
The impact of chemical legislation on businessactivity and innovation
In today’s society, there are significant issues with the use and emissions of hazardous chemicals. The EU continuously updates chemical legislation to restrict and phase out harmful substances, but the impact varies across businesses. At the same time, the transition to green technology and electrification requires ensuring that new emissions and pollutants do not harm people or the environment.
The project aims to investigate how chemical legislation affects the phase-out of hazardous substances in different industries, as well as its impact on business competitiveness and innovation. The focus is on practical challenges within the manufacturing industry and how varying regional regulations within the EU influence companies’ efforts to eliminate hazardous substances. These aspects are analyzed by the Metals & Minerals and Net Zero Industry program offices.
The results will be used to evaluate and recommend improvements to legislation to facilitate compliance and enable the effective phase-out of undesirable substances. The project is primarily conducted through literature reviews and interviews with companies across various industries, including automotive, electronics, chemicals, steel, and batteries. It also includes businesses of different sizes, ranging from startups to established companies, to provide a comprehensive view of how the phase-out of hazardous substances is implemented in practice.