On 13 September 2017, the Commission published a “notice to business operators” on the impact of the UK withdrawal on the policy webpage of the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety. Simultaneously, it released a set of Q&As to be found on the same webpage. They provide similar information as that to be found on the ECHA webpages. The Commission updated its information on 23 October 2018. In addition, on 17 June 2020, the Commission published a notice to stakeholders on biocidal products.

• Commission questions and answers on biocides 
• Commission notice to stakeholders on biocidal products

According to Article 3 of the BPR, an authorisation holder must be established within the European Union. By virtue of the EEA Agreement as well as the Mutual Recognition Agreement with Switzerland, an authorisation holder can also be established in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Therefore, by the end of the transition period, you will need to transfer the authorisation to a new holder established within an EUMember State or one of the aforementioned countries. You can trigger the amendment of your existing authorisation by means of an administrative change requiring prior notification before implementation (see point 3 in section 1 of Title I in the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 354/2013 on changes of biocidal products).

Companies established in Northern Ireland can maintain their product authorisations in EU Member States or Union authorisations, as per the IE/NI Protocol, which applies as from the end of the transition period (see Q&As 1703-1710).

The UK withdrawal will not have any effect to the validity of the approval of these active substances. The approval of these active substances is a decision taken at EU level.

According to Article 95(1) and (2) of the BPR, substance or product suppliers listed in the Article 95 list must be established within the European Union. Therefore, you will need to appoint a new representative established within the Union (or EEA countries or Switzerland) and communicate this to ECHA in due time, so that the information on the list is updated before the end of the transition period.

For non-EU/EEA/Switzerland companies that were included on the Article 95 list based on an application for Article 95 inclusion (AS-ACC) the change of representative needs to be reflected in R4BP 3 by transferring the respective Article 95 asset in R4BP 3 to the new representative established within the Union through an AA-TRS application. To be processed, the application needs to include a “request for correction” form (duly filled and signed by the non-EU/EEA/Switzerland company and the former representative) and a letter of appointment of the new representative.

For non-EU/EEA/Switzerland companies that were included on the Article 95 list on other grounds shall inform ECHA of the appointment of representative by submitting the aforementioned documents through the ECHA contact forms.

We recommend doing this two months before the end of the transition period.

In Northern Ireland, the BPR Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. This means that substance or product suppliers on the Article 95 list or representatives of non-EU/EEA/Switzerland companies can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&As 1703-1710.

Yes, but the application will have to be submitted in an EU Member State (or an EEA country or Switzerland). Contrary to the case of a product authorisation, applicants for the approval of an active substance or Annex I inclusion are not "holders"/"owners" of an approval and do not need to be established in the EU/EEA/Switzerland. Third country entities can undertake such submissions. However, being located in an EU Member State (or an EEA country or Switzerland) or having a local representative may facilitate the dialogue with the various bodies during the processing of the applications.

The data sharing mechanism under Articles 62 and 63 of the BPR will still be available to such companies, for the purposes of the BPR; for example, where a UK(Great Britain)-based company intends to submit an application for active substance approval – and it requires vertebrate data for its application.

In this connection, it should be stressed that it is a legal obligation for companies to make an inquiry to the Agency in the case of vertebrate data (see Article 62(2)(a) of the BPR).

Yes, but the application will have to be submitted to a Competent Authority in an EU Member State (or an EEA country or Switzerland). Applicants for the approval of an active substance, Annex I inclusion or technical equivalence do not need to be established in the EU therefore third country entities can apply.

Yes. Data protection applies to all information submitted for the purposes of the BPR or its predecessor, the Biocidal Products Directive.

The BPR does not set any specific requirement regarding the location of the manufacturing site(s) of active substances or biocidal products. Therefore, manufacturing can take place in so-called “third countries”, including the UK (Great Britain) even after the end of the transition period. You will not need to take any action to continue complying with the BPR. However, shipments to the EU/EEA/Switzerland of this active substance/biocidal product will be, as of the end of the transition period, importations, which has consequences from the viewpoint of other sectorial legislation (e.g. the PIC Regulation, customs).

In Northern Ireland, the BPR Regulation continues to apply after the end of the transition period. This means that shipments to the EU/EEA/Switzerland of active substances/biocidal products will not be treated as importations for the purposes of the BPR Regulation. Please refer to Q&As 1703-1710 for further details.

The BPR does not set any specific requirement regarding the location of the manufacturing site(s) of treated articles, which can be manufactured in third countries. Treated articles manufactured in third countries can be placed on the EU/EEA/Switzerland market if they meet the conditions of the BPR, in particular Articles 58 and 94. However, shipments to the EU/EEA/Switzerland of this treated article will be, as of the end of the transition period, importations, which has consequences from the viewpoint of other sectorial legislation (e.g. customs).

In Northern Ireland, the BPR Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. This means that shipments to the EU/EEA/Switzerland of treated articles will not be treated as importations for the purposes of the BPR Regulation. Please refer to Q&As 1703-1710 for further details.

Any treated article placed on the EU/EEA market is subject to the provisions of the BPR, in particular Articles 58 and 94. After the end of the transition period, shipments from the United Kingdom (Great Britain) to the EU of a treated article will be considered as an import and, consequently, placing on the market of such treated article. If the treated article was placed on the UK market before the end of the transition period, it is expected to be compliant with the BPR already, and there should be no specific consequences as regards to compliance with the BPR (i.e. active substance approved in the EU/EEA, proper labelling information etc.). 

