A chemicals strategy as part of the European Green Deal: time to deliver

A coalition of environmental and health NGOs calls on the European Commission to establish a long-term chemicals regulatory framework for 2030. The document argues that current EU legislation, including REACH, has significant compliance gaps and fails to protect vulnerable populations from hazardous substances like endocrine disruptors and nanomaterials. The authors propose a 'non-toxic circular economy' that eliminates 'toxic recycling' through full chemical disclosure and stricter standards for recycled materials. Key demands include the phase-out of the most dangerous chemical groups, the creation of an industry-funded independent safety testing system, and the reorganization of Commission governance to give DG Environment full responsibility for chemical pollution policies.

• The authors argue that the EU has failed to deliver on its commitment to manage endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), noting that the strategy to address them is now 20 years old and that these substances cost Europe at least 163 billion euros annually.
• The document highlights the problem of 'toxic recycling,' where banned or harmful chemicals are found in recycled consumer products, such as toys, due to a lack of traceability and producer responsibility.
• The coalition demands that the EU phase out the most dangerous chemical groups, specifically mentioning PFAS, mercury, bisphenols, and phthalates, and calls for a total ban on mercury in dental amalgam and fluorescent lamps.
• The authors propose a systemic change to safety testing where tests are conducted by independent laboratories and funded by the chemical industry through a fund managed by a public body like ECHA or EFSA.
• The document identifies a failure to regulate nanomaterials, noting that many are not registered under REACH because they fall below the 1-tonne per year threshold despite their high reactivity and potential health risks.
• The NGOs call for a governance shift within the European Commission, requesting that DG Environment be given full responsibility and resources for all chemical pollution-related policies, including REACH, CLP, and pesticides.
• The statement criticizes the 'REFIT' programme for causing undue delays in regulatory actions and calls for the abandonment of the 'one in, one out' principle to prioritize quality of regulation over quantity.
• The authors argue that the EU's current framework allows for the production of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) for export, which contradicts a global zero pollution strategy.
• Regarding pesticides, the document claims that Member States have abused the right to grant emergency authorizations for banned pesticides and that safety data provided by companies is often taken at face value without sufficient weight given to independent research.

APA

ClientEarth (2019). A chemicals strategy as part of the European Green Deal: time to deliver. https://www.clientearth.org/media/2erdre1a/ngo-letter-to-the-commission-on-a-chemicals-strategy-in-the-green-deal-with-annex-coll-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. A chemicals strategy as part of the European Green Deal: time to deliver. 2019. https://www.clientearth.org/media/2erdre1a/ngo-letter-to-the-commission-on-a-chemicals-strategy-in-the-green-deal-with-annex-coll-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=A chemicals strategy as part of the European Green Deal: time to deliver |date=8 November 2019 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/2erdre1a/ngo-letter-to-the-commission-on-a-chemicals-strategy-in-the-green-deal-with-annex-coll-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2019chemicals, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{A chemicals strategy as part of the European Green Deal: time to deliver}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/2erdre1a/ngo-letter-to-the-commission-on-a-chemicals-strategy-in-the-green-deal-with-annex-coll-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }