Towards a more effective REACH legislation in protecting human health.

This article presents the expert opinion of the Belgian Scientific Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Committee on the current functioning of REACH, the European Union’s chemical regulatory framework. It highlights the need for improvements in REACH to better incorporate modern scientific methods, ensure independent and transparent toxicity testing, and implement continuous post-market surveillance of chemicals, including their mixture and synergistic effects. The committee emphasizes the importance of faster decision-making processes, broader and more sensitive testing endpoints (such as endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and immunotoxicity), and a “no data, no market” principle to prevent hazardous chemicals from entering the market. Additionally, it calls for enhanced data accessibility and the establishment of independent oversight to reduce conflicts of interest and improve public health and environmental protection.