New EU rules introduced on 1 January 2026 standardise how chemicals are assessed for their impact on human health and the environment across a range of products including toys, food, pesticides and biocides.
The legislation — known as ‘one substance, one assessment’ (OSOA) — aims to make chemical assessments more consistent and transparent throughout the European Union, the European Commission announced on Monday.
A central element of the new laws is a common data platform on chemicals, set to become operational within the next three years, which will be accessible to the public and compile chemical data gathered under various EU regulations.
With the new platform, authorities will be able to reuse and share chemical safety data more easily to support regulatory decisions, the commission noted.
Stronger cooperation between EU chemicals agencies is expected under the package, which clarifies responsibilities, reduces duplication of work and consolidates scientific and technical tasks.
Agencies with specialised expertise and resources will now carry out scientific assessments more consistently, the European Commission explained.
Monitoring and early warning
A monitoring and outlook framework has also been established to help detect new risks from chemicals earlier, using systematic data gathering, indicators and early-warning tools, the Commission said.
The package consists of three legislative acts, which form part of the broader Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability — an initiative under the European Green Deal aiming for zero pollution.
