Today, the European Commission adopted the "EU Chemical Sustainability Strategy". This strategy is the first step in the zero-pollution and non-toxic environment announced in the European Green Agreement. The strategy will promote innovation in safe and sustainable chemicals, and strengthen the protection of human health and the environment from the hazards of hazardous chemical products. This includes prohibiting the use of the most harmful chemicals in consumer products such as toys, children’s products, cosmetics, detergents, food contact materials, and textiles, unless it is proven that they are critical to society, and to ensure that all chemicals are used more safely and sustainably.
The chemical strategy fully recognizes the fundamental role of chemicals on human well-being and the green and digital transformation of the European economy and society. At the same time, it recognizes the urgent need to address the health and environmental challenges posed by the most harmful chemicals. In this spirit, the "Strategy" has formulated specific actions aimed at making chemicals safe and sustainable through design and ensuring that chemicals can achieve all their benefits without harming the planet and present and future generations. This includes ensuring that chemicals that are most harmful to human health and the environment are avoided for non-essential social uses, especially consumer products and the most vulnerable groups, but also that the use of all chemicals is safer and more sustainable. Some innovation and investment actions will accompany the transformation of the chemical industry. The strategy also draws the attention of member states to the possibility of restoring and resilience funds investing in green and digital transformation of EU industry (including the chemical industry).
Strengthen the protection of health and the environment
The strategy aims to vigorously strengthen the protection of human health and the environment from harmful chemicals, and pay special attention to vulnerable groups. The flagship plan specifically includes:
Phase out consumer products such as toys, child care products, cosmetics, detergents, food contact materials and textiles, as well as the most harmful substances, including endocrine disruptors, chemicals that affect the immune and respiratory system, and persistent substances, such as Fluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances, unless their use is proven to be necessary for society;
Minimize and replace the existence of substances involved in all products as much as possible. Prioritize product categories that affect disadvantaged groups and have the greatest potential for circular economy;
Solve the combined effects of chemicals (cocktail effects) by better considering the risks to human health and the environment caused by daily exposure to a wide range of mixed chemicals from different sources;
Introduce information requirements in the context of sustainable product policy initiatives to ensure that producers and consumers have access to information on chemical content and safe use.
Making chemicals safer and more sustainable is an ongoing need and a huge economic opportunity. The strategy aims to seize this opportunity and realize the green transformation of the chemical industry and its value chain. In terms of design, new chemicals and new materials must be as safe and sustainable as possible, from production to end of use. This will help avoid the most harmful effects of chemicals and ensure that the impact on climate, resource use, ecosystems and biodiversity is minimized as much as possible. The strategy envisages EU industry as a globally competitive player in the production and use of safe and sustainable chemicals. The actions announced in the strategy will support industrial innovation and make such chemicals the norm and global benchmark for the EU market. This will mainly pass:
Formulate safe and sustainable design standards to ensure that financial support is provided for the commercialization and absorption of safe and sustainable chemicals;
Ensuring the development and use of safe and sustainable design substances, materials and products through EU funds and investment tools and public-private partnerships;
Significantly strengthen the enforcement of EU rules at the border and the single market;
Develop an EU chemical research and innovation agenda to fill knowledge gaps in the impact of chemicals, promote innovation, and stay away from animal testing;
Simplify and consolidate the EU legal framework, such as introducing the "one substance, one assessment" process, strengthening the principle of "no data, no market", and introducing targeted amendments to REACH and departmental legislation, and so on.