The UK government is planning to allow business and industry another two years to implement new post-Brexit chemicals safety regulations which have been fiercely criticised by manufacturing and business associations.
Chemical hazard pictograms. Credit: Antoine2K / Shutterstock
Credit: Antoine2K / Shutterstock
The decision comes following sustained pressure from industry since Brexit officially took place on 31 January 2020.
In February, a letter was sent to the government signed by 25 business leaders calling for a radical rethink of plans to establish a new UK chemicals safety database, which they warned would cost as much as £1 billion (€1.17 billion) to implement.
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In a letter sent to the lobby group, the Chemicals Industries Association (CIA), environment secretary George Eustice said that the government was "minded" to extend the cut-off date for registrations for the new database to October 2025.
The extension is the latest in a series of delays to post-Brexit plans, many of which replicate existing EU safety standards.
In March, plans to introduce full border checks with the EU were delayed by six months to January 2022, and in August the deadline to adopt the UKCA safety and quality mark for UK goods after Brexit was pushed back by one year to January 2023.
Under the original plans for chemicals, companies were given until October 28 this year to provide basic registrations for chemical substances with a new "UK Reach" database, essentially duplicating the EU Reach database run by the EU Chemicals Agency. They were then given until October 27 2023 to provide supporting safety data for chemicals, a demand which the industry warned in February would be an expensive duplication of existing EU safety data and could lead to “additional and repetitive animal testing”.
In his letter, Eustice said that the government was "currently minded to extend the 27 Oct 2023 deadline to 27 Oct 2025” and would also consult on “what, if any, extensions of the other deadlines would be appropriate."
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He also said that "a new model" for UK Reach registrations would be explored, with an aim to "reduce the need for replicating EU Reach data packages" - one of industry's key demands.
The move has been welcomed by the industrial sector. CIA CEO Steve Elliot said the group was pleased that there was an acknowledgement by the government of the "huge cost implications" arising from UK Reach, and that "an alternative way forward is now being considered".
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