The Civil Liberties Committee in the European Parliament endorsed a draft law to restrict the general public's access to chemicals that can be used to make home-made explosives. Once definitly approved, the new law will mean that consumers will have to obtain a licence to buy these products, although some exemptions will be possible. The text has been already agreed by Parliament and Council representatives.

MEPs at the Civil Liberties Committee endorsed a draft law to restrict the general public's access to chemicals that can be used to make home-made explosives. Most terrorist attacks in recent years have used explosive devices, many of which were home made from chemicals, such as fertilizers or swimming pool cleaning tablets, that are currently widely available to the general public. The proposal for the draft law was approved by the Civil Liberties Committee in October 2011.

According to MEPs, the key aim of the new rules is to restrict the access of the general public (i.e. private users), to high-risk chemicals in concentrations that make them easy to use to make home-made explosives. Sales of products containing chemicals listed in Annex I of the regulation will be banned if these chemicals exceed a certain concentration. Most consumers will be able to use alternative products that are already widely available. Chemicals in higher concentrations will be sold only to consumers who can document a legitimate need to use them, and MEPs ensured that these consumers will be able to obtain a licence to buy them.

The text, which has been already agreed by Parliament and Council representatives, will ensure that Member States have the same degree of control over access to certain chemicals throughout the EU. Some EU Member States already restrict the availability of such chemical precursors. However, due to differing national rules, they may be restricted or controlled in one country, yet freely available in another.