REACH is a European Union regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals which came into force on 1 June 2007. It replaces a number of European Directives and Regulations with a single system.
REACH has several aims but principally:
- to provide a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the use of chemicals
- to prevent chemicals without health and safety data being placed on the market.
For the latest REACH news please see the link below:
UK REACH, the UK’s independent chemicals regulatory framework, starts on 1 January 2021. Anyone importing, manufacturing or distributing chemicals in GB and/or Northern Ireland needs to understand how the UK REACH and EU REACH rules might affect their business after 1 January 2021. Find out more information at the following link:
GB's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have some useful information regarding Brexit:Trading with Great Britain from 1 January 2020
For businesses wanting to trade into GB from 1 January 2020 please see the HSE (GB) website:
HSE (GB)'s Helpdesk email:
Submitting chemicals information to the appointed body from 1 January 2021
Guidance for companies placing hazardous mixtures on the UK market (such as manufacturers, importers, downstream users and distributors) from 1 January 2021, can be viewed at the following link:
REACH Stakeholder Event
HSE (GB) and (DEFRA) have hosted virtual stakeholder events covering actions businesses need to take when the UK Transition ends and how the new GB regulatory regime for chemicals may impact their work.
To view the virtual REACH Stakeholder Event, please see the following Youtube link:
Keep up to date
If you want to keep up to date with news in relation to chemicals in the UK or any other subjects, please register on the HSE (GB) website at the following link:
During registration you can select which topics are relevant to you, such as REACH, Chemicals, Biocides, PIC and many others.
Key legislation
- EU Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (EC1907/2006) - www.osha.europa.eu
- The REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008 - legislation.gov.uk
Please note that these links are to the original legislation, visitors should verify for themselves whether legislation is in force or whether it has been amended or repealed by subsequent legislation.