On 20 January 2022 the Commission launched a public consultation on the revision of the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACHS). The revision will aim to align the EU chemical rules with the Commission’s ambition for safe and sustainable chemicals and a high level of protection of health and the environment, while preserving the internal market. The planned REACH revision is one of the actions announced in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.

The Commission invites citizens and interested parties to express views on the following elements:

• revision of the registration requirements, including increased information requirements to enable effective identification of all carcinogenic substances and substances with critical hazard* properties (including effects on the nervous and the immune systems), registration of certain polymers of concern, and information on the overall environmental footprint of chemicals;
• Introduction of (a) Mixtures Assessment Factor(s) (MAF).
• simplification of communication in the supply chains;
• revision of the provisions for dossier and substance evaluation;
• reform of the authorisation and restriction processes, including the extension of generic approaches to risk management and the introduction of the essential use concept; and
• the revision of the provisions for control and enforcement.

The public consultation will provide insight for the ongoing work on an impact assessment. The consultation will run until mid-April 2022 and is available here.