CBA welcomes pending UK REACH registration deadlines extension
12 Jul 2023
The Chemical Business Association has given a favourable response to the publication of the REACH (Amendment) Regulations 2023, following the CBA campaign to highlight the negative implications of planned regulations on the chemical supply chain, post-Brexit.
Amendments outlined in Statutory Instrument 2023 No 722 now officially extend the transitional registration deadlines that was initially defined in Article 127P of UK REACH.
Referenced as Option 1 during previous CBA discussions with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), these changes will come into force next week, on July 19. Their effect will be to extend submission deadlines for the three tonnage bands, to October 2026, October 2028, and October 2030, respectively. Compliance check deadlines have also been extended in alignment with these changes.
The association said that the modifications delivered a positive message to companies throughout the supply chain. The CBA was engaged in a protracted dialogue with Government and was invited to participate in consultations on the deadline extension with DEFRA, that concluded last September.
UK REACH Online Clinics organised by the CBA last year revealed strong support for the extension and for Option 1, it claimed.
CEO of the CBA, Tim Doggett remarked: "The latest announcement regarding the extension deadlines is encouraging. It is essential not only for our members and the broader chemical industry but also for distributors and downstream users across Great Britain who were included within the scope of UK REACH after Brexit."
He once again highlighted the implications of UK REACH, including the estimated implementation costs of around £2-3.5 billion and the impact on businesses' competitiveness in the global marketplace, adding that many businesses remained hesitant to invest due to the prevailing uncertainty.
Doggett said: "British manufacturers are also at a disadvantage, as they may not have access to the full range of raw materials available to their EU counterparts, ultimately leading to a lack of products for consumers."
