Thabo Mbeki, President, African National Congress, expressed his concerns to the eu regarding its Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (reach) legislation. reach is designed to protect people and the environment from adverse effects of chemicals found in wide ranging products. reach also covers metals, steel, alloys, waste and scrap material. As African nations heavily depend on mining, if reach is passed in its present form people might suffer, feels Jerry Matjila, South African ambassador to the eu.

Mbeki fears reach , which is applicable to metals and chemical substances would generate costs that would push African, Caribbean and Pacific states into further poverty. Under reach, chemicals makers would have to register the properties of substances with a central eu database.