Fact Sheets on the European Union
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Chemicals and pesticides

EU chemicals and pesticides legislation focuses on protecting human health and the environment, while facilitating trade. It includes rules on chemical product marketing, restrictions on hazardous substances, and protocols for accidents and exports. Key achievements include the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) and REACH Regulations. The ongoing revision process aligns the legislation with the European Green Deal, particularly its sustainability and biodiversity strategies. In 2025, newly announced proposals and action plans aim to enhance safety, simplification and innovation in the regulation of chemicals and pesticides.

Legal basis

Articles 191 to 193 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Objectives and achievements

A. Registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals

Entering into force on 1 June 2007, Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (the REACH Regulation) established a new legal framework to regulate the development and testing, production, placing on the market and use of chemicals, replacing around 40 previous legislative acts. The REACH Regulation introduced a single system for all chemicals and transferred the burden of proof concerning the risk assessment of substances from public authorities to companies. In addition, it demanded that the most dangerous chemicals be replaced by suitable alternatives. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which was established under this regulation and is based in Helsinki, is responsible for managing the technical, scientific and administrative aspects of the REACH Regulation, and for ensuring consistency in its application.

The REACH Regulation was subsequently reviewed by the Commission in 2013 and 2017. The first review concluded that progress could be made in reducing the financial and administrative burden on industry and finding alternative methods to animal testing. The second review found that the REACH Regulation was effective overall, but opportunities for simplification and burden reduction were identified, which could be achieved by delivering the actions outlined in the Commission general report on the operation of REACH and review of certain elements. Those actions should be implemented in line with the renewed EU industrial policy strategy, the circular economy action plan and the 8th environment action programme. As of June 2018, industries have to register all substances produced or imported in quantities of 1-100 tonnes/year.

In March 2025, the Commission launched a strategic dialogue on the chemicals sector to discuss competitiveness, environmental protection and further simplification of the REACH Regulation. A significant revision of the regulation is now anticipated for late 2025, aimed at expanding its scope (e.g., to include polymers and persistent, mobile and toxic substances), modernising risk assessments and strengthening public health and environmental protections, thereby bringing the regulation into the digital age while remaining committed to simplification and clarity.

As part of ongoing action on substances of very high concern, the ECHA is currently evaluating proposals for sector-specific phased restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, or forever chemicals), with essential-use exemptions expected. The outcome of these deliberations will further shape REACH implementation and downstream regulations, with final opinions on a universal PFAS restriction expected by late 2025 or early 2026, and enforceable restrictions anticipated in 2026 or 2027.

The Commission published a new chemicals strategy for sustainability on 14 October 2020. It is part of the EU’s zero pollution ambition, which is a key commitment of the European Green Deal. The strategy includes a revision of the REACH Regulation, prohibiting the use of the most harmful chemicals in consumer products such as toys, childcare articles, cosmetics, detergents, food contact materials and textiles, unless proven to be essential for society, and ensuring that all chemicals are used more safely and sustainably.

In July 2025, the Commission launched a new European chemicals industry action plan and the sixth omnibus simplification package, which proposes further regulatory amendments, including streamlining the CLP, Cosmetics and Fertilisers regulations, harmonising risk-based controls on imported chemicals and introducing a new regulation governing the ECHA.

B. Classification, packaging and labelling

Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (the CLP Regulation) was introduced to align the EU system with the UN Globally Harmonised System (GHS) and to enhance the level of protection of human health and the environment. The earlier directives on dangerous substances and preparations were repealed in June 2015.

On 19 December 2022, the Commission proposed revising the CLP Regulation, with a focus on hazard communication, online sales and poison centre notifications. The revisions were negotiated and ultimately adopted, and the revised version of the regulation entered into force on 10 December 2024. The revised CLP Regulation ensures clear chemical labelling, particularly for online sales, and introduces simpler and clearer requirements so that chemicals can move freely across the EU. A delegated act (Regulation (EU) 2023/707) defining four new hazard classes, including endocrine disruptors, was adopted on 31 March 2023.

Further proposals under the 2025 European chemicals industry action plan include additional simplification measures to achieve greater harmony between CLP and other product safety regimes.

C. Export and import of dangerous substances

EU rules on the export and import of dangerous chemicals were defined in Regulation (EU) No 649/2012, which aimed to promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts in the international movement of hazardous chemicals, and to implement the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. The PIC procedure consists of sharing information on toxic chemicals and awaiting a country’s explicit agreement before exporting the product in question. On 25 August 2023, the Commission published its Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1656 amending Regulation (EU) 649/2012, adding 35 additional hazardous chemicals to the EU’s PIC regulation.

