Parliament and Council agree on more efficient evaluation of chemical data.

On 12 June, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (EU) reached an agreement on the "One Substance, One Assessment" reform package. The EU is thus taking an important step towards improving chemical safety and strengthening cooperation between the relevant EU agencies. At the centre of the reform is the establishment of a shared digital platform for the centralised collection and provision of chemical data.

Central platform for chemical data

The new platform, operated by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), will aggregate information from about 70 EU regulations. It aims to broaden and simplify access to chemical information. For the first time, information on safe alternatives for substances of very high concern will be included.

A newly introduced monitoring framework will help identify potential risks earlier and enable quicker responses. Data from human biomonitoring will also be systematically collected and analysed. An EU-wide study to better understand the population's exposure to chemicals is planned four years after the regulation comes into force.

Transparent access and gradual expansion

Significant updates are also planned in the field of pharmaceuticals. The platform will gradually include selected chemical data from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), with a stepwise integration of existing datasets. In line with EU transparency regulations, the data will be publicly accessible, a move supported by the DSV in its opinion.

Strengthened cooperation between EU agencies

The reform package also promotes closer cooperation among the EU agencies working scientifically and technically with chemicals — particularly ECHA, EMA, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the European Environment Agency (EEA).

ECHA will become the central scientific assessment body for chemicals. EMA and EEA will gain expanded roles, especially in developing data formats and coordinating methodological approaches. ECHA will also handle applications concerning hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

Next steps

The Council and the European Parliament must formally adopt the package. Publication in the EU’s Official Journal is expected no earlier than autumn 2025, since Parliament will vote in October. Concerns regarding ECHA’s financial and staffing resources were not addressed in this package but will be considered during negotiations on the separate basic regulation proposal launched on July 8.