- Council of the EU
- Press release
- 13 November 2025 12:25
The Council today formally adopted the legislative package on ‘one substance, one assessment’ (OSOA). The new rules streamline the EU’s approach to the assessment of chemicals and shorten the gap between the identification of a possible risk and the necessary regulatory action ultimately leading to better and faster protection of people’s health and the environment.
The OSOA package also improves the quality, consistency and efficiency of chemical safety assessments across EU legislation, including those related to medical devices, toys, food, pesticides and biocides. It strengthens the knowledge base on chemicals and ensure earlier detection and action on emerging chemical risks.
The package creates a new **…
- Council of the EU
- Press release
- 13 November 2025 12:25
The Council today formally adopted the legislative package on ‘one substance, one assessment’ (OSOA). The new rules streamline the EU’s approach to the assessment of chemicals and shorten the gap between the identification of a possible risk and the necessary regulatory action ultimately leading to better and faster protection of people’s health and the environment.
The OSOA package also improves the quality, consistency and efficiency of chemical safety assessments across EU legislation, including those related to medical devices, toys, food, pesticides and biocides. It strengthens the knowledge base on chemicals and ensure earlier detection and action on emerging chemical risks.
The package creates a new common data platform, to be managed by ECHA, that will serve as a one-stop shop for information on chemicals. It will integrate existing data from over 70 pieces of EU legislation, covering aspects such as hazards, physico-chemical properties, presence in the environment, emissions and uses. The platform will also include a database of safer alternatives to chemicals of concern, helping to promote a transition towards safer and more sustainable substances.
The new rules will also allow a more** efficient use of the scientific expertise** available in EU agencies by clarifying which agency is responsible for which scientific and technical tasks and improving cooperation between them, while avoiding overlaps.
The package consists of three legislative acts:
- a regulation establishing a common data platform on chemicals
- a regulation and a directive improving cooperation and reallocating scientific and technical tasks among the EU agencies active in the field of chemicals, including the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
Next steps
Today’s vote marks the end of the legislative process. The three acts will now be published in the EU’s official journal and enter into force 20 days later.
The common data platform is to be established and become operative within three years form the entry into force of the regulation.
Background
Global chemicals production is projected to double by 2030, according to the UN Environment Programme (Global Chemicals Outlook II, 2019), highlighting the growing importance of robust EU chemical regulation.
Proposed in December 2023, the OSOA package was part of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability under the European Green Deal’s zero pollution ambition. The strategy aims to strengthen protection for people and the environment while driving innovation towards safe and sustainable chemicals.
- Voting results
- Regulation establishing a common data platform on chemicals
- I/A item note
- Directive on the reattribution of scientific and technical tasks to the European Chemicals Agency
- Statement by the European Commission
- I/A item note
- Regulation on improving cooperation among EU agencies in the area of chemicals
- I/A item note
- Council and Parliament agree on simplified and more efficient handling of chemical assessment data (press release, 12 June 2025)
- Chemicals (background information)
- Chemicals strategy (European Commission)
Last review: 13 November 2025