Environmental groups push back as EU considers loosening chemical regulations

Environmental groups warn that the EU risks weakening its chemical safety laws as a major update to the REACH regulation looms. The groups say the proposed reforms could delay bans on harmful substances and lower safety standards, despite growing evidence of pollution and health risks.

The European chemical industry is pushing for lower energy costs, more public subsidies, and fewer regulatory demands in REACH — the regulation that controls how chemicals are produced, used, and marketed in the EU, including personal care.

In contrast, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) calls on the European Commission (EC) to reject the chemical industry’s pressure and enforce stricter rules. The group wants the EC to speed up efforts to ban toxic chemicals, improve supply chain transparency, and commit to a toxic-free future by 2040.

The EEB is urging the EC to hold companies accountable and follow through on the goals of the European Green Deal.

These concerns were recently highlighted during a high-level meeting, where the divide between the chemical industry and civil society was pronounced. The EEB noted that three civil society groups were invited, compared to 15 industry representatives, highlighting what it sees as a clear imbalance in who gets a voice in shaping EU chemicals policy.

Alongside the EEB, the other civil society groups present were BEUC (Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs), representing consumer interests across Europe, and ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation), advocating for workers’ rights and trade unions.

Sacrificing safety for simplicity

The EEB says the upcoming REACH revision could allow harmful chemicals to stay on the market longer by loosening requirements for companies to prove their substances are safe. 

The upcoming REACH reform could loosen requirements for companies to prove their ingredients are safe.Environmental groups fear that instead of strengthening public protections, the EU could make it easier for risky substances, such as PFAS, to remain in use while safety data for them is still incomplete or missing.

The group argues that simplifying the REACH regulation should not come at the cost of weaker oversight. “The transformation must be underpinned by environmental and social conditionalities and a clear 2040 transition roadmap,” the EEB states.

Patrick ten Brink, EEB secretary general, added: “It is time we stop taking decades to regulate what takes weeks to market. Strengthening REACH, banning harmful substances, and investing in transparency, traceability, and safer alternatives will build a healthier, circular, more resilient, and economically future-proof Europe.”

Health and pollution risks

The chemical industry is a major contributor to climate change and harmful pollution, yet it remains a weak point in EU climate policy. The sector emits an estimated 3.3 billion metric tons of CO2 annually — three times more than the aviation industry — and uses 60% of Germany’s liquefied natural gas.

Long-lasting chemicals such as PFAS have polluted Europe’s water and soil. When used in personal care products, they have been linked to cancer and damage to the immune and reproductive systems. According to ten Brink, a more robust regulatory system will “help prevent future scandals like those caused by PFAS.”

The EC has said it will soon publish a Chemicals Industry Package, a guide which will include updates to REACH and new measures targeting PFAS. While the EEB supports this effort, it stresses that any reforms must improve protections, not weaken them.

Tatiana Santos, head of Chemicals Policy at the EEB, says: “Europe’s failure to regulate PFAS is written in our blood. We can not let that legacy continue. Simplification must mean faster decisions, not weaker protections. Smart, strengthened regulation — not deregulation — is the real driver of competitiveness, innovation, and public trust.”

“By ensuring information on hazards of chemicals along the supply chain, making toxic-free products the rule, not the exception, and enforcing accountability, Europe can secure a healthier, circular, more resilient, and economically sustainable future driven by safer alternatives.”Long-lasting chemicals such as PFAS have polluted Europe’s water and soil.

Strong industry, weak enforcement

Despite claims from the chemical industry that REACH is too strict, the EU chemicals sector has grown under the current rules. In 2022, the industry brought in €872 billion (US$983.4 billion) in revenue and maintained a strong global export position. According to the EU, the region remains the world’s “top chemical exporter” and boasts a Q2 2024 trade surplus of €59.3 billion (US$66.87 billion).

Industry group CEFIC (European Chemical Industry Council) reports that all environmental regulations together account for 3% of competitiveness costs. In contrast, energy and fossil feedstocks comprise 30–40% of those costs.

Even so, the EEB says non-compliance with REACH remains high. Many companies do not provide enough information about the chemicals they use, which makes it harder for authorities to assess risks and slows progress toward safer, more recyclable materials. The EEB says better enforcement is urgently needed to close these data and safety gaps and boost innovation.

The EC is expected to release its revised REACH regulation in the coming weeks. The decisions made now will set the tone for years to come. President von der Leyen has announced that another high-level strategic roundtable will take place before the summer. The EEB says it stands ready to support “bold and fair measures that truly serve the public interest.”