The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have agreed new rules to change how the European Chemicals Agency is managed and funded.
The deal would create a standalone legal framework for the European Chemicals Agency, known as ECHA, separating it from the EU’s main chemicals law, REACH — the system for registering, evaluating, authorising and restricting chemicals, the Council informed on Tuesday.
ECHA was set up in 2007 and provides technical and scientific assessments to support EU chemicals rules.
Its remit has since expanded into product safety and environmental policy, including work linked to proposed restrictions on microplastics and PFAS, a large group of widely used chemicals often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they can persist in the environment.
Maria Panayiotou, Cyprus’s Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, said the agreement would give the agency “the resources and independence” needed to assess and manage chemical risks, including PFAS.
Budget changes and scientific advice requests
Under the provisional agreement, ECHA’s tasks across different EU laws would be consolidated under a single regulation, giving it a clearer legal basis for operations and governance, the Council said.
Member states or the European Parliament would be able to request scientific opinions from ECHA after consulting the European Commission.
The agreement would also change how the agency is resourced, including provisions for a pool of experts nominated by member states and appointed to ECHA’s risk assessment and socio-economic analysis committees.
ECHA’s budget would be unified into a single budget, replacing three separate ones.
A reserve fund would also be created, capped at 10% of ECHA’s fee and charge income, with the European Commission able to adjust the cap between 1% and 20% to reflect financial needs.
The agreement includes rules to prevent and manage conflicts of interest for staff and experts, including members of ECHA’s internal bodies.
The provisional deal will next be sent to the European Parliament and the Council for formal adoption, after which it would enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
