The Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) directive was today approved by the European Parliament. REACH has been described as being one of the EU’s most important pieces of legislation for 20 years and will prevent diseases caused by dangerous chemicals, saving thousands of lives a year as well as millions of pounds of health costs. The adoption of this legislation is a big step forward for the protection of people and the environment.

The REACH regulation makes producers and importers responsible for analysing their chemicals and proving either that they are safe or that their use is necessary and strictly controlled. Dangerous chemicals will not be authorised in circumstances where safer alternatives exist.

An independent European Chemicals Agency will be established in Helsinki to oversee the way firms assess chemicals for safety, while all dangerous products will be independently examined under conditions that should stimulate the development of safer alternatives to the most dangerous substances.

It could be argued that a final text that leaves some environmentalists saying they hoped the law would go further than it did and some industry groups saying it went too far, cannot be too far wide of the mark.

There is a case to say that a compromise such as this is not perfect. However, a common set of rules on this important matter is better than a patchwork of perfect (but divergent) rules in some countries, half measures in others and no rules at all elsewhere - in what is supposed to be a common market with common rules. That would have given less protection at greater cost. This agreement also shows how useful the EU can be by sharing the burden of funding, testing and research. This is great news for everyone in Europe.