European chemicals policy in 2026 – what can we expect?
The year 2025 saw several simplification proposals aimed at reducing the regulatory burden on businesses in key areas such as chemicals and cosmetics. Similar developments are expected in 2026, which could mean that requirements for businesses will change even more rapidly.
Regulatory simplifications – Omnibus Proposals
The goal of reducing administrative burdens by at least 25% for all businesses and by 35% for SMEs will continue to shape the EU's policy objectives this year.
The so-called omnibus proposal for chemicals aims to simplify selected requirements of EU regulations on the classification, labelling and packaging (CLP) of chemicals, as well as the Cosmetics Regulation (CPR) and the Fertilisers Regulation (FPR).
Some Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are in favour of significant changes to the omnibus proposal on chemicals, which would give industry more leeway on key obligations under the regulations. Other members prefer stricter rules and are striving for a ‘chemical-free’ environment. All proposals will be discussed and voted on in the Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) in spring 2026 before being presented to the plenary.
REACH
The revision of the REACH Regulation, originally expected in 2022, remains controversial, and the long-awaited update of the nearly 20-year-old regulation is still up in the air. Publication was scheduled for the end of 2025. However, a negative opinion from the Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) on the proposal in September 2025 meant that the two Commission Directorates-General responsible for the dossier – DG GROW and DG Environment – had to start from scratch.
Just a few weeks into 2026, speculation about the publication of the REACH revision has resurfaced. Some say it will be ready in the summer, others suspect it will not come at all. In any case, a decision on when the revision proposal will be published should be made this year, but given the Commission's nearly four-year delay, it is difficult to predict whether other obstacles will prevent its implementation in 2026.
Animal experiments
In early 2026, the European Commission is expected to publish its roadmap for the phasing out of animal testing for chemical safety assessment. In December, 17 Members of the European Parliament called for a ‘clear governance and implementation plan’ for the proposal, including defined timelines, dedicated funding and robust monitoring tools to track progress.
Substance evaluation
From 2026 to 2028, EU Member States will evaluate 27 substances for potential risks to human health or the environment, including eight substances that had not previously been selected for evaluation. Seventeen of these substances are to be evaluated in 2026.
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