Chemicals bring about benefits on which modern society is entirely dependent, for example, in food production, medicines, textiles, and transport. They also make a vital contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of people in terms of trade and employment. However, certain chemicals have caused known damage to human health and the environment, other products are suspect, while the latent nature or magnitude of the effect of a plethora of chemicals is still unknown. The objective of the EU chemical policy is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment for both present and future generations, while ensuring the efficient functioning of the internal market and the competitiveness of the chemical industry. Fundamental to the policy is the precautionary principle: where there is reliable evidence that a substance may have an adverse impact, but there is scientific uncertainty about the precise nature or magnitude of potential damage, then decision making must be based on precaution. Another important objective is to encourage the substitution of dangerous chemicals by less harmful alternatives wherever possible.
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