In Northern Ireland, the BPR Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. This means that shipments of a treated article from Northern Ireland to the EU will not be considered as an import for the purposes of the BPR Regulation. Please refer to Q&As 1703-1710 for further details.

As of the withdrawal date, the United Kingdom can no longer act as a leading authority in processes at Union level and, therefore, it can no longer be a reference MS (refMS) in above indicated processes.

For those applications which were submitted before the UK withdrawal date, the services of the European Commission and ECHA are working in a coordinated manner with EU Members States, EEA countries and Switzerland in order to try to identify new refMSs. The MSs at CA level and the coordination group will explore the possibilities to identify new refMSs.

Where it will not be possible to reach an agreement on identifying a new refMS, the pending process will be terminated.

Thus, the applicants are invited to actively try to identify a new refMS for pending sequence cases by themselves.

If the application for an above mentioned process was submitted after the UK withdrawal date it should be rejected by the relevant cMS(s). The applicant will need to find a new refMS and submit a new application. 

No. There will not be any such effect. The authorisation granted by each EU Member State will remain valid in these EU Member States. However, the authorisation holder has to be established in the EU, EEA country, or Switzerland before the end of the transitional period.

If your company is based in Northern Ireland you do not need to take action.

In Northern Ireland, the BPR Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&As 1703-1710 for further details.

No. For mutual recognitions in sequence, a concerned Member State (cMS) may proceed to grant a national product authorisation in accordance with Article 33(3) of the BPR provided that the mutual recognition takes place of a national authorisation granted in a Member State and  the applicant has chosen a new (EU-27/EEA/Switzerland) Reference Member State (RefMS).

For mutual recognitions in parallel, see Q&A 1545.

Since the withdrawal date, the United Kingdom can no longer act as an eCA/refMS. This also applies during the transition period.

Yes. After the withdrawal, the United Kingdom can no longer act as an eCA.

This also applies during the transition period. This implies that one of the EU Member States, EEA countries and Switzerland has to act as eCA. Article 13(3) of the BPR does not require that the eCA for the first approval shall be the eCA for the renewal, although it is usually recommended as a means to streamline the process. The mentioned provision requires that, when you submit your application for renewal, you shall indicate the name of the competent authority that you propose for evaluating your application for renewal and provide written confirmation that that competent authority agrees to do so.

To achieve a smooth process, the services of the European Commission have agreed with the EU Member States, EEA countries and Switzerland on the new evaluating competent authority from among the competent authorities of the EU Member States.

Since the withdrawal date, the United Kingdom can no longer act as a refMS. This also applies during the transition period. 

Both the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 354/2013 and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 492/2014 allow the authorisation holder to choose another refMS for the change as well as the renewal procedure. You will, however, need to submit within the application a written confirmation that the new competent authority agrees to act as refMS.

No. Your company has rights stemming from the national product authorisation granted by the authorities of the concerned Member State. As any such decision authorising a biocidal product on a national market is a national one, the UK withdrawal from the EU will not affect the validity of your company’s product authorisation, even if your national authorisation is based on the mutual recognition of a UK authorisation. 

No. Data owners granting letters of access do not need to be EU/EEA-based.

Yes, you will continue to have access, as non-EU companies have access to R4BP 3. UK(Great Britain)-based companies will be able to perform the same actions allowed for other non-EU companies (e.g. technical equivalence, active substance approval submissions, applications for Annex I inclusion of active substances). 

As of the withdrawal date, the United Kingdom can no longer act as a leading authority in processes at Union level and, therefore, it can no longer be a reference MS (refMS) in above indicated processes. This also applies during the transition period.

The services of the European Commission and ECHA are working in a coordinated manner with EU Members States, EEA countries and Switzerland in order to try to identify the new refMSs for those applications which were submitted before the UK withdrawal date. The MSs at CA level and the coordination group will explore the possibilities to identify new refMSs. 

If the application for an above mentioned process was submitted after the UK withdrawal date it should be rejected by the relevant cMS(s). The applicant will need to find a new refMS and submit a new application.

With the submission of the initial application assessed by the United Kingdom the applicant fulfilled its legal obligation laid down in the second subparagraph of Article 89(3) of the BPR. As a consequence, the existing products currently benefit from the provisions in Article 89(2) of the BPR.

Therefore, until the end of the transition period, the above-mentioned existing products could continue being made available on the market and used in accordance with the provisions of Article 89(2) and (3), provided that the applicant submits a new application for mutual recognition in parallel (to a new refMS of its choice and to the same Member States concerned in accordance with Article 34(1) and (2) of the BPR, respectively) or a new application for Union authorisation in accordance with Article 43(1) of the BPR, before the end of the transition period.

As of the end of the transition period, the authorisation granted by the United Kingdom ceases to be valid. Therefore, in accordance with Article 17(1) of the BPR, the products notified in the other Member States can no longer be made available on the market nor used.

If you want to keep your product on the market of the notified Member States, your company will need to obtain a new authorisation of the product via the simplified procedure, from an EU Member State, an EEA country or Switzerland prior to the end of the transition period, and then you will have to notify the other relevant Member States, EEA countries or Switzerland.

Under the Withdrawal Agreement, the BPR and related legislation continues to apply to the UK during the transition period. Your pending application is not impacted if it is completed during this period. After the end of the transition period, UK national law will apply and you will need to contact the UK authorities for further information. 

Also note that mutual recognition of a UK authorisation by EU Member States is not possible since the withdrawal date – see Q&A [the one below this one]. 

In Northern Ireland, BPR continues to apply after the end of the transition period. Please see Q&A 1703-1710.

