The European Commission has opened a public consultation on plans to increase information requirements for chemicals registration, introduce the concept of ‘essential use’ and extend generic approaches to risk management under the REACH regime.

Suppliers will have to monitor for the presence of two pollutants known for their propensity to disrupt hormonal signalling in humans after the European Commission adopted an annex to the revised Drinking Water Directive.

The European Chemicals Agency has added four more chemicals to its list of ‘substances of very high concern’ because of their likely impact on human health or the environment.

Residues of pesticides, some of which are banned in the EU, have been found in fruit and vegetables in Italy, according to an analysis by national environmental group Legambiente published at the end of December.

A European Commission proposal to tighten limits for a range of persistent organic pollutants does not go far enough to tackle contamination in recycled products, health and environment groups have warned.