The landmark EU chemicals safety regulation, REACH, will be based on tonnage produced rather than potential exposure of consumers, if the UK presidency gets its way.
But the bill is set for a turbulent debate before potentially becoming law in early 2006.
London on Tuesday (13 September) unveiled member states' compromise proposal on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals text, largely upholding the European Commission's original proposals on the subject.
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.