Following years of preparation and discussion, the European Commission has decided not to proceed with a comprehensive overhaul of the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), commonly known as the REACH 2.0 reform. During a session of the European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), the European Commissioner made it clear that amid current complex economic and geopolitical environments, Europe needs to provide certainty and predictability for the industrial sector.
However, the EU emphasized that this does not signify any relaxation of controls on hazardous chemicals. The policy focus has shifted toward technical amendments, modernization, and stringent enforcement via comitology procedures. This includes the introduction of scientific frameworks such as the Mixture Assessment Factor (MAF) to tighten the risk assessment of combined chemical exposures, as well as advancing targeted restrictions on high-risk substances such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and bisphenols. Furthermore, import enforcement has been strengthened, with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) strictly cracking down on products lacking compliant registration, exceeding concentration limits, or involving non-compliant uses.
Although shelving the regulatory overhaul avoids initial adaptation costs tied to a completely new regime, it is even more crucial for Chinese chemical export enterprises to ensure the authenticity of existing registrations, full supply chain traceability, and smooth customs compliance for specific high-risk substances. Nevertheless, Chinese chemicals still retain robust advantages in terms of cost, energy, and industrial chain integration.
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