IT IS finally going to happen. Next week, after years of debate, the European Union is expected to adopt its largest legal framework ever. REACH entails the 鈥渞egistration, evaluation and authorisation鈥� of some 30,000 commercial chemicals, over half never tested for toxicity before. Even green campaigners, who are not entirely happy with the final package, call it the most progressive chemicals legislation in the world.
Its effects won鈥檛 kick in for a while. Companies will only have to register chemicals they make, import or use after the European Chemicals Central Agency starts up in Helsinki, Finland, in 2008. At first they will register only chemicals they make in quantities over 1000 tonnes a year, with quantities over a tonne by 2019.
However, REACH will still require firms in Europe to produce environmental and human safety data for tens of thousands of chemicals. Information only exists for some 12,000 chemicals in use, so the next decade will see an orgy of testing the rest.
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It is unclear which toxicology tests will be necessary, but chemicals executives and greens agree on one thing: if you are looking for a career with prospects, become a toxicologist.