As of the withdrawal date, the United Kingdom has become a third country and can no longer act as a leading authority in processes at Union level and, therefore, it can no longer be a reference MS (refMS) in mutual recognition processes. Accordingly, you cannot apply for mutual recognition (e.g. mutual recognition of a biocidal product authorisation in accordance with Articles 33 and 34 of the BPR, renewal of product authorisations under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 492/2014 or applications for minor or major changes under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 354/2013) of a UK authorisation. 

If the application for an above mentioned process was submitted after the UK withdrawal date it should be rejected by the relevant concerned Member State(S) (cMS(s)). The applicant will need to find and submit a new application to a new reference Member State, in order to obtain the authorisation.

As of the withdrawal date, the United Kingdom can no longer act as a leading authority in processes at Union level. Therefore, it can no longer be a reference MS (refMS) and cannot address the issues raised by the initiating concerned Member State (cMS). 
The only possibility to resolve the referral would be that a competent authority of an EU Member State/EEA country/Switzerland agrees to act as the new refMS.

Where it will not possible to reach an agreement on identifying a new refMS, the ongoing process will be terminated. 

Thus, the applicants are invited to proceed with the new sequence applications only when a new refMS is found by them.

After the end of the transition period, your company will solely be subject to the laws applying in the United Kingdom. Thus, you will no longer need to comply with the CLP Regulation.

Should your company be exporting your product to the EU/EEA, you will need to do that via an importer established in Northern Ireland or the EU/EEA, who will have an obligation to classify and label your product according to the provisions of the CLP Regulation. You will also need to keep yourself informed of any Adaptation to Technical Progress (ATP) by which the European Commission will be updating specific classification and labelling obligations.

In Northern Ireland, the CLP Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. This means that companies based in Northern Ireland need to comply with the CLP Regulation. Please refer to Q&A 1701 for further details.

After the end of the transition period, you will no longer be subject to the provisions of the CLP Regulation.

In Northern Ireland, the CLP Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. This means that companies based in Northern Ireland need to comply with the CLP Regulation. Please refer to Q&A 1701 for further details.

After the end of the transition period, you will no longer be subject to the provisions of the CLP Regulation and thus will no longer have such an obligation.

In Northern Ireland, the CLP Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. This means that companies based in Northern Ireland need to comply with the CLP Regulation. Please refer to Q&A 1701 for further details.

After the end of the transition period, this obligation will no longer apply to you. If you export substances into the EU/EEA, your EU/EEA-based importer will instead have the obligation to submit the C&L notifications to ECHA. This applies to substances exported as such or in mixtures above the concentration limits triggering classification. Furthermore, the packaging and labelling of any mixture that you export to the EU will need to comply with the provisions of the CLP Regulation. 

In Northern Ireland, the CLP Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. This means that companies based in Northern Ireland need to comply with the CLP Regulation. Please refer to Q&A 1701 for further details.

The information will remain available under the conditions of the legal notice that ECHA has published along with the inventory. Until the end of the transition period you can still update your notification. You can also mark the notification inactive by indicating ‘cease manufacture’. After the end of the transition period, you will no longer have access to this functionality through your REACH-IT account.

In Northern Ireland, the CLP Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. This therefore means no changes for Northern Ireland-based companies. Please refer to Q&A 1701 for further details.

The label elements that are based on the United Nations’ Global Harmonised System (GHS) will remain obligatory as the UK(Great Britain) will still implement the GHS. Thus, for example, the pictograms will be valid within the UK(Great Britain).

After the end of the transition period, the legal language requirements will depend on the future UK legislation. In practice, it is safe to assume a need to continue labelling your product in the English language as the official language of the UK, based on the information and the format prescribed by the CLP Regulation.

If you are a UK(Great Britain)-based importer or manufacturer and are transferring your activities to the EU/EEA, you can transfer the C&L notification to your legal successor using the legal entity change (LEC) module in REACH-IT. If you, as the initiating legal entity, have various assets on your account (REACH registration, pre-registration, CLP notification, etc.; this will not include PCN notifications), you can transfer all the assets as one package, as long as the legal successor is the same legal entity for all assets. The LEC successor will be able to verify the content of the package before accepting the transfer. Transferring only a classification and labelling notification does not incur a fee.

If you are a UK(Great Britain)-based manufacturer, and intend to appoint an OR, you cannot transfer the C&L notification to the OR. In light of this constraint, you have two options: either each of the EU/EEA-based importers of your substance submits their own notification, or your newly appointed OR submits a new group notification, where the importers are members of the group. Note that a notification cannot be transferred directly to an OR because the CLP Regulation does not include the concept of OR. Hence, an OR cannot submit a notification. It has only separately been agreed that an OR can submit a notification on behalf of a group.

If at present you are the group leader in a group notification, you can transfer the lead role to another member of the group, as explained in Q&A 0203.

The transfer of UK(Great Britain)-based notifications to EU/EEA legal entities can take place at any point in time, prior to the end of the transition period. Subsequently, the status of assets that have not been transferred to an EU/EEA legal entity by that date, and remain in the REACH-IT account of a UK legal entity, will be marked as 'void'.

In Northern Ireland, the CLP Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. This means that C&L notification holders can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A 1701.

From 1 January 2021, EU/EEA companies importing hazardous mixtures from the UK (Great Britain) will potentially become duty holders under Article 45. Therefore, if you place hazardous mixtures covered by the scope of Article 45 on the EU/EEA market that are supplied by a UK(GB) company you will have the obligation to notify to the relevant appointed body(ies) and include the UFI on the label before placing the mixture on the EU/EEA market. Please note that import is considered as placing on the market. More information about which mixtures are in the scope of Article 45 is available on the Guidance on Annex VIII. 

