On November 5, 2025, the Council of the European Union adopted its position on simplifying the requirements applicable to chemicals. With significant changes from the Commission’s initial proposal, this provoked a strong reaction from industry.
In its press release, the Council states that it wants to “ensure that consumers remain protected while simplifying the rules for businesses.”
To this end, it is removing or watering down several of the measures proposed by the Commission in its “Omnibus” proposal, published in July 2025, particularly with regard to the Cosmetics Regulation.
This immediately sparked anger and protests from industry representatives.
The Council’s position
The negotiating mandate given by the Council modifies the Commission’s proposal in two main areas: the management of CMRs and nanomaterials.
CMRs
• Time limits for applying prohibitions
The Commission proposed that products containing prohibited CMRs could continue to be placed on the market for 12 months and made available on the market for 24 months after the amendments to the annexes to the Regulation entered into force.
The Council shortened this period to 6 months for products placed on the market and 12 months for products made available on the market, arguing that these periods remain longer than those provided for in the current rules.
• Exemption from CMRs in case of oral or inhalation exposure
The Commission wanted to exempt CMRs for which these routes of …
