November 5, 2005 View all news EU needs strong chemicals regulation.(Saturday 5th Nov - Dublin) Today, Friends of the Earth Ireland demonstrated with body paint the effects that harmful chemicals in everyday products are causing to humans.Using body paint an artist recreated the effects that man-made chemicals are having on the liver, kidneys, thyroid gland and breast milk. The hazardous properties in many household brands can damage the body's reproductive organs, immune system and can cause cancer, asthma and allergies. Current chemicals legislation does not require chemical producers /manufacturers to provide a full list of chemical ingredients in consumer products, even though many of them have not passed basic safety tests.Paul Corbett of Friends of the Earth said, "Our bodies are now contaminated with more than 300 man-made chemicals. We want to create awareness about how consumers are exposed to products containing dangerous chemicals on a daily basis. We urge people to contact their MEPs and voice their concerns and help push for stronger chemicals legislation."In order to contribute to sustainable development and ensure the protection of human health and the environment, the EU has proposed a new chemicals strategy called 'REACH' (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals). REACH aims to register all chemicals sold in the EU together with data on their hazards. This legislation will oblige industry to provide safety data for the chemicals it releases into our bodies and our environment. Today's action was taken as part of a European-wide campaign to lobby MEPs before they take a critical vote on November 17th.