A notification already made by your UK(GB) supplier before the end of the transition period will not relieve you from your obligations. Each duty holder is required to submit the information according to Annex VIII individually. This is not the case if your supplier is located in NI, where the CLP still applies (see Q&As on IE/NI Protocol). In this case, if you only act as distributor of the mixture, you do not have direct obligations under Article 45 (please, see the Guidance on Annex VIII for more information on roles and obligations).

Annex VIII data submitted before 1 January 2021 via the Submission portal, will remain in the data base and will not be deleted. These will be available for the relevant appointed bodies of the EU/EEA Member States once they get access to the PCN service.

UK authorities will not get access to the database. Therefore, any notification to the UK should be made through their national notification channels.

A label without contact details of an EU legal entity is not compliant with CLP. According to Article 17(1)a, a substance or mixture classified as hazardous and contained in packaging must bear a label including the name, address and telephone number of the supplier(s). By definition, a ‘supplier’ means any manufacturer, importer, downstream user or distributor placing on the market a substance, on its own or in a mixture, or a mixture, and each of these entities is defined as a natural or legal person established within the Community (Article 2 CLP). 

Therefore, the required change of the contact details from a UK-based to an EU/EEA-based supplier is not considered as an update of the label (according to Article 30 CLP), but as a pre-requisite for the placing of substances and mixtures on the EU/EEA-market. This applies through the entire supply chain.

In practice, and in line with Article TBT.8 on Marking and labelling in the Trade And Cooperation Agreement Between The European Union and The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland, it is acceptable to use a sticker with the EU supplier’s details to cover those of the non-EU supplier. Before labels are updated due to other reasons, each supplier in the supply chain needs to add such stickers on the products they supply, with their own or their supplier’s contact details.

It can also be noted that labelling, including supplementary labelling or corrections to labelling, may take place in customs warehouses or other designated areas in the country of import as an alternative to labelling in the country of origin, unless such labelling is required to be carried out by approved persons for reasons of public health or safety.

If your business of placing chemical substances, biocidal products or active substances on the market is limited to the territory of the United Kingdom (Great Britain) alone, as from the end of the transition period, your activity will no longer be subject to the provisions of the EU chemicals legislation. With regard to obligations arising from the CLP, BPR, PIC and REACH Regulations, your legal obligations towards ECHA as the EU’s respective regulatory Agency will also cease. Instead, it will be the UK legislation that applies to you.

You will therefore need to follow the legislative developments in the UK.

For businesses that are part of a cross-border supply chain, linking companies located in the UK(GB) with companies located within the EU/EEA Member States after the UK’s withdrawal, detailed advice can be found under the respective headings of these Q&A pages.

In Northern Ireland, REACH, CLP, BPR and PIC continue to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&As 1700 - 1711 for an overview.

Yes. With its withdrawal from the EU, the United Kingdom has become a so-called “third country”. The ECHA Helpdesk regularly replies to enquiries from companies based outside the EU/EEA. After the end of the transition period, UK(Great Britain)based companies should address ECHA via the dedicated contact form. 

After the end of the transition period, the UK will no longer have the obligation to maintain a national helpdesk to provide advice and assistance on matters governed by the EU’s CLP, BPR or REACH Regulations. You are advised to check with the UK authorities if they will nonetheless provide such advice in practice. You may also wish to address your industry association in the UK.

In Northern Ireland, REACH, CLP, BPR and PIC continue to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700 - 1711 for an overview.

As a company based in the EU/EEA, the obligations flowing from the EU chemicals legislation will continue to apply to you. Your interactions with UK(Great Britain)-based business partners, however, will be impacted by the UK withdrawal, as the United Kingdom has become a “third country” from 1 January 2021. 

For biocidal products, specific arrangements are put in place potentially affecting your company, as the UK cannot anymore act as a leading authority during the transition period.  In the end, you may face new and different UK rules on the import and use of chemical substances. You may also need to adapt your interaction in supply chains involving your UK(GB)-based business partners. The Q&A sections on the BPR, CLP, PIC and REACH Regulations will provide you with more detailed guidance in that regard.

In Northern Ireland, REACH, CLP, BPR and PIC continue to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700 - 1711 for an overview.

ECHA decisions concerning UK-based companies only apply until the end of the transition period.

If you, as a UK(Great Britain)-based company and an addressee of an ECHA decision, decide to challenge that decision or have already challenged it before the Board of Appeal, this may mean that the contested ECHA decision will then cease to have legal effect. In this case, unless the appellant provides evidence as to the existence of a material interest in ECHA’s Board of Appeal continuing to handle its appeal, the appeal proceedings may be discontinued, as there would be no need for the Board of Appeal to rule on such an appeal.

After the end of the transition period, legal entities established in Northern Ireland can continue to lodge an appeal with ECHA’s Board of Appeal on ECHA decisions listed in Article 91 of REACH and Article 77 of BPR.

The Q&As on this website solely provide advice on the impact of the UK withdrawal in relation to the chemicals legislation that ECHA manages. You will need to find information on its other effects on supply chains across the external frontier of the EU (e.g., customs, tariffs and quotas, rules of origin, standardisation, rules on transport from outside the EU, etc.) from other sources, such as the European Commission or your industry association.

 Such information is available, for instance, in the readiness notices published on the webpages of the European Commission.

