The Commission Recommendation in a nutshell
The Commission Recommendation on the European assessment framework for 'safe and sustainable by design' (SSbD), revised in March 2026, aims at promoting a voluntary decision-making approach to guide innovation towards chemicals and materials that are safer and more sustainable over the whole life cycles.
It offers support for:
- enhancing competitiveness by efficiently steering innovation processes and advancing knowledge and science towards safer and more sustainable alternatives, thereby also supporting the transition towards cleaner and more sustainable industries
- substituting or minimising the production and use of substances of concern, aligning but also including actions going beyond minimum legal compliance
- minimising health, climate, and environmental impacts during the sourcing, production, use, and end-of-life stages of chemicals, materials, and products
This Recommendation does not create nor interfere with Union legal obligations for chemicals and materials but will serve as a guide for anticipatory actions and decisions within the innovation process.
To whom is it addressed?
This Recommendation is addressed to Member States, industry (including small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), startups, scaleups and spin-offs), higher education institutions, organisations managing research and technology infrastructures, and research and technology organisations that contribute to or work on the design, development, production and uptake of chemicals and materials.
It invites them to:
- use the SSbD Framework in projects and activities related to chemicals or materials, with the objective to apply safety and sustainability considerations systematically
- refer to the SSbD Framework in relevant documents, including strategic research and innovation agendas.
Revision of the SSbD Framework
To make sure that the SSbD framework works well in practice, the Commission set up a testing period where EU Member States, businesses, universities and research organisations could try it out and provide their feedback. The goal of this testing phase was to collect insights and improve the framework, making it more useful, accurate and easier to apply. This testing took place over two rounds, one in 2023 and another one in 2024. During this time, over 80 case studies were submitted, reviewed and discussed.
In addition, two large workshops were held in 2023 and 2024, each bringing together more than 500 participants, and a survey on the draft updated SSbD Framework was organised in 2025.
SSbD Framework that informed the revised Commission Recommendation
Support for the user
To help users apply the SSbD framework in practice:
- The Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published a Methodological Guidance that provides practical suggestions on the most commonly encountered issues when applying the framework. An updated version of the Methodological Guidance will be available in April 2026.
- The Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) is developing a toolbox that provides an overview of existing tools for each step of the framework.
- JRC together with PARC are organizing annual SSbD Bootcamps (see relevant events below).
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Timeline
- December 2025Revised Framework published
- 6 March 2026Revised Commission Recommendation will be adopted
- 20 March 2026SSbD event
- April 2026Methodological Guidance report version 2 expected to be published.
Documents
The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework for chemicals and materials was proposed by the JRC in 2022, supporting the related European Commission Recommendation of 2022. Those have been tested in different contexts and by different stakeholders, providing indications towards an SSbD revision.
This Methodological Guidance clarifies some aspects of the voluntary application of the ‘safe and sustainable by design’ (SSbD) framework for chemicals and materials.
Latest
The Commission adopted today a revised recommendation on the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework, reinforcing Europe’s commitment to chemicals and materials innovation that aligns with the Clean Industrial Deal’s ambition for a toxic-free, circular, and competitive economy.
Events
This "Safe and Sustainable by Design: Accelerating the Industrial Transition" conference will bring together the European SSbD community, including industry leaders, policymakers, researchers and innovators from across Europe.
During this workshop the Joint Research Center will give an update on the outcomes of the 2nd reporting period of the SSbD framework and will discuss the ways forward leading to its revision and the development of criteria in 2025.
During this workshop the Joint Research Center will give an update on the outcomes of the first reporting period of the SSbD framework. We will conclude on the ways forward in order to have an improved second testing phase in spring 2024, leading to criteria development in 2025.
This interactive event brings together SSbD experts, researchers, and practitioners to explore the latest developments regarding the SSbD framework and strengthen innovation for safer and more sustainable chemicals and materials.
This Boot Camp will provide you with a unique opportunity to get fundamental insights in SSbD thinking, learn how to apply the EU SSbD framework from experts in the field, share knowledge and experience, and become part of the growing SSbD community. It is a two full and two half-day event.
The JRC in collaboration with the European PARC partnership are hosting the first SSbD Boot Camp, dedicated to participants with a technical-scientific background, interested in being part of the community implementing the SSbD framework.
Youtube recordings