See “EU” Later!
27 Sep 2022
How Intertek can support you and your supply chain in navigating UK REACH post-Brexit
The United Kingdom's (UK's) separation from the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020 ("Brexit") posed a real regulatory headache for companies looking to do business in both. Ever since Brexit, importing into both the EU and UK requires compliance with two sets of REACH regulations. As a result of the separation of the EU and the UK, a separate set of obligations and regulations governing the UK emerged – now known as UK REACH. Despite many similarities between the EU and UK versions, as of 01 January 2021, any substances contained in your products that are imported into the UK will no longer fall under the EU REACH regulation. If you are importing your substances into the UK at volumes of 1 tonne or more, you now need to complete new UK REACH registrations.
Keep Calm and Keep Confidential
You may be asking yourself if there is a way to maintain your business in the UK while protecting your confidential product information. As with EU REACH, the legal responsibility for UK REACH substance registration at or above 1 tonne per year lies with the UK manufacturers/importers. This means that if you are a non-resident manufacturer or formulator, you must provide your UK importers the full composition of each of the finished mixtures they are importing. So much for "confidential"!
Luckily there is an alternative. By appointing an "Only Representative" (OR), non-resident manufacturers or formulators can keep their product compositions confidential by absolving their customers of their regulatory requirements, making them "downstream users" of the OR.
Intertek does what?
With a legal entity residing in the United Kingdom, Intertek is positioned to act as an OR in the UK. We offer regulatory services to assist foreign entities with their REACH registrations and responsibilities. To learn more about how we can support your business, visit: https://www.intertek.com/assuris/chemicals/regulatory/uk-reach/.
Do you need assistance or have questions?
Do you have questions about this topic, your obligations in the UK, or any other topic? Contact our experts at Intertek Assuris—we're here to help!
Claire Groves,
Associate I, Chemicals Group
Intertek Assuris
As part of the Global REACH Team, Claire's primary focus and role is assisting her North American clients in maintaining compliance with the REACH regulatory requirements in the EU, UK, Turkey, and India. Claire is involved in managing numerous clients' REACH programs, which includes disseminating and analyzing annual Only Representative (OR) reporting, creation of inquiry and joint registration dossiers using the IUCLID software, and other regulatory support to comply with REACH regulations across the globe. Claire attended McMaster University, where she received an H.B.Sc. in Biology.