Original document : https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-comply-with-reach-chemical-regulations

Change description : 2019-09-18 10:28:00: Added link to the process maps collection [Brexit]

Showing diff : ..2019-09-18 09:43:54 +00:00

Guidance

How to comply with REACH chemical regulations

How to comply with the EU's REACH chemical regulations when you're using, making, selling or importing chemicals in the EU, and how to prepare for a no deal Brexit.

Published 23 September 2015

Last updated 18 September 2019 — see all updates
From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

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If you’re using, making, selling or importing chemicals in the EU, you need to follow REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) regulations.

Find out what you must do to meet REACH requirements.

Register your chemical substance

You must register your chemical substance with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) - this body enforces REACH regulations in the EU.

Find out how to register your substance with ECHA.

Prepare for a no deal Brexit

Find out how to continue to make, sell or import chemicals if the UK leaves the EU with no deal.

If you want to place new chemicals on both the EU/EEA (including Switzerland) and UK markets after a no deal exit, you must follow both EU REACH and UK REACH rules. Register for new chemicals on the UK market after a no deal Brexit on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

If you’re importing or exporting chemicals to the EU, you can view journey maps with the steps you need to take.

Get more information about REACH

Read ECHA advice to find out:

  • the chemicals that are covered by REACH regulations
  • whether authorisation or restriction should take place

You can also get information about REACH from the HSE website - HSE and the Environment Agency (EA) work together to enforce REACH regulations in the UK.

Published 23 September 2015

Last updated 18 September 2019 + show all updates
  1. Added link to the process maps collection
  2. Added information on how to make, sell or import chemicals if the UK leaves the EU with no deal, and how to register on REACH after no deal.
  3. Added link to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance on chemical regulations and preparing for Brexit. See 'Prepare for Brexit'.
  4. Amended link to registration support page.
  5. First published.
Contents

Related content

Update history

2025-04-01 00:01
Contact details for the UK REACH IT support mailbox have been added.

2023-07-20 12:22
Added that users will need a Defra account to be able to use the Comply with UK REACH service and it can be set up when they first use the service. Added note that you must log in to your Government Gateway account every 3 years to retain access.

2022-06-22 14:04
Have removed previous sections:- Tonnage band deadlines- UK REACH for businesses in Northern Ireland

2022-03-25 10:04
We have removed guidance for grandfathering, downstream users, authorisation and restrictions as this information can be found on the Health and Safety Executive website. Joint registrations, substance groups and data sharing is now in a separate guide on gov.​uk.

2020-09-01 15:00
Updated to provide businesses more information on what they'll need to do to prepare for the 1 January 2021

2019-09-18 10:28
Added link to the process maps collection