On April 3, 2025, at the CARACAL-54 meeting of the joint advisory body REACH-CLP, the European Commission officially released the final proposal for the reform of the REACH Regulation. The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) pointed out that the digital transformation is expected to increase costs for SMEs by 40%, and that the 10-year review cycle and complex mixed assessment models may slow down the development of innovative pharmaceuticals.

To assist enterprises, member state regulatory authorities, and the public in understanding the new rules, the European Commission released the Implementation Guide for the REACH Microplastics Restriction (Annex XVII Entry 78) in April 2025. Developed by ECHA in collaboration with member states, the guide is non-binding but provides detailed instructions for implementing the regulation.

On 1 April 2025, Regulation (EU) 2025/660 was published by the European Commission, amending Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (EU REACH). The revision specifically addresses polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in clay targets used for shooting.

The European Commission revised the Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, or toxic to Reproduction (CMR) substances list within REACH's Annex XVII , introducing three key changes.

In accordance with REACH regulations, before conducting tests under Annex IX and X (for registration volumes of 100-1000 tons per year and over 1000 tons per year), registrants must submit a testing proposal (TP). After a consultation period, ECHA will finalize the testing requirements based on feedback and the characteristics of the substance.

ECHA released the Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) for the years 2024-2026, which updates a list of 28 substances suspected to pose risks to human health and the environment for evaluation by the competent authorities of 11 Member States.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is considering recommending five substances for the REACH Authorisation List. These five substances cover: Melamine; Bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate covering any of the individual isomers and/or combinations thereof (TBPH); S-(tricyclo[5.2.1.0 2,6]deca-3-en-8(or 9)-yl) O-(isopropyl or isobutyl or 2-ethylhexyl) O-(isopropyl or isobutyl or 2-ethylhexyl) phosphorodithioate; Diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide; and Barium diboron tetraoxide.

On 18 January 2024, ECHA published a screening report to assess whether the use of these four benzotriazoles in articles, including UV-328, UV 327, UV-350, and UV-320, should be restricted in accordance with REACH Article 69(2). Based on the available evidence, ECHA is considering restricting or prohibiting the use (or presence) of three out of the four substances, including UV-320, UV-350, and UV-327 in articles and preparing an Annex XV dossier for restriction. In terms of UV-328, ECHA is of the view that at present there is no need to prepare an Annex XV dossier for restriction as the substance is expected to be addressed by the EU POPs regulation.

Helsinki, 23 January 2024 - The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has officially announced the 30th batch of 5 substances of very high concern (SVHC), bringing the total number of substances on the SVHC list (also known as the Candidate List) to 240. ECHA has also updated the existing Candidate List entry for dibutyl phthalate to include its endocrine-disrupting properties for the environment. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) was added in to the SVHC Candidate List in October 2008 in the first batch.