News Details

On 1 June 2026, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published its fourth five-year report on the operation of the REACH and Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulations. The report, which cover the period from 2021 to 2025, concludes that both regulations continue to contribute to the protection of human health and the environment, while also supporting innovation and competitiveness within the European Union.

Shift from Registration to Substance Management

According to ECHA, the implementation of REACH and CLP has entered a more mature phase. While previous reporting periods were largely focused on meeting REACH registration deadlines, the current period has seen an increased emphasis placed on the systematic screening, prioritisation, evaluation and risk management of substances already registered. ECHA notes that improvements in data availability and screening methods have enabled authorities to identify and address substances of concern more efficiently.

Between 2021 and 2025, companies submitted 18,911 initial registrations and 45,189 dossier updates. ECHA also completed 1,528 compliance checks and 161 substance evaluations, resulting in 6,745 requests for additional information. During the same period, the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) expanded by 44 entries, while 202 substances were added to or amended in Annex VI to the CLP Regulation.

Data Quality and Committee Workload Remain Challenges

Despite the progress achieved, ECHA identifies several challenges affecting the effective implementation of the legislation. The report highlights ongoing concerns about the availability and quality of registration data, as well as delays in updating registration dossiers. ECHA emphasises that timely and comprehensive dossier updates remain essential for evaluation activities, risk assessment and the development of regulatory risk management measures.

The report also notes increasing pressure on ECHA’s scientific committees, the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) and the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC), due to growing workloads and the Agency’s expanding regulatory responsibilities. ECHA indicates that these issues, together with continued efforts to improve enforcement, data quality and regulatory efficiency, will shape priorities for the next reporting period.

Background

The report fulfils ECHA’s legal obligation under Article 117(2) of the REACH Regulation to review the operation of REACH every five years. It also examines the operation of the CLP Regulation where the two regulatory frameworks overlap.