🇪🇺🔬 Mapping Chemicals Across EU’s Legal Frameworks: Toward a ‘One Substance, One Assessment’ Approach
🧭 Introduction
Chemicals are integral to modern life — used in everything from agriculture to medicine to manufacturing. However, ensuring that these substances are safe for people and the planet is an enormous regulatory challenge. The European Union is pioneering a forward-thinking solution: the "One Substance, One Assessment" (OSOA) approach. This new model aims to streamline and unify chemical evaluations across sectors, offering more consistent, transparent, and science-based decisions.
📚 Background
Currently, chemical substances are assessed separately under different legal frameworks, such as:
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REACH (for industrial chemicals)
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CLP (Classification, Labelling, and Packaging)
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Biocidal Products Regulation
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Pesticides Legislation
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Food Contact Material Regulations
This fragmented approach can lead to duplicated efforts, inconsistent results, and regulatory inefficiencies. Recognizing these issues, the EU has begun mapping how chemicals are managed across these frameworks, paving the way for a more cohesive evaluation system.
🧪 The OSOA Vision
The One Substance, One Assessment concept is designed to:
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📋 Reduce duplication of scientific evaluations
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⚖️ Harmonize risk assessments across sectors
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📈 Increase regulatory efficiency
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🌍 Protect human health and the environment more effectively
By enabling a single, coordinated assessment per substance, OSOA ensures that every chemical is evaluated consistently, no matter where or how it is used.
🔍 How Mapping Supports OSOA
Mapping is the critical first step. It involves:
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Identifying overlaps and gaps in chemical regulations
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Aligning data requirements and scientific methods
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Creating a unified information base for substance evaluations
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Fostering collaboration between EU agencies (such as ECHA, EFSA, EMA)
This groundwork is essential for transitioning from a multi-framework evaluation to a streamlined, cross-sector assessment system.
🌱 Broader Implications
This regulatory evolution is a key pillar of the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability under the European Green Deal. OSOA will:
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🚫 Restrict harmful substances more effectively
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🔄 Promote sustainable and circular use of chemicals
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✅ Improve consumer and environmental safety
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🧠 Support innovation in green chemistry and safer alternatives
🏆 Award-Worthy Innovation
This initiative reflects excellence in:
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Regulatory science and innovation
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Sustainable chemicals management
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Policy harmonization across EU member states
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Protecting citizens through smarter governance
The OSOA initiative is not only a regulatory reform — it is a transformative vision for chemical safety in the 21st century.
🔚 Conclusion
The journey toward One Substance, One Assessment marks a significant step in building a coherent, efficient, and protective chemical regulatory framework in Europe. By unifying assessments and simplifying complex legal structures, the EU is leading the way in ensuring a healthier and more sustainable future — one substance at a time.
32nd Edition of International Research Awards on Science, Health and Engineering | 30-31 May 2025 |Paris, France
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