16/04/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 16 April, the European Parliament approved the Interinstitutional Agreement on Explosives Precursors (see EUROPE 12195/25). Adopted by 616 votes to 7 (21 abstentions), it provides for the addition of new chemical substances to the list of prohibited substances. This includes sulphuric acid, which is used to produce TATP, the explosive used in the attacks in Paris in 2015, Brussels in 2016 and Manchester in 2017; the conditions for obtaining licences to purchase and use explosives precursors and current registration systems will also be tightened and require more than just a piece of identification (including a criminal record check); merchant sites are also affected by the rules on the sale and reporting of suspicious transactions. The EU Council has yet to formally approve the new rules. The current authorisations will expire 12 months after their entry into force. Link to the final text: bit.ly/2PgJxHa. (SP)