Philip Dunne, Chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), has written to the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) emphasising the Committee’s concerns about industry’s ability to prepare for the proposed transition to UK REACH.
A number of businesses have written to the EAC expressing concern about the process for transferring registrations from the EU system. A key issue they face is that many businesses do not own the full data package necessary for registering on to the UK REACH system, expected to be established from 1 January 2021.
For many chemicals the data set required for registration is owned by third parties in the EU. UK businesses argue the two-year timetable for UK registration is unlikely to be sufficient, if duplicate testing is required to ensure they have the necessary data for the new system.
The EAC is also seeking clarity on how UK businesses can continue to export chemicals into the EU once the transition period ends and what the likely costs and regulatory impacts on UK manufacturers will be.
If these fundamental issues are not addressed by the end of the transition period, the EAC is encouraging the Government to re-consider associate membership of EU REACH and the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency). This would ensure the UK chemicals industry can have clarity for their future trading position.
Environmental Audit Committee Chairman, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said:
“The UK chemical industry is a significant part of the UK economy, with over 3,500 companies supporting half a million UK jobs. It generates £50 billion of exports, of which 60% are into the EU. Chemical products are critical to the wider manufacturing, construction and agricultural sectors.
“It is therefore imperative that the chemicals industry receives the clarity it needs to continue trading effectively. The Government’s proposal to establish a standalone UK REACH is continuing to leave many fundamental issues unaddressed. How businesses will be able to continue operating as the Brexit transition draws to a close and the costs incurred for businesses must be addressed now, particularly as time is running out.”
The EAC is also expecting a response from the Secretary of State on the cost breakdown for different UK businesses for the new UK REACH system.
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