UK chemical strategy - insights

The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will publish its chemicals strategy later this year (no date announced). The UK's chemicals strategy is intended to replace the EU's REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation, which the UK no longer has access to as a result of Brexit. 

The strategy will set out a risk-based approach to regulation diverging from the hazard-based approach taken by the EU. This means that the strategy will focus on managing priority and emerging chemicals of concern, including per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFASs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and combination effects of different substances. In addition to managing priority and emerging chemicals of concern, the strategy will also focus on improving the department's understanding of the uses and exposures of chemicals across the UK. 

 The strategy will also map out a new UK REACH alternative transitional registration model and improve understanding of chemicals in the environment by continuing to develop monitoring methods. The strategy will utilize the department's prioritization and early warning system to inform decision-making and regulatory activities.