Brussels, 11/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 11 December, the Council of the European Union adopted new rules on the marketing and use of chemical precursors enabling the manufacture of home-made explosives. The new rules limit public access to some substances over a certain level of concentration and, if this is the case, require possession of a licence. On the other hand, consumers will not need a licence to buy three chemicals, in certain concentrations, that are widely used as cleaning agents in swimming pools or as fertiliser - hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and nitromethane. The sales personnel will, however, be obliged to register all sales of these products. The regulation is also intended to strengthen the reporting of suspicious transactions. The European Parliament adopted its position on 20 November. (SP/transl.fl)