The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has released its Single Programming Document 2025–2027, which lays out its strategic priorities and operational plans. The programme underscores ECHA's commitment to ensuring chemical safety, advancing sustainable chemical management, and supporting the European Union's broader goals under the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the EU Green Deal.
Key focuses of the programme include:
- Advancing the Integrated Regulatory Strategy: ECHA aims to accelerate the identification and regulation of substances of concern through improved hazard assessment and risk management. The Agency will continue its work to screen and prioritise chemicals, ensuring rapid regulatory action where necessary.
- Streamlining Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR): ECHA is targeting improved efficiency in evaluating active substances under the Biocidal Products Regulation. This includes delivering timely assessments, approvals, and Union authorisations, particularly for product families. Enhanced collaboration with Member States and the European Commission will play a central role in overcoming existing delays and improving dossier quality.
- Promoting Alternatives to Animal Testing: ECHA is strengthening efforts to encourage alternative approaches to testing. It will work closely with stakeholders to develop and validate new non-animal methods, ensuring they are effectively integrated into regulatory frameworks.
- Digital Transformation and IT Integration: The programme places a strong emphasis on the development of user-friendly, state-of-the-art IT tools for regulatory processes. This includes integrating biocidal IT systems with other ECHA systems to streamline data management and improve accessibility for industry stakeholders.
- Capacity Building for Stakeholders: ECHA aims to support the chemical industry and Member States by providing guidance, training, and tools to facilitate compliance with regulations such as REACH and CLP. Workshops, technical consultations, and online resources will be integral to this effort.
- Sustainability Initiatives: The Agency continues to prioritise sustainable chemicals management through the Safe and Sustainable by Design initiative, helping industries shift toward greener and safer chemicals while aligning with EU circular economy goals.
Outcomes and Indicators
- Increased number of high-quality restriction dossiers and harmonised classification and labelling proposals.
- Reduced delays in the assessment and decision-making processes under the Review Programme for Biocides.
- Enhanced operational synergies across EU Member States, focusing on harmonising approaches and sharing resources to improve consistency in chemical safety evaluations.
Key Expected Impacts
ECHA's programme aims to foster innovation and sustainability within the chemical sector while ensuring that human health and the environment are effectively protected. Improved data integration and regulatory clarity will reduce the administrative burden for industries while maintaining high safety standards. Additionally, the promotion of alternatives to animal testing aligns with societal and scientific demands for more ethical and efficient testing methods.
This comprehensive programming document positions ECHA as a key enabler of the EU’s ambitious chemicals management goals, driving change through science, collaboration, and innovation.
