On the draft Commission regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards lead in certain fishing tackle

B100344/2026

European Parliament resolution on the draft Commission regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards lead in certain fishing tackle

(D110163/04 – 2026/2714(RPS))

– having regard to the draft Commission regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards lead in certain fishing tackle (D110163/04),

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC, and in particular Article 68(1) thereof,

– having regard to the opinion delivered on 29 April 2026 by the committee referred to in Article 133 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) and the opinion of the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) on the Annex XV dossier proposing restrictions on lead in outdoor shooting and fishing,

– having regard to the Annex XV restriction report and supporting documentation prepared pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning lead in outdoor shooting and fishing,

– having regard to Article 5a(3)(b) of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission,

– having regard to Rule 115(2) and (3) and (4)(c) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas measures adopted under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 should comply with the principles of proportionality and legal certainty and rely on objective, transparent and scientifically sound evidence demonstrating their necessity and appropriateness;

B. whereas Article 68(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 empowers the Commission to adopt only such restrictions as are necessary to address unacceptable risks to human health or the environment arising from the manufacture, use or placing on the market of substances;

C. whereas the justification for the restriction relied on the availability of technically and economically feasible alternatives, which constitutes a central condition for regulatory intervention under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, while evidence shows that such alternatives are not consistently available across all applications;

D. whereas for certain types of small fishing tackle no suitable alternatives currently exist due to the specific physical properties of lead, and such equipment is typically reused rather than discarded;

E. whereas SEAC highlighted significant uncertainties concerning both the availability and the technical adequacy of alternatives to lead fishing tackle, and was unable to conclude on the socio-economic justification of certain proposed restrictions, thereby calling into question the robustness of the evidence underpinning the proposal, in particular due to insufficient evidence regarding the performance of alternatives and their economic implications;

F. whereas the RAC concluded that no environmental justification exists for banning sinkers heavier than 50 grams and warned that such a restriction may lead to unintended and counterproductive effects, in particular by encouraging unregulated practices;

G. whereas the supporting evidence remains incomplete in key respects and does not sufficiently quantify the expected environmental and health benefits, thereby preventing a proper assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the proposed measures, while imposing significant burdens on economic operators, including SMEs;

1. Opposes adoption of the draft Commission regulation;

2. Considers that the draft Commission regulation fails to respect the principle of proportionality;

3. Considers that the Commission has not sufficiently demonstrated the existence of technically and economically viable alternatives for all categories of fishing tackle covered by the proposal despite this being a fundamental prerequisite for such a restriction; notes in particular that, for small split shot and micro weight applications, no alternative material currently available on the market can match the technical performance of lead without resulting in significantly higher costs or increasing the risk of damage to fishing lines;

4. Underlines that SEAC was unable to conclude whether certain restrictions were justified on socio-economic grounds;

5. Stresses that the RAC found no environmental grounds to justify a ban on sinkers exceeding 50 grams and warned that limiting their sale could incentivise unregulated home casting, thereby lowering compliance and ultimately weakening the effectiveness of the proposed measures;

6. Calls on the Commission to withdraw the draft regulation and submit a new one to the Committee, a proposal that is fully substantiated by robust scientific and socio-economic evidence, demonstrates the availability of viable alternatives across all applications and is based on a comprehensive impact assessment and a proportionate, evidence-based approach;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.