MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Administrative and environmental constraints imposed by the Seveso III Directive and REACH Regulation and their impact on European ammunition and powder production – E-001611/2025(ASW)

The Seveso-III Directive[1] establishes rules to prevent major accidents involving dangerous substances and mitigate their consequences for human health and the environment.

Military establishments, installations, and storage facilities are exempt from the Seveso-III Directive. Non-military companies supplying hazardous substances for military applications, which often involve substances that are explosive, toxic, or highly flammable, are within the scope of the directive when the quantity of hazardous substances exceeds the thresholds in Annex I.

According to data from the European Major Accident Reporting System[2], the production and storage of explosives and other chemical substances rank among the top ten activities associated with major accidents.

This is why the Commission does not intend to propose reducing obligations or introducing exemptions for civil companies supplying hazardous substances for military applications.

Regarding the regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)[3], the Commission’s proposal for a Defence Omnibus[4] broadens the scope of the Member States’ defence exemption by not limiting it to specific cases. Moreover, the Commission is examining possible measures to simplify REACH in the context of its upcoming revision.

As regards the REACH registration procedure, the European Chemicals Agency[5] is subject to short legal deadlines for reacting and providing registration numbers upon submission of dossiers by registrants.

• [1] Directive 2012/18/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directive 96/82/EC, OJ L 197, 24.7.2012, p. 1-37.
• [2] https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/projects-activities/major-accident-reporting-system-emars_en.
• [3] Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC, OJ L 396, 30.12.2006.
• [4] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/european-commission-unveils-defence-readiness-omnibus-and-edf-interim-evaluation-2025-06-17_en.
• [5] https://echa.europa.eu/.