The IE/NI Protocol provides that REACH, CLP, BPR and PIC regulations apply to and in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland. Thus, companies located in Northern Ireland will continue to have access to REACH-IT, R4BP, ECHA Submission portal and ePIC for most processes.

Northern Ireland companies with an existing account in these tools associated with the former “UK” entity will be required to create new accounts associated to the new entity “UK (NI)”.

With regard to poison centres notifications, companies established in Northern Ireland will be able to use the ECHA Submission portal to notify mixtures to be placed on the EU market, but not for those placed on the Northern Ireland market. The UK national system will have to be used for such purpose.

For applications for national authorisations of biocidal products (Article 29 BPR), for simplified authorisations (Article 26 BPR) and applications for mutual recognition (Chapter VIII BPR), the UK(NI) companies need to use the UK national system to make their applications. For other BPR processes, for example applications for active substance, R4BP 3 can be used.

Yes, if they intend to place those mixtures on the EU/EEA market, or Northern Ireland. CLP applies to and in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland.

Companies established in Northern Ireland will be able to use the ECHA Submission portal to notify mixtures to be placed on the EU/EEA market. However, when placing mixtures on the Northern Ireland market the UK national system will have to be used instead.

CLP does not apply in other parts of the United Kingdom (‘Great Britain’). Therefore, the obligations under Article 45 and Annex VIII will not apply to companies based in Northern Ireland if they intend to place a hazardous mixture on the market of Great Britain.

No, shipments of treated articles or biocidal products authorised in accordance with the BPR from Northern Ireland to the EU/EEA will not be considered as imports to the EU/EEA.

It will not be possible to submit such an application via R4BP 3. For applications for national authorisations of biocidal products (Article 29 BPR), for simplified authorisations (Article 26 BPR) of the BPR and applications in accordance with Chapter VIII (mutual recognition procedures) of the BPR, the UK(NI) companies need to apply through the national system of UK to make their applications. 

We suggest the applicant to contact the UK authority in respect to Northern Ireland to obtain further information on how to practically proceed with the submission.

• shipments of chemicals between Northern Ireland and the EU are not considered as imports or exports, and therefore the PIC Regulation does not apply to such shipments;
• shipments of chemicals between Northern Ireland and third countries – including Great Britain after the end of the transition period - are considered as imports or exports and therefore the PIC Regulation applies to such shipments.

• to notify upon the first export of the calendar year for each substance listed in Annex I to the PIC Regulation and each importing country;
• to report during the first quarter of each year, the quantity of each Annex I PIC chemicals exported from, or imported to the EU in the preceding year;
• to package and label the chemicals that are intended for export in accordance with the related provisions established in the CLP, BPR and REACH; in particular, a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) in accordance with the REACH Regulation shall accompany chemicals when exported;
• not to export chemicals and articles as listed in Annex V to the PIC Regulation. 

• the export of chemicals listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 from Northern Ireland to Great Britain has to comply only with the rules of that Regulation that implement the Convention. For example, the export of a chemical listed in Part 2 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 from Northern Ireland to Great Britain has to be notified by the exporter but there is no requirement to get the explicit consent of the United Kingdom in respect of Great Britain; 
• the rules on packaging and labelling of chemicals only apply to exports of chemicals from Northern Ireland to Great Britain to the extent necessary to comply with Article 13 of the Convention. 

Until the end of the transition period, the UK will remain in the single customs area of the EU. Thereafter the PIC Regulation will no longer apply in the UK. It will be in the hands of the UK legislator to establish rules for exports by companies based in the UK. As the UK is a Party to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent procedure, the UK will maintain a Designated National Authority (DNA) that will implement PIC at a global level. We suggest that you contact the UK DNA to inform yourself on any national procedures in place regulating your export.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. Northern Ireland-based companies will therefore be subject to the PIC Regulation. Please refer to Q&A 1711 for further details.

Your export notification will stay valid throughout year 2020.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1711 for further details.

The PIC Regulation will apply in the United Kingdom until the end of the transition period, as the UK will still remain in a single customs area with the EU. Article 10 of the Regulation obliges importers and exporters to inform, during the first quarter of each year, the designated national authority of their Member State regarding the quantity of the chemical, as a substance and as contained in mixtures or in articles, shipped to each Party or other country during the preceding year. Thus, you have the duty to report on your exports/imports of PIC chemicals until the end of the transition period. As from 1 January 2021, you will have no obligations for reporting data on exports/imports, including for exports/imports which took place in 2020. However, we recommend that you check with the relevant national authority in the UK to verify whether you will have reporting obligations under the national UK legislation.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. If your company is based in Northern Ireland, your obligations to report exports and imports will continue. Please refer to Q&A 1711 for further details.

As a UK(Great Britain)-based company, after the transition period you will no longer have access to ePIC and will not need to notify your exports in this way. However, in this case, even though you hold the contract for this export, in accordance with Article 3(18)(b) of the PIC Regulation, the EU-based branch of your company will take care of the export on your behalf. They should therefore contact their DNA within the EU (contact details) in case they are not already aware of their obligations under the PIC Regulation. 

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period.  If your company is based in Northern Ireland, you can continue using ePIC to submit your export notifications. Please refer to Q&A 1711 for further details.

The UK is itself a Party to the Rotterdam Convention. Therefore, you will still have obligations when exporting chemicals that are included in Annex III to the Convention. After the end of the transition period, if you are exporting to an EU Member State, you must first check in the latest PIC Circular whether the EU has provided an import response. In the absence of a response, you should contact the PIC DNA in the UK for further information.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1711 for further details.

