EU Chemicals Policy

Pressure to reduce toxic chemicals in products and manufacturing processes have not kept up with toxic pollution by the production, use and disposal of chemicals. In 2020, the European Commission initiated widespread policy reforms to meet climate, circularity, and toxics goals in a jurisdiction that already has one of the most comprehensive and protective environmental regulatory frameworks. Proposals related to the Green Deal and Chemical Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) will fundamentally reform how chemicals are regulated in the European Union (EU) and how governmental financial instruments and research and innovation programs are used to support the transition to safer and more sustainable chemistry. With so many EU policy developments occurring simultaneously, it is difficult for US allies to understand what is happening where, by when, and what the implications might be for US policy and market campaigns.  

Europe’s new Green Deal policy framework is decades ahead of federal chemicals policy efforts in the US but is aligned with many state approaches including class and hazard-based regulation. Understanding how the EU is navigating topics such as how to determine an “essential use” can help inform how the US might navigate similar issues or elevate considerations and concerns it has not yet considered. 

To facilitate this, the Catalyst has established itself as a translator, clearinghouse, and connector for information and questions on European Green Deal chemicals policy reforms. We conducted a needs assessment, reaching out to government, NGO, and industry stakeholders in the US to understand and prioritize their information and analysis needs regarding European policies. This led to the development of several factsheets (linked below) in collaboration with FIPRA that discuss relevant European chemical policy initiatives, touching on their current timelines, and implications for US stakeholders. Concurrent with this effort, we are holding a series of webinars on these topics that will become available as recordings on this site as well.