Complaints

Any directly concerned legal or natural person has the possibility of filing a complaint to ECHA against an alleged breach of the rules and principles set out in the relevant EU legislations, ECHA Support Documents and Tools or in the ECHA Code of Good Administrative Behaviour. The complaint may relate to ECHA’s decisions, practices, behaviours or omissions affecting the situation, condition or case of the complainant.

Complaints relating to other specific procedures (e.g. appeals against decisions regarding a selection procedure for a vacancy, requests for public access to documents, procurement procedures, personal data protection issues), are to follow the respective procedure outlined in the relevant ECHA pages.

How to file a complaint?

Your complaint must be brought up to ECHA within two years from the date on which you were informed of or have learnt about the facts on which your complaint is based.

You have the possibility to request confidential treatment of your complaint or certain parts thereof by indicating such a requirement in the complaint itself and by providing supporting reasoning or justification.

You can submit a complaint to ECHA by compiling the Complaints form.

Handling of the complaints

  • ECHA will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within two weeks; however, no acknowledgement of receipt and no reply will be sent in cases where letters or complaints are abusive because of their excessive number or because of their repetitive or pointless character.  
  • ECHA commits to reply within two months from the receipt of a complete complaint. This deadline may be extended depending on the complexity of the case, and this will be communicated to the complainant.
  • ECHA further commits to handle your complaint in line with ECHA’s Code of Good Administrative Behavior.

Are there any further steps or options available to me?

If you are not satisfied with ECHA’s response to your complaint, further means of action are available:

  • You may lodge a complaint with the European Ombudsman in accordance with Article 228 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union; or
  • You may challenge the legality of ECHA’s acts, omissions or behaviour before the General Court of the European Union at the conditions set out in Article 263 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union.