The government is committed to supporting you to adapt to these new rules.

On 24 December 2020, an agreement was reached between the UK and the EU setting out the UK’s future relationship with the EU. As part of this, if your business makes, sells or distributes chemicals in Great Britain, you now need to follow the UK’s new domestic chemicals regulations, including UK REACH.

UK REACH is the new independent chemicals regulatory framework, which enables the UK to make its own decisions and respond to emerging risks, while maintaining some of the highest chemicals standards in the world.

THE NEW ‘COMPLY WITH UK REACH’ SERVICE HAS LAUNCHED

The UK’s chemicals industry is world-leading, employing over 100,000 people across the UK, accounting for over £30 billion of yearly exports and contributing around £11.2 billion GVA (gross value added) to the UK economy per year.

To support chemicals businesses as they adapt, the government has worked closely with partners, industry and stakeholders to develop a new ‘Comply with UK REACH’ online service.

The new service went live on 1 January and can be used by businesses to fulfil their transitional provisions and create new registrations. The new system enables the UK to make decisions on the regulation of chemicals that are based on the best available scientific evidence, ensuring that chemicals remain safely used and managed.

You will be able to use the Comply with UK REACH service to:

  • Validate existing GB-held EU registrations (‘Grandfathering’).
  • Submit downstream user import notifications (DUIN).
  • Submit new substance registrations.
  • Submit new product and process orientated research and development (PPORD) notifications.

You will need to contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to ensure that you:

  • Validate existing GB-held product and process orientated research and development (PPORDs).
  • Provide information on any authorisation matter, including new authorisation application, grandfathering of existing authorisations and downstream user notifications of authorised uses.

You can access the new service at

www.gov.uk/reach-chemicals

Detailed UK REACH guidance is also available on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/reach

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