The EU is imposing the monitoring of chemical substances

On Wednesday, December 13th, the European Parliament is due to adopt the REACH regulations that aim to register, evaluate and authorise some 30,000 chemical molecules currently on the market in the Union. "First of all the text deserves credit for its very existence", notes the editorialist Patrick Laam. "Which is no small achievement, in view of the complexity and sensitivity of the subject as well as the jousts it has provoked. The period of incertitude that had been prevailing for years is at last coming to an end. ... It remains to be seen how this text will actually be applied. Despite the desire to hide behind all the 'principles of precaution' imaginable, it has to be recognised that we will never be able to guarantee 100% non-toxicity of chemical substances ... . Henceforth we can predict that one profession is going to flourish in the coming years: that of the 'REACH expert', given the major head ache companies concerned can expect from the new regulation!"

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