Helsinki, 28 January 2026The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Management Board has adopted an updated policy for preventing potential conflicts of interest. The revised rules provide guidelines for the procurement of scientific services and clarify the independence requirements in ECHA’s committees and expert groups. Dr Sharon McGuinness, ECHA’s Executive Director, said:“For us, avoiding conflicts of interest is fundamental to ensure ECHA’s independence and transparency. The revised policy helps to safeguard public trust in our scientific opinions and independent decision-making.”In the procurement of scientific services, ECHA is assessing both companies and individual experts for any conflicts of interest before the start of the contract. The policy also provides guidelines for ECHA staff and further clarifies the independence requirements of the different members, advisers, observers and experts in ECHA’s committees and expert groups.