RAC (Committee for Risk Assessment) and SEAC (Committee for Socio-economic Analysis) have published their draft opinions on the proposed restriction of Cr(VI).

Compared with the original ECHA restriction proposal, this draft contains exposure and emission limit values that are, in some cases, significantly stricter. In particular, the values proposed by the RAC – 0.1 µg/m³ for workplace exposure and 0.25 kg of emissions per year – would pose considerable challenges for numerous companies in the surface treatment sector.

The SEAC has assessed the various restriction scenarios from a Socio-economic perspective. In our view, the impact on industrial value chains and downstream sectors has not been adequately taken into account. The long-term consequences for competitiveness, key technologies and industrial supply chains in Europe therefore deserve particular attention.

The current draft does not contain a final recommendation. The political assessment and decision will be made by the European Commission and the Member States in the forthcoming stages of the procedure.

The publication of the draft opinions on 17 June 2026 marked the start of the 60-day public consultation. In addition, ECHA is offering an information webinar on 30 June 2026 on the current status of the procedure.

Vecco e.V. calls on all affected businesses and stakeholders to take an active part in the public consultation and to share their experiences and views on the proposed measures.

Further information, as well as links to the public consultation and the ECHA webinar, can be found on the ECHA website.