Only exporters based in the EU have a legal obligation to notify exports of the chemicals listed in Annex I part 1 and 2 of the EU PIC Regulation.

After the end of the transition period, as the UK will no longer be part of the single customs area of the EU, you will no longer have any obligations in relation to the PIC Regulation. You are, however, advised to inform yourself of any obligations that may derive from national UK legislation.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1711 for further details.

After the end of the transition period, UK-based companies will no longer have access to ePIC. Currently, ePIC does not include any functionality allowing data to be exported from the system.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period, and thus companies located in Northern Ireland will continue to have access in ePIC. However, companies established in Northern Ireland with an existing account with the former “UK” entity, will be required to create a new account associated to the new entity UK(NI). Transfer of data between accounts is not possible. As from 1 January 2021 the data contained in the previous account will no longer be accessible.

ePIC is the IT tool that is provided for use by relevant stakeholders within the EU for the purpose of administering the implementation of the PIC Regulation. After the end of the transition period, companies based in the UK (as well as the former UK Designated National Authority - DNA) will no longer have access to ePIC or to the data it contains.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1711 for further details.

Yes, the data will continue to be available on the ECHA website.

Yes. The EU PIC Regulation places obligations on companies based in the EU who wish to export chemicals listed in Annex I to non-EU countries. After the end of the transition period,  any such exports to the UK(Great Britain) will need to be notified.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. Therefore, shipments from the EU to Northern Ireland and vice-versa are not subject to PIC obligations. Please refer to Q&A 1711 and QA 1568 for further details.

The UK is itself a Party to the Rotterdam Convention. Therefore, if after the end of the transition period you are planning to export a chemical listed in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention to the UK, you must check in the latest PIC Circular whether the UK has provided an import response. In case there is a positive response, it will be sufficient to submit a special RIN request (please see the factsheet);

In the absence of a response, you must submit an export notification, and an explicit consent from the authorities in the UK will be required in order for the export to take place.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period. Therefore, shipments from the EU to Northern Ireland and vice-versa are not subject to PIC obligations. Please refer to Q&A 1711 for further details.

As Gibraltar is currently (i.e. even prior to the UK withdrawal) not a part of the EU customs territory, you will simply need to continue notifying your exports of chemicals subject to the PIC Regulation also after the UK withdrawal.

• Any national legislation regulating exports in place in the UK;
• If the exported chemical is listed in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention (as well as being subject to the EU PIC Regulation).

Yes, pursuant to Article 10(1) of the PIC Regulation, in the first quarter of the year following the import you should provide details on the import(s) to your Designated National Authority (DNA) by means of ePIC.

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period; therefore,  shipments from companies located in Northern Ireland to the EU and vice-versa are not subject to such reporting obligations under PIC.

Pursuant to Article 8(2) of Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 on the export and import of hazardous chemicals, exporters are required to notify their exports 35 days before the expected date of export. To cover exports taking place in 2021 ePIC has been updated to enable EU-based exporters to notify the planned export to the United Kingdom (Great Britain) in advance of the end of the transition period. 

In Northern Ireland the PIC Regulation continues to apply after the transition period, so shipments from the EU to Northern Ireland and vice-versa are not subject to PIC obligations.

Since the date of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, the UK is no longer an EU Member State. However, your registration obligations continue until the end of the transition period.  Prior to the end of the transition period you should also follow the legislative development in the UK with regard to domestic registration obligations.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

Even though the UK will not be a Member State after the withdrawal date, the consequences for registrations will take effect only after the end of the transition period.

After the end of the transition period, any UK-based registrant can no longer be a registrant. For the purpose of the EU’s REACH Regulation, any registration by such a registrant will therefore be regarded as non-existent.

Consequently, your EU /EEA customers will need to register the respective substance themselves. Alternatively, in order to continue supplying your EU-based customers on the basis of your own registration

• as a manufacturer or formulator, you may appoint an Only Representative within the EU/EEA or transfer your manufacturing activity to the EU/EEA (please see Q&A 1538);
• as a UK-based importer from a non-EU/EEA country, you may transfer your importing activity to a company established in the EU/EEA (please see Q&A 1539);
• in case your company has registered as an Only Representative, the non-EU/EEA manufacturer may appoint an EU/EEA based Only Representative in place of your company (please refer to Q&A 1417).

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that Only Representatives can continue to be based in Northern Ireland and that manufacturers, formulators or an article producers in Northern Ireland do not need to appoint an only representative. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

Even though the UK is no longer an EU Member State since the withdrawal date, the consequences for Only Representatives established in Great Britain will take effect only after the end of the transition period.

According to Article 8 of REACH, Only Representatives shall be legally established within the EU/EEA.  The company having appointed you as Only Representative will need to appoint an Only Representative based in one of the EU Member States or the three EEA countries.

This change of Only Representative must take place before the transition period expires. It must be notified to ECHA (through the ‘Legal entity change functionality’ in REACH-IT) without undue delay, and you will be required to provide proof of the new Only Representative’s appointment from the non-EU/EEA company.

Please note that the legal entity change fee will be charged per non-EU/EEA company represented (i.e. per REACH-IT account).

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period.  This means, inter alia, that Only Representatives can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

Under the provisions of the REACH Fee Regulation, our Agency will indeed charge the foreseen fee. The circumstance of the UK withdrawal from the EU does not provide a legal basis for waiving the charge of fees.

