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Following the United Kingdom’s (UK) departure from the European Union (EU), the government established the independent UK Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (UK REACH) regulation. UK REACH retains both the fundamental approach and key principles of EU REACH and is focused on ensuring that Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) continues to uphold high levels of protection for human health and the environment.
Before the EU exit, about 20,000 substances on the Great Britain market were already registered under EU REACH. The introduction of UK REACH as initially envisioned would require businesses to re-register these substances in Great Britain to ensure transparency regarding the chemicals on the market. In response to concerns raised by the chemicals industry regarding the significant financial and administrative costs associated with accessing EU data packages and preparing UK REACH transitional registrations, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), alongside the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Environment Agency (EA), have been exploring options for an alternative transitional registration model (ATRm).
In response to a consultation held in 2024, Defra published its proposed policy approach to the ATRm on 30 March 2026. The proposed ATRm provisions aim to introduce more proportionate requirements for transitional registrations and will:
- Reduce the hazard information routinely submitted at registration;
- Retain the existing use and exposure requirements;
- Align regulatory decisions with EU decisions unless there are compelling reasons to diverge; and
- Provide HSE with targeted powers to request further information where needed.
Defra has launched a technical consultation on the proposed amendments to the legal text of UK REACH required to implement the ATRm. The deadline for providing responses is 10 November 2026. Defra particularly welcomes responses from chemical manufacturers and importers, downstream users, trade associations, environmental and health organisations, legal and regulatory advisers, and others with UK REACH experience.