REACH Must Be Amended To Preserve Access To European Markets

Phil Black - PII Editor 15/02/2017

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In a stark message for UK Government Brexit negotiators, the Chemical Business Association (CBA) has called for the current REACH provisions to be amended in order to preserve access to European markets for UK chemical distributors.

In its submission to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, CBA highlights the potential risk to its distributor member companies once the UK leaves the European Union.

‘Under the current terms of REACH, UK distributors would not be ‘non-EU manufacturers’ as they import and distribute, rather than manufacture. As such, they could not appoint an Only Representative to comply with the existing REACH provisions. Many UK distributors importing substances from outside the EU may effectively be excluded from European markets.’

CBA’s Chief Executive, Peter Newport, said, “Unless the UK Government negotiates revised terms or some sort of opt-in, UK distributors importing substances from outside the European Union are likely to be denied access to European markets.”

CBA has raised the need for the status of products already registered by its member companies under REACH in 2010 and 2013 to be clarified.

Peter Newport said, “It should be a key aspect of the UK negotiating position to secure the continuance and benefits of these registrations post-Brexit. This will be of crucial importance to the UK industry. Failure in this respect will irreparably damage a significant proportion of the UK chemical supply chain.”