MEPs backed a draft law to restrict the general public's access to chemicals that can be used to make home-made explosives. In addition, they amended the draft to clarify licence-to-buy requirements for certain chemicals that can be found, for instance, in fertilizers or pool cleaners and the definition of a "suspicious transaction".

The Civil Liberties Committee at the European Parliament voted favorably a draft law which restricts access to chemicals that can be used to make home-made explosives. In recent years, most terrorist attacks have used explosive devices, many of which were home-made from chemicals, such as fertilizers or swimming pool cleaning agents that are currently widely available to the general public. The draft EU regulation would ensure the same level of control over access to certain chemicals throughout the EU.

On the other hand, some products, containing chemicals of concern for which concentration thresholds cannot be set, will continue to be sold without any restrictions to consumers, but their sales will be better controlled, for example through a mechanism for reporting "suspicious transactions" following the approval of the new rule. Recently, a team of researchers has developed a method that can determine the chemical composition of liquids and determining whether a suspicious device is explosive or not. This method will help to determine whether there is a suspicious transactions or not. MEPs also inserted amendments to clarify licence-to-buy requirements and safeguard data, making it mandatory for the Commission to lay down EU guidelines on these issues.

On the draft regulation, sales of products containing certain chemicals will be banned if these chemicals exceed a certain concentration. According to MEPs, most consumers will be able to use alternative products which are already widely available. Sales of chemicals in higher concentrations would be permitted only to consumers who can document a legitimate need to use the chemical. These consumers will be able to obtain a licence to continue purchasing those products.