Anal Bioanal Chem (2002) 372 : 1 DOI 10.1007/s00216-001-1166-x

E D I TO R I A L

François Mathey

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

Published online: 14 December 2001 © Springer-Verlag 2001

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry is the sixth member of the European family of chemical journals. Resulting from a collaboration between ten European chemical societies and two major commercial publishers, these journals provide a combination of excellent scientific quality, reasonable subscription rates and high commercial efficiency. They were founded seven years ago by several chemical societies in continental Europe with the intention of publishing the best chemistry from Europe and the rest of the world, while promoting and preserving the desirable and necessary diversity of the scientific publications. We are proud of the performance of the European system and are quite sure that Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry will become a major force in the near future. The appearance of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry is quite timely. At present, the European Commission in Brussels is preparing a directive dealing with new safety and handling rules for commercial chemical products, some of which have been on the market for many years without any problems. The balance between safety in its broadest sense and the needs of the market is a delicate one, and the importance of these new rules for the chemical industry and its partners in academic and indusF. Mathey (✉) Société Française de Chimie, 250, rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France e-mail: [email protected]

trial research is quite obvious. Naturally, the regulations are based upon results obtained from analytical testing. For this reason, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry has a major role to play in bridging the divide between the needs of the chemical industry and the environment. Only a reasonable, scientifically sound approach can provide the compromise necessary for innovation and economic viability within the European chemical industry whilst minimising risks to the environment and human health. This exciting and never-ending challenge is one to which the community of analytical chemists will surely contribute handsomely.

François Mathey President of the French Chemical Society Professor of Chemistry at École Polytechnique Director of Research of C.N.R.S. Member of the French Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina Academy and Academia Europaea.