New EU law puts chemicals through safety tests

HELSINKI, June 1 (Reuters) Far-reaching safety rules on tens of thousands of chemicals used in everyday items from car seats to face cream took effect in the European Union today, obliging firms to show their products comply.

The regulations cover substances used in a huge variety of goods, with firms in the EU scrambling to assemble the required data on all the chemicals they produce or import.

The EU law, known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals), is the most ambitious such legislation in the world, European Commission Vice President Guenter Verheugen told a news conference today.

''It does not damage European industry; on the contrary, others will follow. There is a strong interest to learn from our experience,'' he said.

The European Parliament and EU governments approved a final version of the bill in December after years of fierce debate between environmentalists and industry.

The law requires the properties of roughly 30,000 chemicals produced or imported into the EU to be registered with the agency. Those of highest concern, such as carcinogens, would require testing and authorisation, a process that could lead to outright bans.

''It will be a competitive advantage, to have the data available,'' Verheugen said.

With Friday's opening of the Helsinki-based European Chemicals agency (ECHA), the new rules officially entered the EU rulebooks, starting a countdown for firms to submit their data.

Companies had 18 months to collect information for the ''pre-registration'' phase and to arrange partners to share animal testing results.

Verheugen said simplification and cost-effectiveness should guide the operations of the new agency, but said implementing REACH will be a challenge.

Environmentalists and industry continue to squabble over the directive, which, over the years, companies have called too expensive and activists have said are not strict enough.

The law's detractors include the United States on trade grounds, African nations anxious about exports to the EU, animal rights groups, which forecast a huge increase in tests on animals, and the metals sector, alarmed at the cost.

REUTERS DS RN1910