (EC) announced on December 9, 2025, that the Critical Chemicals Alliance will convene its first General Assembly on January 13, 2026, at the Chemelot Chemical Park in the Netherlands. According to the EC, the General Assembly will bring together European Union (EU) member states, regions, industry leaders, and all interested parties “to develop coordinated solutions to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU chemical industry.” The Critical Chemicals...

The European Commission (EC) announced on October 28, 2025, the launch of the Critical Chemicals Alliance (CCA). According to the EC, the CCA “stems directly from the Chemicals [Industry] Action Plan adopted in July 2025, which aims to boost the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of Europe's chemical industry.” The CCA is intended to address key challenges facing the chemicals sector, “including the risk of plant closures, trade disruptions, and the urgent need for investment...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on October 9, 2025, that at its October 7-8, 2025, meeting, the Member State Committee (MSC) agreed to identify 1,1'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[pentabromobenzene] (DBDPE) as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) because of its very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) properties. ECHA states that it plans to add the substance to the Candidate List in November 2025. ECHA notes that “[b]esides the regular obligations following the...

The European Commission (EC) began a public consultation on July 8, 2025, on a draft act that will establish rules for calculating, verifying, and reporting on recycled plastic content in single-use plastic beverage bottles. According to the EC, this will provide legal clarity to European Union (EU) member states “so they can properly implement EU rules on single-use plastics,” helping to increase the use of recycled material in the EU economy and reduce plastic waste incineration and...