A landmark European Union plan to phase out hazardous chemicals — hailed in 2022 as the largest-ever such ban when launched — has made little progress four years on, according to a new report by green groups ClientEarth and the European Environmental Bureau. The European Commission has failed to begin regulating seven of the 22 targeted chemical groups and has "effectively frozen" work on seven more, with delays averaging two years beyond legally required deadlines; the groups say this has resulted in nearly 100,000 tonnes of extra chemical pollution. Researchers and lawyers describe the Commission as the "chief roadblock" to its own roadmap, with harmful substances including lead in ammunition, compounds in children's nappies linked to cancer, and toxic "forever chemicals" (long-lasting synthetic compounds that accumulate in the body and environment) still awaiting action.