Europe Regulatory News

On 5 November 2025, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) added 1,1'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[pentabromobenzene] (DBDPE) (CAS No. 84852-53-9) to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs...

On 5 November 2025, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) added 1,1'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[pentabromobenzene] (DBDPE) (CAS No. 84852-53-9) to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) under the REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. The addition brings the total number of entries on the list to 251, some of which cover groups of chemicals.

The decision follows the agreement of the Member State Committee (MSC) at its October 2025 meeting, confirming the identification of DBDPE as very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) under Article 57(e) of REACH. The Swedish competent authority prepared the Annex XV dossier supporting this identification.

Reason for Inclusion and Background

DBDPE is a brominated flame retardant used in a variety of industrial applications including plastics, textiles, and electronic equipment. Its identification as an SVHC is based on a weight-of-evidence assessment demonstrating its persistence in the environment and its potential to bioaccumulate in living organisms.

ECHA noted that, beyond the usual obligations following Candidate List inclusion, the identification of DBDPE as an SVHC supports ongoing work toward a potential restriction on brominated flame retardants.

Regulatory Implications

The inclusion of DBDPE on the Candidate List triggers multiple legal obligations for companies under REACH and related EU legislation:

• Information duty: Suppliers of articles containing DBDPE in concentrations above 0.1 % w/w must inform recipients and consumers about its safe use. Consumers may request this information and must receive a response within 45 days.
• Notification to ECHA: Importers and producers of articles must notify ECHA within six months of the inclusion date (i.e. by 5 May 2026) if their articles contain DBDPE above the 0.1 % threshold and exceed one tonne per year, unless exposure can be excluded.
• Safety data sheets: Suppliers of substances or mixtures containing DBDPE must update their SDSs to reflect its Candidate List status.
• SCIP notification under the Waste Framework Directive:
  Companies producing or importing articles containing DBDPE above the 0.1 % threshold must also submit a notification to ECHA’s SCIP database of substances of concern in products.
• Restrictions on ecolabels: Products containing SVHCs cannot be awarded the EU Ecolabel under the EU Ecolabel Regulation.

ECHA notes that DBDPE may be considered for future inclusion in the Authorisation List (Annex XIV), which would prohibit its use without prior authorisation by the European Commission.

The revised EU Waste Framework Directive, which came into effect on 16 October 2025, introduces mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles and footwear and sets binding food...

The revised EU Waste Framework Directive, which came into effect on 16 October 2025, introduces mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles and footwear and sets binding food waste reduction targets for Member States. It strengthens producer responsibility for collection and recycling and promotes waste prevention and reuse across Member States.

New Directive Targets Textile and Food Waste

The European Union’s revised Waste Framework Directive marks a major step toward a circular economy. The textile sector faces growing scrutiny due to its significant consumption of water, land, and raw materials, as well as its high greenhouse gas emissions and mounting waste. Currently, only a fraction of textile waste is recycled or reused.

The updated Directive requires each Member State to establish EPR systems in which producers fund the collection, sorting, and recycling of discarded textiles. It also mandates that all textiles collected separately must be classified as waste and sorted into reusable and non-reusable categories before shipment, reinforcing oversight under the Waste Shipment Regulation.

In tackling food waste, the Directive demands a 10% cut in processing and manufacturing as well as a 30% reduction in retail and household waste per capita by 2030. Member States must enhance prevention programs, raise public awareness, and promote food donation and innovation.

Implementation Timeline

EU Member States have 20 months to implement the revised Directive and 30 months to establish EPR schemes for textiles and footwear.

Update 23 October 2025: The European Parliament has today approved the postponement of the revised CLP Regulation’s application date to 1 January 2028, confirming the text previously endorsed by the...

Update 23 October 2025:

The European Parliament has today approved the postponement of the revised CLP Regulation’s application date to 1 January 2028, confirming the text previously endorsed by the Council on 24 September 2025. The file was handled under the urgent procedure to speed up adoption, and the vote passed with 441 in favour, 108 against and 11 abstentions.

To enter into force, the draft law now requires formal approval by the Council, after which it will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The postponement covers obligations related to re-labelling, label formatting, advertising, distance sales, and fuel-pump labelling, easing the transition for companies.

Original News:

On 24 September 2025, the European Council approved the introduction of a “stop-the-clock” mechanism for the revised Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. The measure, part of the Commission’s Omnibus VI simplification package, delays the entry into application of the new rules to 1 January 2028.

Purpose: Legal Certainty and Simplification

The mechanism is designed to provide legal certainty for businesses and to avoid a fragmented regulatory framework. Without the postponement, different provisions of the revised CLP would have applied on different dates, creating additional compliance challenges for companies.

The alignment of deadlines covers obligations on:

• Relabelling of substances and mixtures
• Formatting requirements for labels
• Advertisements and distance sales
• Labelling at fuel pumps

By postponing these obligations, the European Council aims to give companies, particularly SMEs, more time to adapt to the new requirements while ensuring continued protection of health and the environment.

Background: Original Deadlines

The revised CLP Regulation entered into force on 10 December 2024, with the majority of obligations initially scheduled to apply from 1 July 2026, and some provisions from 2027 (see more details here). The “stop-the-clock” mechanism shifts all these dates to 1 January 2028, creating a single, harmonised starting point for compliance.

Next Steps in the Legislative Process

Following the European Council’s approval, negotiations will continue with the European Parliament to finalise the regulation. The measure forms part of the broader Omnibus VI package, which seeks to simplify EU chemicals legislation while maintaining high levels of health and environmental protection.

