The European Union's plan is to set up a system for the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals (REACH) under which companies must register all chemicals used and provide information on potential hazards.

The new rules, which have been under discussion for over two years, would also clamp down on the use of animals to test new chemicals used in everything from soap powder to children's toys and pesticides to building materials.

EU officials hope they will be in place by early next year if passed by the 25-nation bloc's legislature.

But the chemicals industry has been lobbying lawmakers hard for rules that are not too strict, warning jobs are on the line, while ecologists are pushing for tough regulations to protect consumers and the environment.

The vote in the European Parliament was highly complex, involving a web of amendments, and was expected to take at least a couple of hours before a definitive decision was reached.

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