In 2024, Parliament rejected two Commission proposals to allow higher pesticide levels in imported food and further strengthened export rules, particularly on hazardous chemicals and pesticides. The EU continues to lead the way in promoting high safety standards for imported and exported chemicals, with reinforced export bans and stricter import residue standards that entered into force on 6 July 2025.

D. Major accidents

Named after an Italian municipality that was contaminated by an accidental release of dioxin from a nearby industrial site in 1976, the Seveso Directive (82/501/EEC) aimed to prevent major accidents, such as fires and explosions, and to limit the consequences of those that do occur by requiring safety reports, emergency plans and the provision of information to the public. In 1996, the Seveso II Directive (96/82/EC) on the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances introduced new requirements relating to safety management systems, emergency planning and land-use planning, and strengthened provisions on inspections carried out by Member States. In the light of a number of serious industrial accidents, and on the basis of studies on carcinogens and substances dangerous for the environment, the scope of the Seveso II Directive was extended by Directive 2003/105/EC. The Seveso III Directive (2012/18/EU) was adopted in July 2012. It takes into account new UN-agreed international classifications of substances that allow better risk evaluation and handling of substances.

In September 2021, the Commission published a report on the implementation and efficient functioning of the Seveso III Directive showing that between 2015 and 2018, the number of major industrial accidents in the EU stabilised at a low level: 25 per year for 12 000 establishments.

E. Sustainable use of pesticides

Substances used to suppress, eradicate and prevent organisms that are considered harmful are grouped under the term ‘pesticides’. The term includes both plant protection products used on plants in agriculture, horticulture, parks and gardens, and biocidal products used in other applications, for example, as a disinfectant or to protect materials.

Regional and sectoral measures to phase out certain chemical pesticides and reinforce monitoring and traceability of use are at the forefront of EU policy.

In 2009, a pesticides package was adopted, consisting of:

The Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive required the Member States to adopt national action plans (NAPs) for the establishment of quantitative objectives, targets, measures and timetables in order to reduce the risks and impacts of pesticide use for human health and the environment. An implementation report on the directive, published on 25 May 2020, showed that fewer than one in three Member States had completed the review of their NAPs within the five-year legal deadline (most of which have failed to address the weaknesses identified by the Commission in their initial NAPs).

A new regulation, intended to replace this directive and set a target of a 50% reduction in chemical plant protection product use by 2030, remains under negotiation due to ongoing division among stakeholders and farmer protests in 2024. However, recent years have seen increased access to biocontrol products, new approvals of low-risk and biological actives (such as vitis vinifera seed extract, betabaculovirus phoperculellae and bacillus velezensis strain RTI301 in 2025) and innovative trends such as fast-tracking procedures for biopesticide authorisations, drone-compatible and nano-formulations, and stricter residue limits. The approval of mepiquat chloride has also been extended until 2040.

F. Biocidal products

Biocidal products, such as antibacterial disinfectants and insect sprays, are essential to manage harmful organisms affecting human and animal health. However, they can pose risks to humans, animals and the environment. Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 simplified the authorisation mechanisms and enhanced the role of the ECHA in reviewing approval dossiers on the basis of stricter conditions. This sets controls over the marketing and use of biocides aimed at managing the associated risks to the environment and to human and animal health. These substances are authorised only if they appear on a positive list, while a ban applies to the most toxic chemicals. Pursuant to the mutual recognition principle, a substance authorised in one Member State may be used throughout the EU. Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 sets out scientific criteria for the determination of endocrine-disrupting properties of biocidal products, as well as plant protection products.

G. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

POPs are chemical substances that persist in the environment because of their resistance to the various forms of degradation (chemical, biological, etc.). They bioaccumulate through the food chain and can have adverse effects on human health and the environment. This group of priority pollutants consists of pesticides (such as DDT), industrial chemicals (such as polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs) and unintentional by-products of industrial processes (such as dioxins and furans). The EU has committed itself at international level to controlling the handling, export and import of POPs, under the Aarhus POP Protocol (in force since 2003) and the Stockholm Convention on POPs (in force since 2004). The EU made additional progress with Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 (the POPs Regulation), which complemented earlier EU legislation on POPs and aligned it with the provisions of the international agreements.

