The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine on Friday advised Chinese enterprises to make preparations for the European Union's (EU) toughened rules on the export of chemicals.

The European Parliament on Wednesday endorsed a wide-ranging law to control the use of toxic chemicals in industry, which could result in enormous changes in the way the chemicals sector operates both inside and outside EU

Under the REACH regulation, which stands for Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals, producers and importers of chemicals in the EU will need to show that substances are safe before they can be placed on the market.

About 30,000 chemicals will be covered by the law, which will be screened over a period of 11 years. The law is expected to come into force next year.

Chinese enterprises should fully understand the impact the REACH regulation will have on their industry, said Wang Xin, an official with the administration.

Chinese exporters of chemicals should become familiar with the content the regulation and prepare relevant technical materials needed for future registration, Wang said.

Figures from the administration show China's exports to the EU, which are valued at tens of billions of euros may be affected by the legislation but did not give further details.

The administration has set up a special website to provide businesses with REACH-related information.