UK Regulatory News

With Brexit being implemented from 31st January 2020, the UK has formally left the EU with a withdrawal deal and it is currently into an 11-month transition period. The UK is no longer a mem...

With Brexit being implemented from 31st January 2020, the UK has formally left the EU with a withdrawal deal and it is currently into an 11-month transition period. The UK is no longer a member state of the EU and until the end of the transition period market access would continue the same terms as before. During this transition period, the UK will continue to remain strongly committed to the effective and safe management of chemicals. The UK will exit the transition period on the already set date 31st December 2020. 

The formal, ninth and final round of talks on a post-Brexit free trade treaty between the EU and the UK which had begun on September 29 were called off early in this month due to lack of progress. The UK and Europe are however set to resume the trade talks later this week. 

At the end of the Transition Period, the EU REACH Regulation will be brought into UK law under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and will be known as UK REACH regulation. REACH, and related legislation, will be replicated in the UK with the necessary changes to make it functional from 1st January 2021. The key principles of the EU REACH Regulation will be retained in UK REACH.  

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will play a key role in the UK's chemicals regulatory process together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency (EA) to ensure the effective and safe management of chemicals to safeguard human health and the environment. 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), early in September 2020, had announced tonnage band specific, staggered submission deadlines that will apply for the full submission of data. The full registration dossiers would hence need to be submitted within 2, 4 or 6 years, starting from October 28, 2021.  

In a private and very recent (October 2020) communication of Global Product Compliance (Europe) AB with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), they have indicated that, the chemicals legislation that will apply in the UK after the end of the transition period (31st December 2020) is subject to ongoing EU-UK trade negotiations, and the precise details are still being decided. Having said that, the legislation is likely to be very similar to that which was drawn up for a “no deal” scenario. The HSE authorities have indicated that the future legislation is likely to be similar to that which was drawn up for a “no deal” scenario (UK REACH) and as specified in the original ‘no-deal’ Statutory Instrument for UK REACH. The SI will be amended to account for any changes, including the date in which it comes into force any changes to REACH that can be retained as EU law. The notification/registration processes for the UK and non-UK based companies under UK REACH will be as per the most recent government guidance as published on 1st September 2020. The authorities have indicated that, UK REACH will apply to UK companies and non-UK companies will not have any duties under UK REACH. However, a non-UK manufacturer, formulator or producer of articles will have to appoint a UK-based only representative (OR) to fulfil the obligations of the UK importers. 

Global Product Compliance (Europe) AB has already set up a UK based OR entity ‘GPC UK’, to support its existing and new potential clients, to be able to comply with the challenges posed because of Brexit on substance exports to the UK.  

For more information or queries, please write to us at compliance@uk.gpcregulatory.com 

GPC invites you to our webinar on UK REACH regulations and its impacts for manufacturers of cosmetic products and raw materials on Nov. 6th at 14:00 (CEST)/18:30 (IST). Register here. 

With Brexit being implemented from 31st January 2020, the UK has formally left the EU with a withdrawal deal and it is currently into an 11-month transition period. The UK is no longer a mem...

With Brexit being implemented from 31st January 2020, the UK has formally left the EU with a withdrawal deal and it is currently into an 11-month transition period. The UK is no longer a member state of the EU and until the end of the transition period market access would continue the same terms as before. During this transition period, the UK will continue to remain strongly committed to the effective and safe management of chemicals. The UK will exit the transition period on the already set date- 31st December 2020. 

The EU and the UK have formally begun the ninth and final round of talks on a post-Brexit free trade treaty on September 29 which are currently ongoing, and the outcomde of negotiations is still awaited. 

During the transition period: 

• EU REACH will continue to apply in the UK and businesses do not need to take any action to comply with UK REACH 

• There is no requirement to transfer UK held registrations to an EU 27 legal entity in order to retain EU market access 

• Registrations, authorisations and restrictions in place before the UK left the EU continue to be valid 

• The process for registering new chemicals under REACH remain unchanged, UK companies are still required to register with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) 

• The UK will recognise all new decisions relating to REACH made by the EU 

Post transition period: 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will play a key role in the UK's chemicals regulatory process together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency (EA) to ensure the effective and safe management of chemicals to safeguard human health and the environment. 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), early in September 2020, has announced tonnage band specific, staggered submission deadlines that will apply for the full submission of data. The full registration dossiers would hence need to be submitted within 2, 4 or 6 years, starting from October 28, 2021.  

In a private and very recent (September 2020) communication of Global Product Compliance (Europe) AB with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), they have indicated that during this transition period, the UK businesses need to continue to comply with EU REACH in their current roles and in their supply chains. The UK authorities have indicated that, the extent to which the provisions in UK REACH will come into effect at the end of the transition period will largely depend on the outcome of the UK-EU trade deal negotiations. Based on the outcome of negotiations, the authorities might need to change some or all the provisions and any transitional provisions will give sufficient time span for the companies to comply. The HSE authorities have indicated that the future legislation is likely to be similar to that which was drawn up for a “no deal” scenario (UK REACH).   

Global Product Compliance (Europe) AB has already set up a UK based OR entity ‘GPC UK’, to support its existing and new potential clients, to be able to comply with the challenges posed because of Brexit on substance exports to the UK.  

For more information or queries, please write to us at compliance@uk.gpcregulatory.com  

Brexit being implemented from 31st January 2020, the UK has formally left the EU with a withdrawal deal and it is currently in transition period up to 31st Dec. 2020. The UK and the EU have ruled out ...

