Chemicals
German chemicals association: Industry past its rock bottom, but export-driven model might be over
Est. 3minThe chemical industry in Germany has overcome its low point, but the previous model of exporting basic chemical has come to an end, Chemical Industry Association VCI said on Monday (8 July).
Europe strengthens rules on urban wastewater treatment
Est. 4minIn a final vote, the European Parliament has just adopted a new law updating the rules on the collection, treatment and discharge of urban wastewater. Europe's local authorities fear an explosion for the costs of its implementation.
French National Assembly, impatient with EU, pushes for ‘forever chemical’ ban
Est. 4minOn Thursday (4 April), the French opposition party Les Écologistes pushed a proposal to reduce the use of the so-called "forever chemicals" through the National Assembly, but the government favours a European solution to this environmental and health problem.
Von der Leyen heads to Antwerp for closed-door meeting with chemicals industry
Est. 4minWith an EU Industrial Competitiveness Deal in the pipeline for the next mandate, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo invited European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Antwerp on Tuesday (19 February) to consider the future of the EU's chemical industry.
French MPs in favour of REACH revision before EU elections
Est. 2minThe French parliament's European affairs committee adopted on Wednesday (14 February) a European resolution tabled by Nicolas Thierry (Europe Écologie Les Verts, NUPES) calling for a revised REACH regulation on hazardous chemicals in everyday products.
EU’s new rules to protect children from harmful chemicals in toys
Est. 5minThe European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee on Tuesday (13 February) adopted new rules to ensure safety and protect children from harmful chemicals present in toys.
EU Commission moves to ban Bisphenol A in food packaging
Est. 3minThe European Commission launched a consultation on a draft proposal to phase out the use of the controversial chemical bisphenol A in food contact materials, including plastic boxes, protective coatings for cans, and food processing equipment.
EU Parliament endorses new limits for lead and diisocyanates exposure
Est. 3minThe European Parliament gave the final approval on Wednesday (7 February) to the new rules that will limit workers’ exposure to lead and diisocyanates and step up health protection.
‘Forever chemicals’ found in foetuses pose risk of adulthood diseases
Est. 5minA year after a universal ban on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was proposed in the EU, a new study found that PFAS affect people as early as the fetal stage of development.
EU Commission weighs options on potential PFAS ban
Est. 5minSome EU countries are pressing the European Commission to adopt a complete ban on toxic PFAS chemicals amid warnings of potential trade-offs with green technologies that could slow down the energy transition.
Dependency on fossil fuels affects food production too, study warns
Est. 4minWith food systems reported to account for 15% of global fossil fuel use, a new study raised the alarm on food production reliance on petrochemicals ahead of the UN COP28 climate conference at the end of November.
Hazardous substances in tattoo inks still exceed EU limits, Swedish agency warns
Est. 5minTattoo inks still contain potentially carcinogenic and allergenic substances in forbidden concentrations despite the introduction of an EU regulation in January 2022, according to an analysis by the Swedish Medical Products Agency.
New rules lowering asbestos exposure limits adopted
Est. 4minThe EU Council on Monday (23 October) formally adopted the directive to step up the protection of workers from health risks related to asbestos, the final stage in the legislative process for the file.
EU quietly shelves REACH regulation on toxic chemicals
Est. 6minThe European Commission this week appeared to indefinitely shelve a promised revision of its REACH regulation on chemical safety, refusing to give Parliament a clear indication of when the proposal will be tabled, if at all.
EU Parliament approves lowering asbestos exposure limit
Est. 4minThe European Parliament on Tuesday (3 October) approved a directive stepping up protections of workers from health risks related to asbestos and improving the early detection of asbestos fibres.
Vienna to vote against EU glyphosate re-approval
Est. 3minAustria will vote against the European Commission’s proposal to renew the approval of glyphosate, the country’s agriculture ministry confirmed on Monday (25 September).
EU Commission proposes to re-approve glyphosate for 10 years
Est. 5minThe European Commission has proposed to renew the approval of glyphosate - a common and contentious herbicide - for a period of 10 years, with a number of restrictions.
Bisphenol A detected in almost all Europeans, EU agency finds
Est. 3minBisphenol A (BPA), a hormone-disrupting chemical used in food packaging, is present in almost all Europeans' bodies, posing a potential health risk, the European Environment Agency said Thursday (14 September).
Berlin split over EU ‘forever chemicals’ ban it helped propose
Est. 4minGerman economy and climate minister Robert Habeck has expressed reservations regarding an EU-wide ban of “forever chemicals” (PFAS), which was proposed by a German government agency and endorsed by other ministers from his party.
Are PFAS the new tobacco?
Est. 5minAs the EU works to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), decision-makers would do well to tune out the voice of the chemicals industry, just as they did with Big Tobacco and fossil fuels, writes Vicky Cann.
EU says pesticide giants breached law over withheld brain toxicity studies
Est. 4minAgrochemical giants Bayer and Syngenta are in breach of legal obligations for withholding information on the brain toxicity risk of pesticides, the European Commission said on Tuesday (18 July).
What is essential? The question overshadowing Europe’s chemical law reform
Est. 6minThe European Union is gearing up to revise its chemicals legislation to ban harmful substances and drive sustainability in the industry amid debates over the concept of “essential use”, which should help identify irreplaceable functions for such substances.
Dutch present long-awaited measures to buy out largest nitrogen polluters
Est. 3minThe Dutch government presented its long-awaited efforts to entice the country’s largest nitrogen polluters in the agricultural sector to sell their farms, allowing about 3,000 farmers near nitrogen-sensitive nature reserves to be eligible to receive compensation if they give up their business.
Brussels closes German nitrate pollution case after decade-long tussle
Est. 4minGermany is now in compliance with EU nitrate pollution rules and equipped to further tackle high pollution levels in groundwater, the European Commission announced on Thursday (1 June), ending a decade-long back-and-forth with Brussels and the threat of hefty fines.