Further to the Commission's White Paper of February 2001, the strategy on chemical products aims to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment while ensuring the efficient functioning of the internal market for these products and stimulating innovation and the competitiveness of Europe's chemical industry. It is therefore envisaged that the current dual authorisation system, which distinguishes between existing substances and new substances for the purpose of testing requirements, will be converted into a single effective, coherent system for treating the majority of chemical substances.