The European Commission has published its 2026 REACH Restrictions Roadmap, giving manufacturers a clearer, stage-by-stage view of adopted, near-final and earlier-stage chemical controls. The roadmap does not itself create new restrictions.
What the 2026 REACH Restrictions Roadmap Shows
The updated roadmap was published on 31 August 2026 after a CARACAL consultation in July 2026. It sorts restrictions by stage rather than by indicative date, and the accompanying article gives no timing for individual substances.
Companies should use the updated stages to prioritise substitution and evidence work for PFAS, chromium(VI), 6PPD-related tyre chemicals, bisphenols, flame retardants, phthalates and other exposed portfolios.
What’s New
- Adopted since April 2022: restrictions on 2,4-dinitrotoluene in articles, PFAS in fire-fighting foams, PFHxA, siloxanes, microplastics, formaldehyde-releasing articles and lead in PVC, plus 19 groups of newly classified CMR 1A/1B substances.
- Near-final (ECHA opinions adopted, Commission measure being prepared): MCCPs, lead in fishing tackle and gunshot, 26 newly classified CMR 1A/1B substances, creosote, hydrogenated terphenyl, calcium cyanamide and CMRs in childcare products.
- In ECHA committee opinion-making: the universal PFAS restriction, certain chromium(VI) oxides, oxyacids and salts, and octocrylene.
- Earlier stage: certain bisphenols, non-polymeric aromatic brominated flame retardants, PPDs and PDs, PVC and its additives, organophosphorus flame retardants, 1,4-dioxane, C4–C6 ortho-phthalates, thermal-paper substances and lead-containing pigments.
Key Dates & Timeline
Who and What Is in Scope
Industries: Light duty vehicles · Heavy duty vehicles · Automotive components · Tyres and rubber · Electrical and electronic equipment · Coatings and adhesives
Who is affected: Manufacturers, importers and downstream users planning substitution for PFAS, chromium(VI), PPD tyre chemicals, bisphenols, flame retardants, phthalates and other exposed portfolios; regulatory affairs and procurement teams.
Products and standards in scope: Substances and substance groups at each stage of the REACH restriction process, from adopted Annex XVII entries to earlier-stage candidates on the Registry of Intentions.
Requirements and restrictions: No new obligation. Inclusion on the roadmap is not an adopted restriction; binding limits come only from Annex XVII entries once adopted, so companies should separate binding requirements from cases still under decision.
What Companies Should Do
- Match your substance and material portfolio against the near-final and opinion-making lists first.
- Prioritise substitution and evidence work for PFAS, chromium(VI), PPD-type tyre chemicals, bisphenols and flame retardants.
- Keep adopted restrictions separate from roadmap-stage cases in your compliance register.
The roadmap is a planning tool, not a new rule. Use its stages to sequence substitution work, with MCCPs, the universal PFAS restriction and chromium(VI) the ones closest to decision.
Related: REACH compliance services | Long-Chain PFCAs Added to POPs Regulation
European Commission — Revised REACH Restrictions Roadmap — https://transition-pathways.europa.eu/chemicals/regulatory-roadmap/european-commission-unveils-revised-reach-restrictions-roadmap
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