The recast POPs Regulation ((EU) 2019/1021) incorporates all of the amendments and corrigenda to the POPs Regulation up to 25 June 2019. The ‘unintentional trace contaminant’ limit is set at 10 mg/kg for substances listed in Annex I of the regulation. In 2021, the Commission adopted the proposal to review Annexes IV and V of the POPs regulation, aiming to address the negative impact of the presence of certain POPs in waste and in materials recovered from waste. As a consequence, better waste management should also minimise emissions of POPs to air, water and soil.

H. Asbestos

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that is dangerous when inhaled. It was widely used in the past for insulation and other purposes, owing to its resistance to fire and heat. Directive 1999/77/EC enforced a ban on the use of asbestos and has been in place in the EU since 1 January 2005. Furthermore, the extraction, manufacturing and processing of asbestos products is prohibited under Directive 2003/18/EC, repealed by Directive 2009/148/EC, which also lays down removal programme strategies to be implemented by the Member States. On 28 September 2022, the Commission presented a comprehensive approach to better protect people and the environment from asbestos. The package includes a communication on working towards an asbestos-free future and a proposal to amend the Asbestos at Work Directive.

I. Detergents

Detergents are any substances or preparations containing soaps and/or other surfactants intended for washing and cleaning processes. Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 harmonises the rules on the biodegradability restrictions and bans on surfactants, the information that manufacturers must provide and the labelling of detergent ingredients. It was subsequently amended in 2006 (Regulation (EC) No 907/2006), 2009 (Regulation (EC) No 551/2009) and 2012 (Regulation (EU) No 259/2012), in order to introduce new biodegradability tests to provide an enhanced level of protection for the aquatic environment. In addition, the scope of the tests has been extended to include all classes of surfactants. On 28 April 2023, the Commission submitted a proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 648/2004. Regarding labelling, Regulation (EC) No 907/2006 extends the rules to require manufacturers to disclose a full list of fragrance ingredients to medical practitioners treating patients suffering from allergies. As of 30 June 2013, the use of phosphates in laundry detergents has been banned and the content of other phosphorus-containing compounds has been limited.

Role of the European Parliament

Parliament played a key role in the development of the REACH Regulation. It ensured a targeted approach to data requirements for existing substances produced at lower tonnages (1-10 tonnes), and the ‘one substance, one registration’ (OSOR) approach intended to minimise costs. Parliament also secured a requirement for companies to share data from tests conducted on animals to limit animal testing as much as possible. Furthermore, Parliament endorsed a stronger approach whereby all substances of very high concern may only be authorised if a suitable alternative or technology does not exist.

Amendments by Parliament to the pesticides package ensured the establishment of appropriately sized buffer zones for the protection of aquatic organisms, along with the introduction of protection measures for the most vulnerable groups. In 2013, Parliament called on the Commission to take determined action to preserve bee populations and adopted a resolution on asbestos-related occupational health threats and prospects for eliminating all existing asbestos.

Parliament’s decision of 6 February 2018 on setting up a special committee on the Union’s authorisation procedure for pesticides (PEST) was a response to concerns raised about the risk posed by the herbicide glyphosate.

On 16 January 2019, Parliament adopted the report from the PEST special committee, which concluded, among other things, the following: the public should be granted access to studies used in the authorisation procedure; the EU’s framework should stimulate innovation and promote low-risk pesticides; scientific experts should review studies on the carcinogenicity of glyphosate; and data requirements for plant protection products should include long-term toxicity.

On 10 July 2020, Parliament adopted a resolution outlining its priorities as regards the upcoming chemicals strategy for sustainability to develop coherence and synergies between chemicals legislation, occupational health and safety, and related EU legislation, including specific and general product legislation, legislation on water, soil and air, legislation on sources of pollution, including industrial installations, and legislation on waste.

On 1 April 2025, Parliament adopted its position on the ‘one substance, one assessment’ package proposed by the Commission, to increase the simplicity and transparency of EU chemical rules. The package aims to streamline the safety assessments of chemicals across EU legislation by improving the availability and accessibility of data related to chemicals and maximising synergies between the EU agencies involved. Parliament is now ready to start negotiations with the Council on the final text of the legislation.

Parliament scrutinises the availability of chemicals on the market by reviewing, and sometimes objecting to, the approval of substances that may pose risks to human health or the environment. It also pushes for stricter rules on the use, labelling and phase-out of hazardous chemicals, such as PFAS, to ensure public safety and environmental protection. Recent years have seen Parliament reinforce export bans and push for more robust residue standards for pesticides, as well as support for the acceleration of safe, environmentally friendly crop protection solutions.

For more information on this topic, please see the website of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI).

 

Victoria VALLEDOR DE VICENTE / Evelyne Vande Lanoitte