If you thought rules aimed at protecting Europeans and the environment from 30,000 chemicals sounded too ambitious, you were right. Under pressure from industry and governments the European Commission is being forced to water them down. Less safety information will be required for two-thirds of the chemicals, and the precise use of some of them will remain confidential.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ went to press, the EU issued its ground-breaking legislation for testing the safety of chemicals in common use. Chemical companies had condemned the earlier draft proposals, known as REACH, as too costly. The US, British, French and German…
