The EU is rallying behind "science-based multilateralism" as countries are meeting in Geneva from 2 to 6 February for the first plenary session of a new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals.
The body, known as the ISP-CWP, is being set up to produce scientific assessments on chemicals, waste and pollution for policymakers, the European Commission said on Monday.
It described the panel as filling a gap in global environmental governance by providing “policy-relevant” evidence in areas not covered by existing scientific bodies.
The Geneva meeting is expected to focus on agreeing how the panel will operate, including its governance and work programme.
The ISP-CWP was established in June 2025 under a mandate from the United Nations Environment Assembly, the Commission said.
It added the panel would sit alongside the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on climate science, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which assesses evidence on nature and ecosystems.
Jessika Roswall, the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Circular Competitive Economy, said “pollution, hazardous chemicals and waste do not stop at borders” and called for “shared evidence, transparency and trust in science.”
EU also attending biodiversity science talks in Manchester
Separately, the EU is attending the 12th plenary of IPBES in Manchester, which is expected to conclude on 8 February, the Commission said.
The meeting is due to adopt, among other decisions, an assessment report on the impact and dependency of business on biodiversity.
The Commission also noted that US President Donald Trump announced on 7 January 2026 — via a Presidential Memorandum — that the United States would withdraw from international organisations, conventions and treaties including IPBES and the IPCC.
