The EU´s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability
The European Commission published a chemicals strategy for sustainability on 14 October 2020. It is part of the EU’s zero pollution ambition, which is a key commitment of the European Green Deal. The Strategy includes prohibiting the use of the most harmful chemicals in consumer products and ensuring that all chemicals are used more safely and sustainably. As far as possible, new chemicals and materials must be safe and sustainable by design i.e. from production to end of life. This will help avoid the most harmful effects of chemicals and ensure the lowest possible impact on climate, resource use, ecosystems and biodiversity.
The EU’s chemicals strategy aims to better protect citizens and the environment, boost innovation for safe and sustainable chemicals and enable the transition to chemicals that are safe and sustainable by design.
The key actions in the Chemicals Strategy are
- banning the most harmful chemicals in consumer products – allowing their use only where essential
- account for the cocktail effect of chemicals when assessing risks from chemicals
- phasing out the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the EU, unless their use is essential
- boosting the investment and innovative capacity for production and use of chemicals that are safe and sustainable by design, and throughout their life cycle
- promoting the EU’s resilience of supply and sustainability of critical chemicals
- establishing a simpler “one substance one assessment” process for the risk and hazard assessment of chemicals
- playing a leading role globally by championing and promoting high standards and not exporting chemicals banned in the EU.
The Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability is ment for better products, production and human life in harmony with our nature.
Ecobio´s experts help you turn chemical challenges to innovations for sustainability. Please contact us!
Contact details
Pia Talja, Leading chemical expert, Ecobio Oy
Further information & sources:
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/pdf/chemicals/2020/10/Strategy.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/chemicals-strategy_en
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1839