EditEU Commission puts landmark plan to phase out hazardous chemicals on the back burner
Four years after launching a groundbreaking initiative to protect citizens and ecosystems from toxic substances, the EU’s roadmap is severely off track
The European Commission unveiled in 2022 the “Restrictions roadmap” as part of its Chemicals strategy for sustainability. Yet today progress has largely ground to a halt, leaving Europeans and nature exposed to continued pollution in water, food, homes, and beyond, writes Adrian Mihălțianu, editor-in-chief of our partner media PressOne.ro.
The plan represented one of the world’s most ambitious efforts to phase out the most hazardous chemicals from consumer products, industrial applications, and the environment. It promised swift, transparent action against substances known to cause cancer, disrupt hormones, impair reproduction, trigger allergies, or pose other serious risks.
Poison versus economic opportunity
The roadmap targeted thousands of problematic chemicals found in everyday items, ranging from baby diapers and toys, to furniture, textiles, and food packaging. Among the priorities were certain flame retardants linked to cancer, bisphenols used in plastics that interfere with human hormones, PVC plastics loaded with toxic additives, and the entire group of PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” because they persist indefinitely in the environment and accumulate in everyone’s bloodstream.
Scientists have long warned about the pervasive pollution from synthetic chemicals, and the Commission initially responded with clear commitments. The roadmap stated that action would be “transparent and timely,” aiming to deliver effective restrictions that would safeguard public health and the environment.
However, the new study by Client Earth and the European Environmental Bureau, published on 24 April, reveals a starkly different reality. Almost two-thirds of the 22 key chemical restriction files outlined in the 2022 roadmap are now effectively frozen. Seven have seen no progress at all since 2022, while another seven are stalled due to delays largely attributable to the Commission itself. Only six restrictions have been fully transposed into law. For the files that have advanced, the legally mandated three-month deadlines have been routinely ignored, with delays averaging two years and reaching up to nearly four years in the worst cases.
The analysis calculates that the Commission’s illegal delays in just six of these roadmap files have already resulted in an estimated 98,000 to 100,000 tonnes of additional chemical pollution entering European food systems, drinking water, homes, and other environments. These substances are directly linked to serious harms, including reduced IQ in children, increased allergies, higher rates of cancer and infertility, and damage to wildlife and ecosystems.
Environmental organisations point out that the Commission has provided little or no official justification for most of these delays, even where EU law requires explanations. Industry tactics appear to play a significant role: companies have been accused of withholding data during the preparation of restriction proposals and then lobbying intensively to demand excessive burden assessments or unlimited derogations. Such practices, the report argues, undermine the EU’s legal obligations under REACH and the Chemicals Strategy.
The broader context has not helped. Europe faces difficult economic conditions, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and recent conflicts involving Iran. While these challenges are real, critics maintain they cannot justify postponing measures that were already overdue by more than two years. Instead of accelerating protections, the Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen’s second term has prioritised economic competitiveness. It has embraced elements of the Antwerp Declaration, drafted by the European chemical industry and backed by major polluters, and pursued a wave of deregulation. This shift has placed economic interests ahead of health and environmental safeguards.
Yet this approach appears to conflict with established EU law and jurisprudence. The Court of Justice of the European Union has repeatedly affirmed that the protection of public health and the environment must take precedence over purely economic considerations, even when potential harms have not yet fully materialised. By allowing prolonged exposure to known hazards, the Commission risks violating core principles of the EU legal framework.
The human and environmental cost of inaction
The consequences of these delays are not abstract. For several high-impact substances, officials and researchers have been able to quantify the ongoing pollution and its effects on health and nature.
One striking example involves calcium cyanamide, a fertiliser still in use despite its carcinogenic properties. European authorities estimate that it spreads cyanamide across 230,000 hectares of farmland annually, with runoff contaminating adjacent waterways. This restriction file has languished on the Commission’s desk for more than four years.
Delays in restricting lead in hunting ammunition are estimated to cause IQ reductions in around 66,000 children each year through the consumption of contaminated game meat. Similarly, postponed restrictions on PFAS-containing fire-extinguishing agents, one of the largest sources of “eternal pollutants”, have allowed these persistent chemicals to continue dispersing into soil, water, and the food chain, where they enter the bloodstream of humans and animals alike.
These forever chemicals appear in countless consumer products: food packaging, kitchen utensils, waterproof clothing and footwear, and even children’s toys. Although the Commission finally adopted a broad PFAS restriction last autumn, full implementation across Europe will take years, meaning exposure levels will remain elevated in the interim.
Other stalled files concern flame retardants and seemingly mundane substances such as bisphenols found in thermal paper (the type used for supermarket receipts). These compounds are known endocrine disruptors that can interfere with hormonal systems, affecting development and reproductive health.
Across the six files where pollution volumes could be directly attributed to delays, the total reaches approximately 98,355 tonnes of chemical releases, linked to a cumulative 167 months of postponements. While it remains impossible to precisely calculate the resulting deaths, chronic illnesses, or healthcare costs, the report warns that every additional month of delay will place further strain on public health systems and ecosystems already under pressure.
Opposition to stronger chemical rules has grown in a challenging political climate. Farmers resist restrictions on certain pesticides and insecticides that support high yields. Construction companies and other sectors voice concerns about costs and availability of alternatives. Public sentiment has also shifted, with many citizens wary of policies perceived as overly burdensome amid economic difficulties. In this environment, the Commission appears to have adopted a strategy of stalling, effectively placing the Restrictions Roadmap in a “low-speed lane.”
Environmental groups, including the European Environmental Bureau, urge European leaders to reverse course. As EEB Policy Officer Christine Hermann stated: “The Commission’s inaction is contributing to widespread pollution and harm to both citizens and the environment. We urge European leadership to put protection first and accelerate the EU’s plan to phase out these extremely harmful chemicals.”
Four years after its launch, the Restrictions Roadmap stands as a test of the EU’s commitment to a toxic-free environment. Without renewed urgency, ambition, and respect for legal timelines, Europe risks turning what was once hailed as a bold vision into a roadmap to nowhere, leaving future generations to bear the costs of today’s indecision in contaminated water, tainted food, and compromised health.
The full-size article in Romanian published by PressOne.ro can be found here.
Caption: A hanged puppet is displayed as residents protest against sea pollution on the Telde coast at Salinetas Beach, in the coastal town of Telde, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain, 27 December 2025. Protesters are demanding the removal of fish-farming cages after sea pollution forced the closure of the town’s beaches for weeks. EPA/QUIQUE CURBELO
Updated: April 24, 2026 - 13:01
