How will the UK withdrawal affect you?

On 25 November 2018, the European Council endorsed the draft Withdrawal Agreement. This agreement needs to be ratified by both sides to take effect, which can take until early 2019. Only thereafter, companies may benefit from a transition period, which would give them more time to prepare for the effects of the UK withdrawal from the EU. At that time, ECHA will also update these pages including the Q&As for companies.

The withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) will take effect from 30 March 2019.

If your company is established in the EU-27/EEA, you will be affected whenever your supply chains as a customer or supplier extend to the UK.

If your company is established in the UK, the EU chemicals legislation, which includes REACH, CLP, BPR and PIC, will no longer apply to you if your chemical substances, mixtures or articles, biocidal products or active substances are placed on the market only in the UK. This is also the case if you export certain chemicals directly to non-EU/EEA countries from the UK.

However, you should follow the development of the UK legislation, as the UK intends to make the EU legislation valid within the UK (at least temporarily) after the withdrawal.

If your business is in any way connected to the remaining 27 EU Member States or the EEA countries, you will have to prepare for changes.

Know your role

Start by identifying your role in the supply chain and your future connection to the EU-27 and EEA market. Where and with whom you do business will determine how the withdrawal will affect you.

From the options below, select the role that describes your business and see how you can start preparing for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. If your situation does not fit any of these roles or you wish to know more, you can read all our Q&As under “Advice to companies / Q&As”.