You will need to keep your dossier updated until the end of the transition period. After the end of the transition period, EU legislation will no longer apply to the UK(Great Britain), and you will no longer be subject to the obligation of updating your dossier without undue delay.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

Companies using an Annex XIV substance in the UK(Great Britain) would need to hold or be covered by a REACH Authorisation between the respective sunset date and the end of the transition period. Whenever the sunset dates of Annex XIV substances fall after the end of the transition period,  UK(Great Britain) companies will not have to apply for a REACH Authorisation to use any such substance.

Note, however, that if an applicant has submitted an application prior to the Latest Application Date of an Annex XIV substance, he benefits from transitional arrangements (please see Q&A 572 on ECHA’s Q&A web pages). 

For UK (Great Britain) companies placing an Annex XIV substance on the EU/EEA market after the end of the transition period, please see Q&A 1428 on downstream users located in the EU/EEA relying on a REACH Authorisation granted to a UK supplier.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

You will need to adhere to the conditions of use determined by the REACH Authorisation decision until the end of the transition period. After the end of the transition period EU legislation will no longer apply to the UK(Great Britain), and you will no longer be subject to this obligation. Nevertheless, prior to that date, we advise you to follow the legislative development in the UK with regard to domestic authorisation obligations, as you will need to adhere to applicable UK law in this respect. 

For REACH Authorisations covering a UK(Great Britain)-based company’s downstream users located in the EU/EEA, please see Q&A 1428.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

After the end of the transition period,  EU legislation will no longer apply to the UK, and you will no longer be subject to this obligation.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

After the end of the transition period, EU legislation will no longer apply to the UK, and you will no longer be subject to this obligation.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

After the end of the transition period, EU legislation will no longer apply to the UK, and you will no longer be subject to this obligation.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

After the end of the transition period, EU legislation will no longer apply to the UK, and you will no longer be subject to this obligation. 

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

You are able to rely on the registration of a UK(Great Britain)-based legal entity until the end of the transition period. Thereafter, your business partner will need to appoint an Only Representative established within the EU/EEA or relocate to the EU/EEA for the substance to remain legally registered with ECHA for the EU/EEA. In the absence of such an appointment or relocation by your UK(Great Britain)-based supplier, you will need to register the substance yourself as an EU/EEA importer.

For registered substances in stock at the end of transition period, please see Q&A 1543.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that registrants can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

After the end of the transition period, the registration by the UK(Great Britain)-based company will be considered non-existent. If the UK(Great Britain)-based Lead Registrant still wishes to continue placing their substance on the EU/EEA market, they must take action. If they are a manufacturer of the substance, they can appoint an Only Representative located in the EU/EEA to handle their registration and the lead registrant duties. Alternatively, the UK(Great Britain) based manufacturer can transfer their existing registration to the EU/EEA, keeping the manufacturing role, if this transfer is the result of a legal entity change, falling into one of the following scenarios:

(a) the UK(Great Britain) based manufacturer goes through an acquisition or relocation to the EU/EEA;

(b) an intra-group transfer of the whole operation / manufacturing activity to the EU/EEA. Following the legal entity change to the EU/EEA manufacture, the UK(Great Britain) legal entity must cease manufacturing until the end of the transition period.

However, if they are an importer, the only way they can still retain the lead registrant role is by moving their import activities into the EU/EEA and changing the registrant legal entity in REACH-IT to this new legal entity.

If the UK(Great Britain) company does not wish to remain on the EU/EEA market and thus does not take the necessary actions, the members of the joint submission must agree on a new lead. The lead role can be taken by any member of the joint submission.

Agreements among registrants should include a provision regulating the case that the appointed Lead Registrant can no longer exercise their function and foreseeing that the shared information is transferred to a new lead registration, as well as arrangements to ensure data and cost sharing can be continued in the future.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that registrants, including Lead Registrants, can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A1700 for further details.

1. UK(Great Britain)-based manufacturers and formulators can transfer their Authorisation or pending application for authorisation to an Only Representative based in the EU/EEA;
2. UK(Great Britain)-based Only Representatives can transfer their Authorisation or pending application for authorisation to a new Only Representative based in EU/EEA, appointed by the non-EU manufacturer (also see Q&A 1250). Please note however that UK(Great Britain)-based importers cannot transfer their Authorisation to an Only Representative in the EU/EEA.
3. Like any EU/EEA-based legal entity, UK(Great Britain)-based legal entities can currently transfer their Authorisation or pending application for authorisation where the transfer is the result of the change of legal entity referred to in Q&A 1239 (for instance, as the result of a merger, a split or an asset sale (sale of a production site or business)) and the person to whom it is transferred qualifies as manufacturer, importer or downstream user with regard to the substance(s) and the use(s) covered by the application for authorisation or the decision. A change of legal entity cannot extend the scope of the original application for authorisation or of the Authorisation, e.g. to cover different uses. (Please see Q&A 1239 and Q&A 1241 to 1249).

• In case 1, the transfer can only take effect at the end of the transition period (for detailed advice, please see Q&A 1466).
• In cases 2 and 3, the transfer must take place before the end of the transition period and be notified to ECHA (through the ‘Legal entity change’ functionality in REACH-IT) without undue delay. In fact, ECHA recommends to initiate the transfer at least two weeks before the end of the transition period, to allow for a timely update should ECHA identify any issue with the attached documentation. It should also be noted that after this transfer, the UK-based company cannot continue its manufacturing / importing / Only Representative activity, as long as the REACH Regulation applies to the UK(GB). If the UK(GB)-based company only intends to implement the transfer at the end of the transition, it can include a suspensive clause in the transfer agreement with the successor company stipulating that the transfer takes effect at the end of the transition period. In this case, after the legal entity change is initiated in REACH-IT, the successor legal entity should review the transfer, but not proceed to accept it before the end of the transition period. (Please see also the instructions in the 'How to transfer your UK REACH registrations prior to the UK withdrawal from the EU' guide).

