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UK REACH

UK REACH

 
 
 
 

The EU/UK transition period came to an end at 11:00pm UK time on 31st December 2020, which is when EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) stopped applying to the UK marketplace.

Through the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 the UK Government transposed EU REACH into UK law. Regulatory requirements to manufacture and import chemical products in the UK will stand with registration, evaluation, authorisation, and restrictions remaining key elements of the new UK-REACH system. 

UK REACH became law on 1st January 2021 and there were several milestones throughout 2021 for businesses with REACH obligations to make notifications within the Gov.UK portal regarding the chemicals they were involved in. However, DEFRA have recently announced a review into alternative models to the registrations process in response to joint communications from industry trade bodies.

As with all matters surrounding Brexit and the implications it may have across the chemical industry UK REACH remains a high priority in our management meetings so we, as a business, can proactively plan and prepare for the future.

Detailed below is our response and plan for the transition period and beyond. Please note, this is not a final strategy, as new legislation and rulings are announced we will review and adapt where necessary so please continue to check this page for updates.

Our plan for EU REACH

We have:

  • Transferred our existing EU Reach registrations across to our EU based sister company
  • Communicated with UK based EU Reach registrants to confirm they have/are taking actions to ensure we can continue to export their product into the EU27.
  • Communicated with non-EU based suppliers to ensure their EU Reach registration will still be valid post 31st December 2020.
  • Continued to request and manage EU27 Reach Tonnage Certificates for all non-EU supply routes

Our plan for UK REACH

  • UK Reach only really covers goods placed onto the market in Great Britain as Northern Ireland have special arrangements.
  • We have made notifications within the UK Reach IT system for the products where we have previously held EU Reach registrations so that we benefit from Grandfathering rights.
  • We have made a Downstream User Import Notification (DUIN) within the UK Reach IT System for the products where we are now an importer from outside of the UK.
  • The Monarch DUIN Number is: UK-20-683281044-8-0000

Trade with Northern Ireland

Goods placed onto the market in Northern Ireland from GB must meet the requirements of EU27 Reach.

Goods placed onto the market in GB from Northern Ireland have a significantly reduced requirement to meet UK Reach as long as they comply with EU Reach.

We can, of course, only plan based on the information made available to us from the government, our customers, and our suppliers. However, please be assured we will endeavour to continue to provide uninterrupted chemical supply and first-class customer service during this period of change.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local Account Manager directly.

 

Last reviewed: January 2024