The European Union continues to push for safer chemicals by placing new restrictions on two commonly used industrial solvents and expanding its Candidate List of hazardous substances. Companies across Europe now face tighter rules under REACH, the EU’s chemical safety law, that aim to protect workers, consumers, and the environment.
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Stricter Controls for DMAC and NEP
Through a recent amendment to Annex XVII of European Union’s comprehensive chemical legislation (REACH), the solvents N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC, CAS 127-19-5) and 1-ethylpyrrolidin-2-one (NEP, CAS 2687-91-4) can no longer be used or sold in concentrations of 0.3% or higher unless strict safety measures are in place. This change, issued under Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1090, has officially taken effect from June 23, 2025.
The two substances in question are widely used in various industrial processes due to their solvency characteristics:
- DMAC is used to produce synthetic fibers, films, varnishes for electrical insulation, adhesives, and some car maintenance products.
- NEP is found in adhesives, paints, sealants, plastics and rubber processing, and oil and gas operations.
Studies have shown both substances can harm human reproduction and development. To limit health risks, new exposure thresholds have been set:
- For DMAC, the limit is 13 mg/m³ for inhalation and 1.8 mg/kg body weight per day through skin contact.
- For NEP, the limits are stricter, with 4.0 mg/m³ for inhalation and 2.4 mg/kg/day for skin exposure.
By December 23, 2026, companies must comply fully with these limits. An exception gives textile manufacturers using DMAC until December 23, 2029, to adapt, mainly to allow time for production upgrades like improved ventilation.
Three More Hazardous Chemicals Join the Candidate List
Separately, on June 25, 2025, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) added three more substances to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC), raising the total to 250 entries. This list points chemicals with serious health or environmental hazards that may later face even tighter controls through an authorisation process.
The three new substances are:
- 1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptamethyl-3-[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]trisiloxane (CAS 17928-28-8): Used in cosmetics, personal care products, perfumes, and lab reagents. It’s extremely persistent and builds up in living organisms.
- Decamethyltetrasiloxane (CAS 141-62-8): Also very persistent and bioaccumulative. Found in cosmetics, personal care items, lubricants, and car care products.
- Reactive Brown 51 (no CAS number assigned, EC 466-490-7): A textile dye flagged for its reproductive toxicity.
Next Steps
Companies must tell customers and consumers if it’s present in a product at more than 0.1 % by weight. Consumers can also ask suppliers directly whether a product contains any SVHCs. Importers and producers must notify ECHA if an article contains a listed substance within six months of its inclusion.
Suppliers must also update safety data sheets for the affected products. Under the EU’s waste rules, companies must report SVHC content in products to ECHA’s database for tracking substances of concern (SCIP). In addition, any product containing an SVHC cannot carry the EU Ecolabel.
Conclusion
These updates show the EU’s determination to keep pushing for safer chemicals and tighter oversight. By restricting DMAC and NEP and flagging now a total of 250 SVHCs, European regulators are putting more pressure on the industry to phase out harmful substances, invest in safer alternatives, and ensure better protection for workers and consumers alike.
