BREXIT is happening today 31 January 2020
The UK will leave the European Union today, 31 January 2020 at midnight (Brussels time).* This has the following principal implications as far as the EU REACH Regulation and its application in the UK is concerned:
- The UK will no longer be a Member State after the withdrawal date. As a third country, the UK will no longer be represented in the EU institutions (such as the European Parliament and the Council), agencies, bodies and offices.
- However, during the upcoming transition period starting 1 February 2020 and lasting at least until 31 December 2020 the EU REACH Regulation and all other EU law will continue to apply in the UK as it currently does.
- In other words, during the transition period it will be “business as usual” for businesses in both the EU and the UK. ECHA IT tools (including REACH-IT) will remain available to UK companies until the end of the transition period.
- Possible consequences such as for REACH Registration will take effect only after the transition period. The timeline for transferring the UK registrations would therefore shift to the end of the transition period.
- The transition period will be used by the EU and the UK to agree on a new partnership for the future. These negotiations will also determine if a separate UK REACH regime will apply after the end of the transition period.
For further information please check / keep on monitoring the following:
- ECHA website: Advice to companies will be updated as soon as the details of the UK withdrawal are confirmed.
- European Commission website: You may find the “Questions and Answers on the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020” dd. 24/01/2020 useful.
- UK Health and Safety Executive website: https://www.hse.gov.uk/brexit/reach-guidance.htm.