The European ‘One Substance, One Assessment’ (OSOA) approach has been in force since 1 January 2026. Through this approach, the European Union aims to make the assessment of chemicals more efficient, consistent and transparent.
At present, chemicals are assessed under various areas of European legislation. This process may involve different European authorities. OSOA is designed to ensure that available data and scientific knowledge are shared more effectively and that assessments are better coordinated.
Two new regulations
Regulation (EU) 2025/2455 provides for the establishment of a common data platform for chemical substances. The platform is intended to make data from various European sources more accessible and reusable. This will make it easier to incorporate existing data into new assessments and help to minimise duplication of work.
Regulation (EU) 2025/2457 focuses, amongst other things, on the allocation of scientific and technical tasks and on improving cooperation between the relevant European agencies. The aim is to make more efficient use of expertise and available information and to improve consistency between different assessments.
Also relevant to food contact materials
This development is relevant to the packaging sector. In the case of food contact materials, consideration is given, amongst other things, to substances that may migrate from materials and packaging into foodstuffs, and to the potential health risks associated with this.
The European approach is intended to help ensure that scientific data on chemical substances are more readily available and that different European assessments are better aligned. For businesses, this means that European regulations concerning chemical substances and materials intended to come into contact with food will continue to evolve in the coming years.
The introduction of OSOA is therefore not a new safety regulation for packaging, but primarily a new way of organising the European assessment of chemical substances. The practical impact will become clearer in the coming years as the new systems and cooperation mechanisms are rolled out.
