Call for action on unreasonable delays and lack of transparency in the adoption of authorisations and restrictions under REACH

ClientEarth calls on the European Commission to remedy backlogs in chemical authorisations and restrictions under REACH, arguing that delays prolong exposure to dangerous chemicals and undermine the development of safer alternatives. The document criticises the Commission for allegedly prioritising companies that missed application deadlines over health and environmental protections and demands greater transparency regarding the decision-making process and the reasons for delays.

• The European Commission committed to clearing the backlog of authorisations by the end of 2018 and is developing internal working arrangements to comply with the REACH three-month deadline for new cases.
• ClientEarth argues that the Commission has prioritised authorisation cases for companies that missed application deadlines to prevent them from losing the ability to use substances of very high concern, rather than prioritising based on health or environmental urgency.
• The document identifies a lack of transparency in the comitology register, noting that it is difficult to track the full legislative history of measures and that 'pending' cases do not appear until a draft measure is published.
• ClientEarth contends that the Commission's reliance on a 'confidentiality rule' to limit transparency is legally unsound, asserting that the principle of widest possible public access should apply, especially when the Commission acts in a legislative capacity under delegated powers.
• To prevent future backlogs, ClientEarth recommends that the Commission and ECHA reject inadequate or incomplete applications instead of spending months or years analysing them, citing the Lanxess application as an example of inadequacy.
• The document suggests that if prioritisation becomes necessary during future backlogs, it should be based on cases where the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) has identified a need for additional risk management measures to protect people and the environment.

APA

ClientEarth (2018). Call for action on unreasonable delays and lack of transparency in the adoption of authorisations and restrictions under REACH. https://www.clientearth.org/media/xutagvch/clientearth-call-for-action-on-unreasonable-delays-and-lack-of-transparency-in-the-adoption-of-authorisations-and-restrictions-under-reach-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Call for action on unreasonable delays and lack of transparency in the adoption of authorisations and restrictions under REACH. 2018. https://www.clientearth.org/media/xutagvch/clientearth-call-for-action-on-unreasonable-delays-and-lack-of-transparency-in-the-adoption-of-authorisations-and-restrictions-under-reach-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Call for action on unreasonable delays and lack of transparency in the adoption of authorisations and restrictions under REACH |date=11 December 2018 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/xutagvch/clientearth-call-for-action-on-unreasonable-delays-and-lack-of-transparency-in-the-adoption-of-authorisations-and-restrictions-under-reach-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2018call, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Call for action on unreasonable delays and lack of transparency in the adoption of authorisations and restrictions under REACH}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2018}, month = dec, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/xutagvch/clientearth-call-for-action-on-unreasonable-delays-and-lack-of-transparency-in-the-adoption-of-authorisations-and-restrictions-under-reach-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }