ECHA | Grouping of chemicals speeds up regulatory action

ECHA’s second report on the Integrated Regulatory Strategy gives an overview on the progress in addressing substances of concern and in the “mapping of the chemical universe”. It includes recommendations to authorities and industry on managing chemicals’ risks.

In 2019, ECHA moved from a substance-by-substance approach to addressing structurally similar chemicals in groups. The aim is to speed up the identification of hazardous substances and get their risks controlled more quickly. 

Together with Member States, the Agency reviewed around 220 substances registered above 100 tonnes per year and allocated them to different pools of the chemical universe for regulatory action. For 56 % of them, more data was needed to clarify the need for further risk management. For 22 % of the substances, no further action was proposed and 7 % were considered as high priority for EU regulatory risk management.

The number of substances registered above 100 tonnes and not yet assigned to a pool in the chemical universe has reduced to around 2 400. The grouping approach also enabled ECHA to scrutinise more than 300 low-production volume substances in 2019.

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