ICIS - chemical podcasts Episode 1419: Think Tank: EU chemicals regulatory reforms risk being too little, too late
Jan 9, 2026
Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting, gives macroeconomic perspective on Europe's chemical decline. Gerard McElwee, EU chemicals law expert, explains REACH revision and One Substance One Assessment. Peter Sellar, regulatory partner, discusses CLP, classification debates and recycling rules. They focus on regulatory reform, reporting changes, chemical recycling and timelines for 2026.
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Chipping Away, Not A Step Change
- EU regulatory easing has been limited to incremental "chipping away" rather than a decisive step change.
- Peter Sellar warns many chemical firms continue to exit Europe despite minor rollbacks in reporting burden.
Reassess Rather Than Tinker
- Reassess EU chemicals policy holistically instead of continuing piecemeal tweaks.
- Peter Sellar urges considering a new long-term regulatory approach rather than tinkering at the edges.
Harmonising Assessments Across Agencies
- One Substance One Assessment aims to harmonize overlapping EU agency reviews and data access.
- Gerard McElwee says it could improve consistency but its practical impact remains to be seen.