REACH will not 'copy and paste' into post-Brexit law

Brussels – The UK will have a major job on its hands if it decides to transpose REACH into national law, according to Silvia Segna of the UK Chemicals Industry Association (CIA).

“Copy paste is not possible where REACH is concerned, because some laws just cannot be directly copied in UK law," Segna said at a CEFIC meeting on the future of the EU chemical safety legislation.

"Some changes will certainly have to be proposed by the UK government, using secondary legislation”, the UK representative told the conference, held 27 June in Brussels.

A recent public enquiry into REACH by the House of Commons in the UK sought to examine this. It found that more work needed to be done to ensure that chemicals imported into Europe meet required standards for health and environmental safety.

The CIA is advocating for the UK to pay if necessary in order to still maintain their participation in REACH.

The London-based chemical industry association has listed tariff-free access to the EU’s single market and regulatory consistency among its key priorities for Brexit negotiations.