The EU's restrictions roadmap, launched in April 2022, aimed to regulate 22 groups of hazardous chemicals. However, the European Commission has failed to start regulating seven groups and has effectively frozen progress on seven more, according to major media reports. Nearly two-thirds of all cases have stalled or been severely delayed, the EEB and ClientEarth report found.
Legal delays have been significant. The deadline for the Commission to draft an amendment after receiving expert opinions has never been met, with delays ranging from 13 to 47 months and averaging two years, major media reported. These delays have resulted in nearly 100,000 tonnes of extra chemical pollution from six of the groups, according to the EEB and ClientEarth report. Lead in ammunition and fishing tackle accounts for the bulk of the 98,000 tonnes of pollution attributed to delays, with a 23-month delay, major media reported. The European Chemicals Agency estimates about 44,000 tonnes of lead are released into the environment from ammunition and fishing tackle each year.
Environmental organizations accuse the Commission of prioritizing industry over health and environment. ClientEarth and the EEB said the Commission is the 'chief roadblock' to its own roadmap and has caused 'unlawful delays'. One explanation for the delays, according to report authors, is that the Commission now places greater weight on industry wishes and competitiveness due to the tougher geopolitical situation. Some hazardous substances are argued to be necessary for the green transition, such as organic solvents in battery manufacturing. Industry complicates processes by not releasing all information at once, according to Dolores Romano of the EEB.
Despite the setbacks, some restrictions have successfully entered into force, including PFAS in firefighting foam, lead in PVC plastics, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons used in clay pigeon shooting.