Assessing Chemical Risks to Biodiversity: Current status, Gaps, and Recommendations for future action

Chemical exposure is increasingly recognised as a potential driver of biodiversity loss, yet quantitative relationships and its relative importance compared to other stressors remain poorly studied. The European Union (EU) has intensified efforts to reduce pollution and restore biodiversity through strategic initiatives such as the Biodiversity Strategy, Farm to Fork Strategy, Zero Pollution Action Plan, and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.  Key chemicals regulations, including REACH and the Plant Protection Products Regulation, aim to safeguard ecosystems, however, due to the complexity it is difficult to measure their direct impact on maintaining or improving biodiversity objectives.

A multidisciplinary Task Force convened by ECETOC has assessed the current state of biodiversity research efforts and its integration within EU chemical regulation. This evaluation encompassed EU legislation, strategic documents, EU-funded research projects, and peer-reviewed literature to identify definitions, metrics, and methodologies used to characterise biodiversity, and to highlight gaps in linking chemical exposure to biodiversity outcomes.

Our analysis indicates that biodiversity is currently referenced in chemical regulation mainly in qualitative terms, biodiversity research rarely focuses explicitly on chemical impacts, and research findings are not clearly linked to regulatory frameworks. The relationship between biodiversity and chemical impacts is further complicated by inconsistent definitions and metrics of biodiversity across disciplines and biomes, as well as minimal alignment with chemical risk assessment practices.

The presentation will summarise these findings and outline recommendations to strengthen the integration of biodiversity considerations into chemical regulation. Recommendations include: developing an operational definition of biodiversity applicable across regulatory contexts; standardising metrics and indicators; establishing a centralised data platform for biodiversity research; and leveraging existing data, methodologies, tools and new technologies (e.g. machine learning).

Preliminary outcomes from a multistakeholder workshop planned for May 2026 will also be shared. This workshop aims to explore available and developing biodiversity definitions, metrics and methodologies relevant to chemical risk assessment, and to identify key actions to bridge the gap between existing scientific understanding and policy objectives for better chemicals management.