UK’s Defra extends UK REACH registration deadlines by three years

By Julia Wray | Published: 30-Nov-2022

Defra has published its response to the public consultation on the extension of the deadlines for registration under UK REACH

The registration deadlines for the UK REACH regulation have officially been extended by three years. 

The UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) published on 29 November its response to the public consultation on the extension of the deadlines for registration under UK REACH.

Standing for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals and replacing EU REACH in the country post-Brexit, UK REACH’s new deadlines will be October 2026, October 2028 and October 2030.

UK REACH requires substances that are manufactured in (or imported into) Great Britain to be registered. 

Registrations include information on the hazards, uses and exposure of the substance. 

The regulation contains transitional provisions to reduce disruption amid the move to the new regime from EU REACH. 

These provisions allow companies to submit initial ‘notification’ data in order to continue trading and then subsequently provide the full registration data. 

The deadlines for completing this transitional registration process were orginally:

  • 27 October 2023 for substances included on the EU REACH candidate list before UK REACH came into effect; substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction and manufactured or imported in quantities of 1 tonne a year or more; substances that are very toxic to aquatic life and manufactured or imported in quantities of 100 tonnes or more a year; and all substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 1,000 tonnes or more a year;
  • 27 October 2025 for substances added to the UK REACH candidate list before the 2023 submission deadline; and all substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 100 tonnes or more a year;
  • 27 October 2027 for all substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 1 tonne or more a year.

The consultation saw an overwhelming majority of respondents (82%) vote for ‘option 1’, namely extend all the current submission deadlines of each tonnage band by three years to October 2026, October 2028 and October 2030. 

The Cosmetic, Toiletries and Perfumery Association (CTPA), in its consultation response, said ‘option 1’ “maximises the opportunity for industry to produce as high-quality dossiers as possible”. 

It also noted that it is hard for industry to commit to a shorter deadline without having an understanding of exactly what obligations will be in place for industry, adding that a “longer deadline is more likely to harmonise the development of the new UK REACH model with other ongoing UK government chemicals management initiatives, such as the UK Chemicals Strategy”.

Subject to the consent of the Scottish and Welsh governments (EU REACH continues to apply in Northern Ireland), Defra’s next step will be to introduce a Statutory Instrument to amend the deadlines that are currently in place and give effect to the new deadlines resulting from the public consultation.

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