The UK’s biggest manufacturing exporter has welcomed the release of new Government information on how post-Brexit regulation will work.

Nishma Patel, Policy Director at the Chemical Industries Association said “the extension of the registration timeframe is something we have been calling for and I am pleased the Government has listened to the arguments we put forward”.

An evidence gathering exercise undertaken by the Government to better understand the impact of UK REACH on the chemical sector and its supply chains concludes with the proposal to introduce a phased 6 year time-frame based on tonnage for the future registration of chemicals in the UK.

Patel continued “Whilst not avoiding a separate registration scheme and future replication of registrations in the UK, we believe the proposed timeline will support businesses in better managing the future registration process in the UK and minimise disruption to supply chains. With the newly suggested phased approach to registration, companies will be in the position to spread costs and resources over a longer period of time compared to the 2-years initially planned.

She concluded “Transposing REACH into UK law following the UK withdrawal from the EU represents a long standing concern for the chemical industry, with practical challenges envisaged in setting up future UK joint registrations and sharing data, considering the new, complex scenarios companies will face in maintaining access to both the UK and EU markets. Taking also in consideration the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe this is a right decision that will contribute to support the economic recovery and the resilience of our sector. While we welcome the announcement, there needs to be a deal between the UK and EU on a future relationship that will include close cooperation and an agreement on chemical data”

ENDS