At their meetings in September 2025, the RAC (Risk Assessment Committee) and the SEAC (Socio-Economic Analysis Committee), the two scientific Committees of ECHA (European Chemicals Agency), worked on two restriction dossiers developed under the REACH Regulation that are relevant to cosmetics.
Octocrylene
The two committees agreed that France’s restriction proposal for Octocrylene meets the requirements of Annex XV of REACH and the opinion development can start.
A six-month consultation on this proposal is now open until on 24 March 2026 (See the related article).
PFAS
RAC and SEAC also continued evaluating the EU-wide proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
SEAC reached provisional conclusions for PFAS uses in energy and lubricants while RAC reached provisional conclusions for electronics and semiconductors.
Both committees started discussing PFAS manufacturing and continued examining horizontal issues such as concentration limits, above which PFAS could be restricted, hazard assessments and general risk management measures to monitor and reduce environmental emissions.
ECHA has confirmed that, as previously announced, the RAC is expected to adopt its final opinion in March 2026, and that a 60-day consultation is planned in parallel on the draft opinion of the SEAC, whose final opinion is expected to be adopted by the end of 2026.
Sources
• Highlights from September RAC and SEAC meetings, ECHA, All News, ECHA/NR/25/31, 24 September 2025
• Annex to news: Highlights from September RAC and SEAC meetings, ECHA, 24 …
