UK REACH buffer period extended by 3 years

On November 29, 2022, the UK officially published the results of the "UK-REACH Buffer Period Extension" public consultation: Based on the results of the public consultation, with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh governments, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will propose secondary legislation to extend the UK-REACH registration submission deadline by 3 years
.

Depending on the classification and tonnage of the substance, the previous wind-down period was 27 October 2023, 27 October 2025 and 27 October 2027, and after three years of extension, the new deadlines were 27 October 2026, 27 October 2028 and 27 October 2030
.

Enterprises that have completed the DUIN notification or "zero data" formal registration can trade chemicals normally during the buffer period and only need to submit complete registration data
before the new deadline.

Tips for RIO: At present, the DUIN window is still open, and REO Technology reminds enterprises that meet the DUIN application conditions to submit DUIN notifications as soon as possible to obtain a buffer period
of up to 2030.
Companies that do not meet the DUIN criteria can also be officially registered through "zero data" to enter the UK chemicals market
at a low compliance cost.

The official public consultation report in the UK showed that a total of 289 valid responses were received, of which 82% of respondents chose the option
of extending the buffer period by three years.

The prevailing view was that the option would provide more time to prepare registration materials, reduce the burden on businesses and maximise their chances of filing high-quality dossiers, while avoiding disruptions
to the supply of chemicals in the UK market.

Respondents supporting this option range from SMEs to large enterprises, including sole representatives (ORs), manufacturers, downstream users, and chemical importers and exporters
.

It is worth noting that:

The UK government introduced the new Brexit Freedoms Bill in September, and all remaining EU laws (including UK-REACH) will be repealed on 31 December 2023, giving the UK Minister the power to amend, replace or repeal these regulations
.
This undoubtedly also poses risks
to the further development and transformation of UK-REACH.