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European Chemicals Agency and amending Regulations

TA-10-2026-0140 · P10_TA(2026)0140 · PE783.030

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Parliament's amended version of the proposed regulation on the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) updates its structure, tasks, and financing. It strengthens independence, transparency, and conflict-of-interest rules, and expands scientific advice requests to the European Parliament and Member States. The text establishes an Assembly of accredited stakeholders, promotes networking with national authorities, and creates a permanent cross-agency task force for One Health and exposome approaches. It also adjusts the fee reserve mechanism and requires regular fee reviews.

Key points

  1. The Agency's objectives include protecting vulnerable groups, promoting non-animal approaches, and contributing to environmental sustainability and occupational health standards.
  2. The Agency may second staff to Member State authorities, and Member States may request scientific opinions from the Agency, which can refuse with justification.
  3. Management Board members appointed by Parliament must be independent, and rules on conflicts of interest apply to all members and experts.
  4. Each Member State nominates two members to RAC and SEAC, and committees may co-opt members; co-opted members and experts have no voting rights.
  5. An Assembly of accredited stakeholders is established to facilitate stakeholder contributions, with balanced representation of industry and civil society.
  6. The Agency facilitates networking of national authorities and research institutes, which may assist with tasks and receive financial support.
  7. A permanent task force with ECDC, EEA, EFSA, EMA, and EU-OSHA is created to address cross-sectoral issues using One Health and exposome approaches.
  8. The Agency must publish requests for opinions and updates, and committee opinions and meeting summaries are made public.
  9. The reserve from fee surpluses is capped at 15% of the average of the last five years' fee revenues, and the Commission must assess its functioning after four years.
  10. Fees must cover service costs, and the Commission must evaluate and report on fee adequacy every three years.
  11. The Agency promotes substitution of harmful chemicals, publishes an annual report on knowledge gaps, and cooperates with EURL ECVAM on non-animal methods.

Who is affected

  • The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and its staff, who gain new tasks and must follow stricter independence and transparency rules.
  • Member States and their competent authorities, which can request opinions, second staff, and receive support from the Agency.
  • Industry and civil society stakeholders, who are represented in the new Assembly and have wider access to Agency documents.
  • Other EU agencies (ECDC, EEA, EFSA, EMA, EU-OSHA), which must cooperate in the permanent task force.

Figures and deadlines

  • 15% of the average of the last five years' fee revenues is the cap for the reserve.
  • The Commission must assess the reserve after four years of operation.
  • Fees are evaluated every three years.
  • The task force meets at least six times a year.