About: Chemicals

Two million animals stand in firing line of EU’s new sustainable chemical ambitions

Requirements in the EU’s chemical strategy for sustainability would see an additional 2 million animals used for testing unless a concerted effort is made to invest in alternatives to animal testing, stakeholders have warned.

EU should review approval of plastics with toxic softener DEHP – top court adviser

The European Commission should review a decision to let companies use recycled plastics containing DEHP, a toxic additive, since it failed to properly consider associated health risks, an adviser to the EU's top court said on Thursday (25 February).

20% of UK chemicals registrations face revocation after Brexit

Around 20% of registrations from UK-based companies to the European Union's REACH chemicals database have not been transferred to EU companies and will be revoked after 31 March 2021, according to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Environment must be considered in moves to end period poverty

Scotland passed a law to make menstrual products free and end period poverty on Tuesday (24 November), but more needs to be done to discuss the environmental and health impacts of disposable products, according to environmental campaigners.

Kazakhstan-EU relations: From establishing the partnership to driving it forward

Kazakhstan’s first President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, is given credit for being instrumental in helping to establish Kazakh-EU relations. He helped lay the foundations for the landmark EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), which entered into force on 1 March 2020....

Europe aims for ‘zero pollution’ in upcoming chemicals strategy

The European Commission will publish a strategy on Wednesday (14 October) on zero pollution in the chemicals industry, but any white paper will have to walk the same, precarious tightrope as its predecessors.

World solar technology summit: A blueprint for the energy intensive sector?

The world solar technology summit, which took place in India earlier this month, could in many ways be a model for the decarbonisation of the energy-intensive sector, which includes industries such as steel, cement, chemicals, non-ferrous metals and glass, writes Gauri Khandekar.

Chemistry’s waste problem

Europe's chemical industry needs to embrace circular thinking and urgently address concerns about substances getting into the environment or risk being crushed by regulators, writes Tom Parker.

Sinkevicius: Dealing with PFAS chemicals in revised tap water rules was a ‘great move’

The inclusion of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the EU's Drinking Water Directive was a step forward that showed the EU's commitment to address these chemicals, Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV.

Zero-emission EU industry ‘within reach’ but costly, study says

Bringing emissions from heavy industry down to net-zero by 2050 is possible but will require costly new production processes and a 25-60% increase in near-term capital investments to reach €40-50 billion per year, according to new research published on Thursday (25 April).

32% of chemicals non-compliant with EU rules

A third of chemicals do not comply with European Union rules due to insufficient toxicological data. EURACTIV France’s media partner the Journal de l’environnement reports.

Serbia launches probe into 1999 NATO bombing

Almost two decades after the NATO bombing of Serbia, local authorities there have launched an investigation to determine whether depleted uranium bombs were used, which could explain in surge in autoimmune diseases. EURACTIV.rs reports.

Four reasons EU institutions should and must share more information on harmful chemicals

It is no surprise that key information on harmful chemicals originally lies in the hands of industry alone. But just because it starts with industry, does not mean it should be left there, writes Apolline Roger.

Environmental advocates slam ECHA for transparency shortfall

Environmental advocacy group ClientEarth has criticised the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for transparency failings that restrict public access to information and slow the adoption of safer chemicals.

MEPs back down from EU bisphenol ban

MEPs have shied away from demanding a full ban on Bisphenol A, instead approving measures that will lower the amount of the chemical that can be part of food packaging.

A recipe for disaster: The EU needs to step up on chemical pollution

Pollution is responsible for one in six of all deaths worldwide, a report by the Lancet Commission shows. The attention on air pollution and particulates has left chemical pollution substantially unchecked. And the current EU regulation does not tackle this ‘cocktail of chemicals’ problem, writes Apolline Roger.

EU recognises bisphenol A as an endocrine disruptor

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has classified bisphenol A, a chemical found in many common plastic products, as an endocrine disruptor and a ‘substance of very high concern’. EURACTIV France reports.

Why Europe needs an industrial strategy

Global investment in energy efficiency now outstrips investment in conventional power generation. Europe is at the forefront and recognises that energy efficiency represents a vast energy resource that is one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, writes Heinz Haller.

A Canadian circular economy reality

Edmonton has become the first city which turns all non-compostable and non-recyclable household waste into methanol, ethanol and green chemicals. Europe should take notice, writes Lambert van Nistelrooij.

EU member states still divided over endocrine disruptor regulation

At a meeting of experts yesterday (21 December) the European Commission failed to bridge the gap between member states on setting criteria for endocrine disruptors.

EFSA launches public consultation into ‘cocktail effects’ of chemicals

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has asked the public for input on the complex question of the "cocktail effects" of chemical substances. EURACTIV's partner Journal de l'Environnement reports.