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Sector news

HSPA General Assembly

On 29th October 2025, the OSPA General Assembly took place in Brussels.

A key focus of HSPA’s work was the discussion on the potential classification of n-hexane as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC). Slovenia submitted a dossier, and the Member State Committee’s decision is expected in December.

In parallel, the assessment of hexane as an extraction solvent by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) was addressed. Despite critical media coverage, associations emphasize compliance with strict limits and the high purity of the product.

In the area of sustainability, work continued on comprehensive Environmental Footprint datasets for solvent categories. Some are complete, with more expected by mid-2026. An update to EF 4.0 is planned for 2027.

For the 2025/2026 term, Anna Tancorra (ExxonMobil) will chair HSPA, and Jérome Durantet (TotalEnergies Fluids) will lead the Technical Committee. The next General Assembly will take place on Monday 26th October 2026 in Brussels.

n-Hexane

Ahead of the ECHA Member State Committee meeting of December (MSC-92 meeting of 8–12 December 2025), where n-hexane was confirmed to be a topic of the agenda, HCSC (the Hydrocarbon Solvents REACH Consortium) is organizing its participation to ensure the scientific basis of the discussion and that all critical aspects of this complex case are considered. It will be followed by a vote of the MSC (Member States Committee) members pro or against the SVHC (Substance of Very High Concern) proposal, whereby new regulatory obligations for the manufacturers of n-hexane or n-hexane containing substances might result in case unanimity of the vote is reached in favour of the SVHC proposal.

EFSA

In parallel, an EFSA re-evaluation of hexane is taking place, and it requires close cooperation between HCSC and the Fediol (the EU Vegetable Oil and Proteinmeal Industry Association). In parallel, EFSA issued a self-mandate to come up with a guidance document to assess the safety of extraction solvents (to be completed within 12 months). Presumably, this work will run in parallel with the re-evaluation of hexane and perhaps the hexane assessment will lead to a new guidance.

HCSC is investigating how the hexane re-evaluation of EFSA will be articulated into the REACH SVHC process.