The national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have released a 20-page summary explaining the updates to their proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substa...

The national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have released a 20-page summary explaining the updates to their proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the REACH Regulation in the EU/EEA.

Purpose and Key Updates

The document, titled “What You Need to Know About the Updated PFAS Restriction Dossier,” provides an overview of the key changes made since the original proposal was submitted to ECHA in January 2023. It aims to help stakeholders navigate the broad and technically complex proposal and to clarify how consultation feedback and scientific evaluations have been incorporated.

Scope and Derogations

The updated dossier refines the definition of PFAS, includes revised or new derogations for specific uses where alternatives are not yet available, and outlines transitional periods. It also updates the socio-economic analysis and clarifies analytical and reporting requirements.

Next Steps

ECHA’s expert committees, the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) and the Committee for Socio‑Economic Analysis (SEAC), are expected to issue their draft opinions in spring 2026, followed by a formal public consultation (more details here).

The dossier submitters emphasise that the summary is not a substitute for the full updated restriction dossier but serves as guidance to support industry and other stakeholders in understanding the forthcoming decision-making process.

The full summary can be accessed here.

On 15 October 2025, the European Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2067, amending Regulation (EC) No 340/2008 on the fees and charges payable to the European Chemicals Agency (EC...

On 15 October 2025, the European Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2067, amending Regulation (EC) No 340/2008 on the fees and charges payable to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) under REACH. The regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union the following day. It introduces two major reforms: an inflation-based adjustment to standard REACH fees and a new system for verifying Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) status.

Fee Adjustments

The amendment introduces a 19.5 % increase in standard REACH fees, reflecting the cumulative inflation recorded since 2021. This update ensures that the fees paid to ECHA continue to cover the costs of registration, evaluation, and other administrative processes under REACH.
However, in line with the European Commission’s SME Relief Package and the 2024–2029 Political Guidelines, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are excluded from this adjustment. The exemption is intended to maintain a fair balance between administrative sustainability and the financial capacity of smaller companies.

The revised fee structure will apply from 5 November 2025, the date the regulation enters into force. The exact fee amounts for each registration type and company size can be found in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2067 which is available here.

New Approach to SME Status Verification

The amendment introduces a change to how ECHA verifies SME eligibility. Rather than reviewing SME claims after submission (the current ex post approach), ECHA will now verify SME status in advance (ex ante).

Under the revised system, companies wishing to benefit from reduced fees must obtain SME recognition before submitting their dossiers. This request must be submitted no later than two months before the intended submission date. Once granted, SME status will remain valid for three years and will cover all applications made during that period.
ECHA may charge an administrative fee to process SME recognition requests, but this fee will be waived if the company’s SME status is confirmed. 

The new SME verification system will apply from 5 February 2027, providing a 15-month transition period for companies to align their internal procedures. 

The European Parliament has backed draft measures, supported by 431 MEPs, to advance a circular economy in the automotive sector. This will be achieved by improving vehicle design, increasing the us...

The European Parliament has backed draft measures, supported by 431 MEPs, to advance a circular economy in the automotive sector. This will be achieved by improving vehicle design, increasing the use of recycled materials, and strengthening car recycling.

The initiative aims to make vehicles easer to dismantle and recycle, set ambitious recycled-content targets, and assign manufacturers greater responsibility for collection and treatment. The Parliament’s position is in line with the European Green Deal and the EU's circular economy objectives, and negotiations will now follow the Council's earlier position.

Circular Economy in the Automotive Sector

The rules apply to most vehicles, with the exception of those used for special purposes, military purposes, emergency services, and historically significant vehicles. New vehicles must be designed so that parts can be easily removed for reuse, recycling, remanufacturing, or refurbishing. MEPs propose that vehicles contain at least 20% recycled plastic within six years and 25% within ten years, with future targets set for recycled steel and aluminium.

Three years after implementation, manufacturers will be subject to extended producer responsibility, covering the cost of collecting and treating end-of-life vehicles, alongside an export ban for such vehicles. The co-rapporteurs emphasized that the Parliament’s aim to support resource security, environmental protection, and sustainability while ensuring realistic targets and fair competition.

These measures follow the Commission’s proposal in July 2023 and align with the European Green Deal and the circular economy action plan. With 14.8 million vehicles produced in 2023 and 6.5 million reaching end-of-life annually, interinstitutional negotiations are expected soon, following the Council’s earlier position in order to finalize the regulatory framework.

Further steps

As the European Council already adopted its position earlier this summer, interinstitutional negotiations are expected to start without delay.

The latest version of the OECD QSAR Toolbox version 4.8 has been released, introducing new functionalities and technical improvements to enhance usability, transparency, and data security. The QSAR ...

The latest version of the OECD QSAR Toolbox version 4.8 has been released, introducing new functionalities and technical improvements to enhance usability, transparency, and data security. The QSAR Toolbox is a freely available software that supports chemical hazard assessment and reduces the need for animal testing. It is developed jointly by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the OECD Environment Directorate, and implemented by the Laboratory of Mathematical Chemistry.

• Integration of metabolism data: Users can now import and visualise structural data and metadata from metabolism databases, strengthening the analysis of biotransformation processes.
• New and updated databases and profiles: The update adds new datasets and improves existing ones to expand chemical coverage and enhance predictive accuracy.
• Updated QSAR documentation: The documentation of QSAR predictions has been revised in line with the OECD QSAR Assessment Framework to ensure greater transparency and consistency.
• Improved security and support: Updated libraries and software components enhance system stability and data protection.

The release notes for QSAR Toolbox 4.8 are available here.