The European Commission’s updated REACH Restrictions Roadmap outlines the EU’s accelerating efforts to phase out high-risk chemicals via grouped control and rolling reviews. Covering 15 adopted measures, 9 pending decisions, and dozens of prospective restrictions—including PFAS, CMRs, and heavy metals—it signals a crucial shift toward substitution-first strategies for industry compliance.

On August 27, 2026, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced the addition of 10 new substance testing proposals and invited public comments by October 12.

Confidentiality applications must be submitted before June 30, 2026.

On June 5, 2026, at the RAC-77 meeting, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and its inorganic salts are classified as PMT/vPvM substances.

ECHA launched the new Chesar Platform, integrating the Chesar and EUSES tools to provide a unified environment for chemical risk assessment and reporting.

In June 2026, ECHA released the operation report on REACH and CLP regulations, summarizing the five-year effectiveness of EU chemicals legislation.

On June 2, 2026, the EU published Regulation (EU) 2026/1168 amending REACH microplastic restrictions.

ECHA has released its sixth REACH report, reviewing the status of animal testing alternatives for chemicals.

The European Commission plans to formally adopt the amended regulation in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The draft is currently open for comments from WTO members, with the deadline for public comments set for July 7, 2026.