The REACH 2025 Conference ↗ focused on both current and emerging aspects of European chemicals legislation, examining recent regulatory developments and their potential impact on companies and Member States.

The event brought together a diverse group of speakers and participants from various sectors of industry, regulatory and enforcement bodies, academia, and other key stakeholders, including representatives from the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency ↗, national authorities, and industry associations.

Over 160 participants – from EU institutions, national authorities, academia, and industry – gathered to discuss how to make Europe’s chemicals legislation simpler, smarter, and safer. The discussions went beyond technical updates, touching on how new data and partnerships can accelerate safer use of chemicals and improve public health. Presentations and discussion covered the wide range of topics, including safety of consumer products, the European Chemicals Industry Action Plan ↗ and upcoming revision of the REACH Regulation, the 6th Simplification Omnibus on chemicals, Ukraine chemicals legislation including REACH (pre)registration and regulatory enforcement activities by member states.

The PARC partnership was represented in the "Knowledge Base and Enforcement" session by Ľubica Murínová, who presented an overview of human biomonitoring (HBM) activities within PARC, with a particular focus on the general HBM surveys.

Human biomonitoring is a key source of data for evidence-based regulatory decision-making, said Ľubica Murínová during her presentation. It is essential to ensure the wide participation of stakeholders at the national level through PARC National Hubs. We are also advancing activities on Safe and Sustainable by Design and strengthening science-to-policy collaboration through initiatives such as the KARC document, she added.

Participants at the REACH 2025 Conference, including representatives from national authorities, European institutions, and industry, showed strong interest in PARC’s activities and expressed clear expectations for the project’s forthcoming results and data, which will provide solid scientific evidence to support chemical policy-making. Discussions also focused on the use of HBM data for ongoing regulatory restrictions, highlighting its growing role in evidence-based decisions.

It was particularly encouraging to see participants eager to learn more about PARC’s achievements so far and interested in joining the PARC network at the national level. The conference offered a valuable opportunity to share information and explore future cooperation between external stakeholders and PARC.

The REACH 2025 Conference took place at a particularly significant moment in the EU’s policy landscape, with the European Green Deal emphasizing the goal of "simplification" — to be achieved without compromising the health of citizens or the protection of the environment. In this context, science, industry, and policymakers are under increasing pressure to find effective and sustainable solutions for the years ahead. With the revision of EU chemicals legislation underway, it was vital for European Commission representatives to present the current direction, possible outcomes, and key deadlines, while industry stakeholders contributed valuable insights on the practical challenges they face, including high energy costs, global competition, and administrative burdens.