The European Commission's decision to pause a comprehensive revision of REACH has led some stakeholders to question whether chemicals regulation may slow, but regulatory activity remains significant, according to a 1 October analysis. The EU's Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern now includes 253 entries.
ECHA's responsibilities continue to expand into areas such as end-of-life vehicles and water legislation. In cosmetics, the Council and Parliament agreed in June 2026 to accelerate the phase-out of certain carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances, with relatively short compliance periods.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation introduces harmonised requirements on substances of concern for all packaging placed on the EU market, including inks, varnishes, glues and adhesives. Ethanol, one of the most widely used disinfectant active substances, has undergone extensive review by ECHA's Biocidal Products Committee and continues to be assessed under the CLP Regulation.
PFAS illustrate a shift toward restricting entire chemical families rather than individual substances. Authorities in the UK and the US are also pursuing tighter controls on PFAS and other substances of concern, with broadly similar direction despite differing frameworks.
The analysis advises companies to engage early, since derogations, transitional periods and sector-specific exemptions require robust evidence and timely engagement. Regulatory monitoring is becoming a strategic business function rather than a purely compliance exercise.
