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

ClientEarth alleges that the European Commission is systematically delaying the adoption of authorisations and restrictions for hazardous chemicals under the REACH regulation, which increases public and environmental exposure to risks. The organization claims that 96% of authorisations and 89% of restrictions were decided in an 'unreasonable time', often exceeding a year after scientific opinions were issued. ClientEarth further asserts a lack of transparency regarding how the Commission prioritises these files, suggesting that cases impacting business interests are processed faster than those impacting human health. The document calls for the Commission to publish prospective timelines, clarify prioritisation criteria, and accelerate decision-making to avoid a formal complaint for maladministration to the European Ombudsman.

• The European Commission is accused of systemic delays in adopting chemical decisions, with 96% of authorisations and 89% of restrictions decided in what ClientEarth defines as an 'unreasonable time'.
• ClientEarth defines a reasonable timeframe for the Commission to adopt a final decision following ECHA opinions as 5 to 7 months for authorisations and 8 to 10 months for restrictions.
• There is a significant lack of transparency in the comitology register, which fails to show when drafts are 'prepared' or the criteria used to prioritise specific chemical files.
• Data suggests the Commission prioritises cases where delays harm businesses over those where delays harm health; for example, the two fastest authorisation cases (5 months) involved applications submitted after the 'last application date', meaning companies could not use the substance during the wait.
• Extreme delays have been identified, including two authorisation cases (Grupa and Deza regarding DEHP) where ECHA opinions were adopted more than 3 years prior to the date of the letter.

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/zoqiqzrl/clientearth-shows-that-the-commission-takes-an-unreasonable-time-to-adopt-chemical-decisions-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/zoqiqzrl/clientearth-shows-that-the-commission-takes-an-unreasonable-time-to-adopt-chemical-decisions-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=7 June 2018 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/zoqiqzrl/clientearth-shows-that-the-commission-takes-an-unreasonable-time-to-adopt-chemical-decisions-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 = jun, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/zoqiqzrl/clientearth-shows-that-the-commission-takes-an-unreasonable-time-to-adopt-chemical-decisions-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }