PARIS — The European Commission has just presented its Work Program 2024, and in it there was notably no mention of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals, or REACH, a governing regulation that may impact the wonder industry.

During his closing statements of the European Parliament’s plenary session on Tuesday, Maroš Šefčovič, vp of the European Commission, addressed questions, including about REACH, which got here into effect in 2007 within the European Union. Its stated goal is to guard human health and the environment against harmful effects of chemical substances.

Šefčovič clarified that if a proposal was already announced in a previous Commission’s work program, it is just not reannounced in the present one.

“It’s there, it’s planned, and we’re working on it,” he said.

Regarding the Green Deal, which has as its overarching goal to make Europe the primary climate-neutral continent, Šefčovič said “there will likely be relentless effort to maintain the Green Deal ambitions at the best possible level.”

He called REACH, which is a component of the Green Deal, essentially the most comprehensive laws of chemicals on the earth.

“Amending REACH is a fancy undertaking,” Šefčovič said. “Changes to the legislative framework would wish to realize a fancy balance, significantly reduce health hazards and environmental damage from chemical pollution, but additionally address the chemicals of very high concern, while ensuring the provision of chemicals which might be essential for the important thing green transition technologies, guaranteeing the extent playing field with our international competitors.”

He explained the problems are being discussed in great detail.

“Given the complexity of the file, indeed it is feasible that the REACH amendment can have to be taken forward in the subsequent mandate,” Šefčovič said. “What we would like to do is to organize this file in great detail to ensure that that we might complete all of the essential preparatory work and likewise to seek out the very best possible timing for this proposal, which is able to take several years to approve — that it will be supported by the correct momentum.”

Concerning animal well-being, Šefčovič said the Commission has been acting to enhance it for greater than 40 years.

“Animal welfare is and can remain a priority for the Commission,” he said.

The fight to finish animal testing in Europe has been intensifying. In late July, the Commission said it’s accelerating the speed at which the practice will likely be phased out. 

In response to a European Residents’ Initiative, called “Save Cruelty-Free Cosmetics — Commit to a Europe Without Animal Testing,” the Commission said it will introduce a recent road map with legislative and non-legislative actions to further reduce testing on animals.

The goal is to ultimately move to an animal-free regulatory system under the chemicals laws, including REACH and the Plant Protection Products Regulation, and proceed supporting animal testing alternatives.