The Need For Speed – Why it takes the EU a decade to control harmful chemicals and how to secure more rapid protections

The Need for Speed report examines EU’s current chemical regulations to find out why it takes authorities over a decade to stop hazardous chemicals from being used dangerously in Europe. This 77-page publication looks at 1,109 chemical dossiers and how long it took these to pass through the two main EU chemical regulations since 2007, or remain pending. The findings reveal that the EU laws pressure authorities to allow chemicals on the market within just three weeks without even a basic understanding of their hazards. It then takes concerned officials around a decade to gain accurate data and build cases for control measures, a process industry regularly challenges in court.

Based on the findings and also in view of the upcoming REACH and CLP legal reforms, the EEB policy experts provided recommendations on how to accelerate protections and prevent hazardous chemicals from either lingering on the market for long or entering the market at all.