Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, friends,
I am delighted to be part of todays event on a vital issue.
Vital for us as individuals.
Vital for our water and our environment.
And vital for our societies as a whole – for our economies, competitiveness and resilience.
Let me begin by saying that this is a political priority for the European Commission – but also for me personally.
As a parent and grandmother, as a Swede, and as a proud European.
But also as a firm believer in the links between a healthy society, a healthy environment, and a healthy economy.
Earlier this month, I visited a PFAS hotspot just a few hours from here, in Flanders. I saw firsthand the impact of PFAS pollution.
And I was impressed by the resilience and determination of the those working to tackle this issue.
The week before, I visited the European Chemicals Agency in Finland, where I met dedicated teams committed to protecting our citizens from harmful substances.
And now, today, I am delighted to contribute to this Conference on modernising the EUs chemical safety rules.
Thank you to Madame Jensen and Dr. Warhurst for your kind invitation.
CHEM Trust and HEAL are experts in this field. Even more than that, you give voice to the concerns of citizens and civil society across the EU. And I can assure you, we are listening.
High energy costs, geopolitical uncertainties, and social and economic pressures are testing the resilience of our societies and our industries.
In this context, the European chemical sector faces both opportunities and challenges.
The sector is an important part of our economy and a vital player in the green and digital transitions.
It needs to innovate and compete – while being aware of its impact on the world.
The European Commission will support these efforts.
The revision of the REACH Regulation will boost Europes competitiveness, while protecting human health and the environment.
We must stay the course on our climate and environmental goals – and achieving zero pollution is one of them.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Public health, environmental protection and competitiveness go hand in hand.
These are pillars of a resilient, secure and innovative EU – one that seeks to protect its people today, but also future generations.
And the way to do that – the way the EU has always done it – is by setting high standards and ensuring their implementation.
As we just heard, regulation also works.
Europes standards are not just regulatory obligations: they are a competitive advantage for our companies.
They foster consumer trust, drive innovation, and position European businesses as global leaders in sustainable solutions.
At the same time, we must ensure that our policies are efficient, clear, and practical.
That is why we focus on simplification. We must make it easier for business to do business, with less bureaucracy and red tape – while retaining our high environmental standards. And we must make it easy to protect human health and the environment.
This summer, the Commission presented an Action Plan for the European Chemicals Industry. The plan focuses on industrial resilience and innovation in a rapidly changing world. But also, crucially, on sustainability.
For example, innovation Hubs – to be set up next year – will help boost the demand for safer, sustainable chemicals.
And EU industry is well advanced – often global leaders – in developing new and innovative substitutes.
Many companies I speak to want to be part of the solution and contribute to a safer environment. As I often say, there is no contradiction between high standards and competitiveness.
The focus now is on delivering results – and on building a chemical sector that can withstand future challenges.
REACH is an important part of that process.
Since 2006, REACH has been instrumental in the protection of our health and the environment.
It has served as a flexible and robust tool to inform decision-makers, stakeholders, and citizens about hazardous chemicals.
But it isnt perfect, and we can all see the shortcomings:
- slow and burdensome procedures,
- the inability to prevent the PFAS crisis,
- gaps in addressing endocrine disruptors, and
- insufficient information for authorities on various hazards, including from polymers.
REACH clearly needs to be simplified and modernised.
We will simplify the system of authorisations and restrictions. This means fewer individual authorisations and more broad restrictions with higher predictability for businesses.
Decisions will come faster, without lowering protection for people or nature. Today, we simply dont have enough data. So we want to improve the information we get during registration, especially about harmful effects like endocrine disruption.
The revision will also address animal testing – an issue that is important to many citizens.
The Commission is committed to reducing its use, and we will foster non-animal methods in chemical safety assessments.
We will also strengthen enforcement and border controls on imports, while increasing coordination between Member States.
Ladies and gentlemen, the REACH revision is essential, and we are working hard to get there.
But it needs a strong foundation and a strong evidence base – and we are ready to do whatever it takes to deliver that.
We are also working on a REACH review that takes stock of the successes and addresses the shortcomings from an environmental and business perspective.
As you probably heard, our Regulatory Scrutiny Board has asked us to look again, to re-examine and strengthen our analysis – and we are working on that.
Let me return to PFAS pollution for a moment.
Ms. Jensen, colleagues in HEAL, youre correct when you highlight uneven PFAS protection across Europe. And I welcome your new report on this issue. Youre right, fragmented approaches do not work well. Yes, this is a borderless crisis. And yes, EU and complementary national action is essential.
My recent visits to Flanders and Finland, and indeed my time as Commissioner for the Environment, have left a strong mark.
PFAS have also left a mark – quite literally. My recent blood test shows that I am not entirely PFAS free -- like many other citizens across Europe.
This is a vital public health issue, and my priority is to work for an EU-ban on PFAS in consumer products.
This will protect our health and wellbeing – and those we hold dearest.
For industrial use, we are looking for a balanced solution that addresses pollution while providing legal certainty.
In some cases that will mean an outright ban.
For example, the Commission will soon ban all PFAS in firefighting foams – which are a major source of environmental contamination in the EU.
However, some PFAS are important in critical industrial areas, including the green and digital transition.
So, we will continue to allow PFAS in critical sectors, such as health, until adequate alternatives are found.
However, that doesnt mean a free for all.
It will need to be done under strict conditions to tackle emissions. The President was very clear in her State of the Union speech – science, research and innovation are key to Europes future.
And they will play a significant role in our efforts to tackle PFAS.
This is why the Chemicals Industry Action Plan will increase investment in research and innovation for safe alternatives to PFAS. Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are taking a two-fold approach: We need to stop new pollution – while also dealing with the pollution already present.
Just before the summer, we published the European Water Resilience Strategy.
We want to create a public-private initiative to drive innovation around the detection and removal of PFAS and other persistent chemicals.
For that we need partners willing to invest with us – so I need you to spread the word!
It is also important that we know exactly what were dealing with.
So Im very happy that, under the current legislation, Member States will have to ensure that PFAS are monitored in all drinking water supplied in the EU by 12 January 2026. Similarly, the recently agreed Soil Monitoring Law obliges Member States to track PFAS in soil.
And just last week we agreed with the European Parliament and the Council to strengthen European rules to prevent PFAS pollution in Europes surface and ground waters. Ladies and gentlemen,
In our quest to build a cleaner and more competitive Europe, I will be guided by science, stakeholders expertise, and citizens expectations.
You play an important role in all three pillars.
So I want to thank you for your engagement and dedication.
But were not done yet, so I ask you to continue and even increase your vital work.
We will continue to base our policies on serious impact assessments.
But these policies are only as good as their implementation.
That means we are all involved. Multiple stakeholders in multiple locations at multiple levels.
Events like this one are an essential part of this process.
So I am looking forward to continuing hearing your views, recommendations and needs.
And I am confident that, together, we can shape the revision of REACH.
We can work to tackle PFAS.
And we can strengthen public health, society, nature and our economies.