Brexit being implemented from 31st January 2020, the UK has formally left the EU with a withdrawal deal and it is currently in transition period up to 31st Dec. 2020. The UK and the EU have ruled out the possibility of extending the transition period beyond December 2020.

In private communication with HSE, we have been updated, that, UK is still in the transition period (TP) until 31 December 2020, and UK businesses need to continue to comply with EU REACH in their current roles in their supply chains.

HSE indicated that, at this point, we are not able to provide definitive advice regarding arrangements after the TP. The Statutory Instrument (SI) that would have implemented UK REACH in a ‘no-deal’ scenario did not come into effect as the UK left the EU with a withdrawal agreement. The extent to which the provisions in UK REACH (as it is currently drafted) will come into effect at the end of the TP will largely depend on the outcome of the UK-EU trade deal negotiations that are occurring throughout this year. Depending on the outcome, we may need to change some or all the provisions. Any transitional provisions will give sufficient time for companies to comply.

• UK REACH is based on a grandfathering system to allow companies to transfer existing authorizations and registrations over with minimum data. Full datasets will need to be submitted within two years.
• The EU's demand for full alignment on REACH in return for access to Echa's data is a sticking point, and something the UK government has rejected. It is set on implementing UK REACH from 1st January 2021, mirroring the EU legislation but with possible future divergence.
• Further, parliamentary undersecretary of state at Defra Rebecca Pow, said in her letter that UK REACH would be implemented on 1st January 2021, restating that the government was not seeking associate membership of Echa or participation in REACH.
• Earlier this year, The UK has also released policy papers on its draft UK-EU Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and the annexes on its plans for the future trade relationship with the EU. The draft specifically does not mention about REACH, but it proposes to cooperate on chemicals regulation, share data, and align approaches towards classification and labeling. The draft annex suggests that both parties would agree to continue and strengthen their cooperation on chemicals regulation to facilitate trade in a way that benefits consumers, businesses, and the environment and provides for the protection of human and animal health. This may include promoting and encouraging cooperation between the respective public or private organizations responsible for the manufacture, distribution, sale, or regulation of chemicals.

We have already set up a UK based OR facility ‘GPC UK’, to support our existing and new potential clients, to be able to comply with the challenges posed by Brexit, on substance exports to the UK.

With Brexit being implemented from 31st January 2020, the UK has formally left the EU with a withdrawal deal and it is currently into an 11-month transition period. The UK and the EU have ruled out th...

With Brexit being implemented from 31st January 2020, the UK has formally left the EU with a withdrawal deal and it is currently into an 11-month transition period. The UK and the EU have ruled out the possibility to extend the transition period beyond December 2020 and the UK will now exit the transition period on the said date, 31st December 2020.

The UK has also released policy papers on its draft UK-EU comprehensive free trade agreement (CFTA) and the annexes on its plans for future trade relationship with the EU.  The draft specifically does not mention about REACH, but it proposes to cooperate on chemicals regulation, share data and align approaches towards classification and labelling. The draft annex suggests that both parties would agree to continue and strengthen their cooperation on chemicals regulation to facilitate trade in a way that benefits consumers, businesses and the environment and provides for the protection of human and animal health. This may include promoting and encouraging cooperation between the respective public or private organisations responsible for the manufacture, distribution, sale or regulation of chemicals.

In our private and recent communication from June 2020 with the UK authorities, they have indicated that during this transition period, the UK businesses need to continue to comply with EU REACH in their current roles and in their supply chains. The UK authorities have indicated that, the extent to which the provisions in UK REACH will come into effect at the end of the transition period will largely depend on the outcome of the UK-EU trade deal negotiations. Based on the outcome of negotiations, the authorities might need to change some or all the provisions and any transitional provisions will give sufficient time span for the companies to comply.

We have already setup a UK based OR entity ‘GPC UK’, to support our existing and new potential clients, to be able to comply with the challenges posed because of Brexit on substance exports to the UK.

For more information or queries, please write to us at: compliance@gpcregulatory.com 

With Brexit being implemented, The UK has formally left the EU on 31st January 2020 with a withdrawal deal and has now gone into an 11-month transition period which is most likely to end on 31st Decem...

With Brexit being implemented, The UK has formally left the EU on 31st January 2020 with a withdrawal deal and has now gone into an 11-month transition period which is most likely to end on 31st December 2020. The negotiations between the UK and the EU for a vital trade deal have begun from 2nd March 2020 and they are currently ongoing. Two more rounds of negotiations are expected in May and the beginning of June.

During this transition period, the UK, though not a member state of the EU, will effectively remain in the EU's customs union and as a single market but it will be outside the political institutions and there will be no British members in the European Parliament.

During this transition period—

1. EU REACH will continue to apply in the UK and businesses do not need to take any action to comply with UK REACH
2. There is no requirement to transfer UK held registrations to an EU 27 legal entity in order to retain EU market access
3. Registrations, authorizations and restrictions in place before the UK left the EU will continue to be valid
4. The process for registering new chemicals under REACH remains unchanged, UK companies are still required to register with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
5. The UK will recognize all new decisions relating to REACH made by the EU

The extent of the UK’s ongoing participation in EU REACH following the transition period will be determined by the outcome of the UK’s negotiations on its future relationship with the EU.

Sustainability Support Services (Europe) AB has already setup a UK based OR entity ‘GPC UK’, to support its existing and new potential clients, to be able to comply with the challenges posed because of Brexit on substance exports to the UK.

For more information or queries, please write to us at: compliance@gpcregulatory.com