Frank A. Barile, Colin Berry, Bas Blaauboer, Alan Boobis, Herrmann M. Bolt, Christopher Borgert, Wolfgang Dekant, Daniel Dietrich, Jose L. Domingo, Corrado L. Galli, Gio Batta Gori, Helmut Greim, Jan G. Hengstler, Pat Heslop-Harrison, Sam Kacew, Hans Marquardt, Angela Mally, Olavi Pelkonen, Kai Savolainen, Emanuela Testai, Aristides Tsatsakis, Nico P. Vermeulen

• The EU chemicals strategy for sustainability (CSS) asserts that both human health and the environment are presently threatened and that further regulation is necessary. In a recent Guest Editorial, members of the German competent authority for risk assessment, the BfR, raised concerns about the scientific justification for this strategy. The complexity and interdependence of the networks of regulation of chemical substances have ensured that public health and wellbeing in the EU have continuously improved. A continuous process of improvement inThe EU chemicals strategy for sustainability (CSS) asserts that both human health and the environment are presently threatened and that further regulation is necessary. In a recent Guest Editorial, members of the German competent authority for risk assessment, the BfR, raised concerns about the scientific justification for this strategy. The complexity and interdependence of the networks of regulation of chemical substances have ensured that public health and wellbeing in the EU have continuously improved. A continuous process of improvement in consumer protection is clearly desirable but any initiative directed towards this objective must be based on scientific knowledge. It must not confound risk with other factors in determining policy. This conclusion is fully supported in the present Commentary including the request to improve both, data collection and the time-consuming and bureaucratic procedures that delay the publication of regulations.…