Al-Ahram Weekly reports on one university's efforts to sustain the environment WITH FURTHER restrictions imposed on exporting chemical substances to European Union countries effective January 2009, preparations are underway to familiarise exporters with the new legislation and requirements. Prepared by the EU, the legislation is known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances), and will ban chemical substances and products containing chemical material from being exported to the EU if they are not registered in accordance with REACH. Sherif El-Gabbali, chairman of the Chamber of Chemical Industries (CCI) and head of Environmental Compliance Office (ECO), explained that both the CCI and ECO will "assist factories to register using the regulations to protect our markets in the EU." An orientation seminar was held this week to further explain the workings of REACH to Egyptian EU exporting factories and companies. The seminar was organised by the CCI and ECO under the auspices of Maged George, minister of state for environmental affairs, and Rachid Mohamed Rachid, minister of trade and industry. Young people from 30 Arab and Islamic states had a work-holiday in Port Nuweiba By Mahmoud Bakr
