Brussels, 08/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - At the beginning of the European Health and Safety at Work Week 2003, the President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, and the European Commissioner for Social Affairs will launch a pan-European information campaign on the prevention of risks related to dangerous substances in the workplace in Strasbourg on 13 May. Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Director of the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work, will take part in the launch, according to an EP press release, which points out that one-fifth of EU employees (32 million people) are exposed to carcinogenic agents in the course of their professional activities, and that 22% of workers inhale fumes and vapours for at least a quarter of their working time. Furthermore, two-thirds of the 30,000 most commonly used chemicals in the EU have not been subjected to full and systematic toxicological tests, and only 12% of companies which use substances with known toxicological risks fully comply with risk prevention regulations (see yesterday's EUROPE, pages 7 and 8, on the European Commission's open consultation with regard to a bottom-up revision of legislation on chemical products).