Abstract: A nickel and/or cobalt chemical plating bath comprises: a salt of the metal(s) to be deposited; one or more complexing agents of said metal(s), a reducing agent based on boron or phosphorous; and a stabilizing agent. To avoid including sources of corrosion and/or toxic substances in the plating, the stabilizing agent comprises a water soluble organic compound which possesses a readily accessible electron pair, and which does not include any metal or metalloid from group IIIa (other than boron or aluminum), IVa (other than carbon), Va (other than nitrogen or phosphorous), VIa (other than oxygen), or VIIa (other than fluorine or chlorine).