ECHA, in collaboration with the European Commission and Member State competent authorities, have reviewed all pending substance evaluations for appointing another Member State authority to take over the respective evaluation. The UK withdrawal has also been taken into consideration in the CoRAP updates for the years 2018-2020 as well as 2019-2021, and will continue to do so for subsequent updates.

You should only appoint an OR who has a sufficient background in the practical handling of substances and of the information related to them, as required by Article 8(2) of the REACH Regulation. As your representative, the OR will bear all responsibilities of importers under the Registration Title and other titles of the REACH Regulation. Among them, the OR shall keep available and up-to-date information on the quantities imported and customers sold to, as well as information on the supply of the latest update of the SDS. Please also remember to inform the importers within the same supply chain of the OR appointment. ECHA’s webpages provide more detailed information on the role of Only Representatives. Please see also the Q&A section on Only Representatives on ECHA’s web pages.
In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that registrants, including Lead Registrants, can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

No. Every registrant company is responsible for its registrations and the substances that are covered by these registrations. Therefore, responsible staff and the relevant documentation must be available for inspection at the premises of every registrant. Only Representatives must live up to the requirements in Article 8(2) REACH. A mere address or letterbox is not sufficient and may lead to legal consequences being taken by enforcement authorities. The company that you set up must comply with all local regulations and have legal personality at its place of establishment. 

Your company will need to notify this change in REACH-IT immediately before the end of the transition period by transferring the registrations, as instructed in the 'How to transfer your UK REACH registrations prior to the UK withdrawal from the EU' guide.

After the successful transfer of the registrations in REACH-IT, the legal entity change successor is expected to submit a dossier update to comply with Article 22 REACH, and to ensure that the dossier reflects the new role (Only representative, Manufacturer, Importer).

Yes, such a transfer of registration will become acceptable for UK(Great Britain)-based manufacturers and formulators when the transition period is over. According to Article 8 of the REACH Regulation, only a natural or legal person established outside the EU/EEA may by mutual agreement appoint a natural or legal person established within the EU/EEA to fulfil, as Only Representative, the obligations that the REACH Regulation imposes on EU/EEA importers. Your company therefore will not qualify for performing such a transfer before the end of the transition period.

Consequently, we recommend that you, prior to the end of transition period, set up a contractual agreement to appoint an Only Representative, which contains a suspensive conditional clause stipulating that the appointment takes effect at the time when transition period ends. Your company will need to notify this change in REACH-IT immediately ahead of the end of transition period by transferring the registrations to the new Only Representative, as instructed in the 'How to transfer your UK REACH registrations prior to the UK withdrawal from the EU' guide.

Please note that if you act as a formulator (i.e., you import a substance from a third country to the UK(Great Britain), and include the substance in a mixture that you export to the EU/EEA), you can appoint an Only Representative for the quantities of the substance that you formulate into a mixture that you export to the EU/EEA. However, note that for the quantities of the substance that you import to the UK(Great Britain) for further export as such to the EU/EEA, you cannot appoint an Only Representative. The reason is that only non-EU/EEA manufacturers, formulators or article producers can appoint an Only Representative.

After the successful transfer of the registrations in REACH-IT, the legal entity change successor is expected to submit a dossier update to comply with Article 22 REACH to ensure that the dossier reflects the new role (Only Representative).

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that registrants can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

The latter is the case. You would need to act as an importer of the substance into the EU/EEA and submit a new registration. Article 8 of the REACH Regulation only allows manufacturers, formulators of mixtures or producers of articles established outside the EU/EEA to appoint an Only Representative. This option will thus not be available to UK(Great Britain)-based companies that will have been importers into the EU/EEA until the end of transition period. Thus, it is not possible to transfer a registration of a UK(Great Britain) importer to a newly appointed Only Representative. Non-EU/EEA manufacturers of the substance may of course appoint an EU/EEA-based Only Representative of the substance. However, such an Only Representative would then need to submit a new registration for the substance.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. Therefore, supplies from Northern Ireland will be considered as transfers within EU internal market and not as imports. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

Such a transfer will become possible at the end of the transition period.

However, until the end of the transition period your company will not qualify for performing such a transfer. Consequently, we recommend that prior to the end of the transition period, you set up a contractual agreement to appoint an Only Representative which contains a suspensive conditional clause stipulating that the appointment takes effect at the end of the transition period. The Only Representative will need to adhere to all the conditions of use determined by the Authorisation decision, including any specific duties foreseen in the decision for your company.

Your company will need to notify this change in REACH-IT immediately ahead of the end of the transition period by transferring the applications or authorisations to the new Only Representative. You will need to initiate the transfer before the end of the transition period, similarly to the instructions in the 'How to transfer your UK REACH registrations prior to the UK withdrawal from the EU' guide. In fact, ECHA recommends to initiate the transfer as early as possible, to allow for a timely update should ECHA identify any issue with the attached documentation. See also Q&A 1242 on how to use the legal entity change functionality of REACH-IT for applications for authorisation.

ECHA will forward the notification to the European Commission.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that authorisation holders can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

• Like any EU/EEA-based legal entity, you can transfer your existing registration to an EU/EEA legal entity, which maintains the manufacturing role if this transfer is the result of a legal entity change, i.e. it must fall into one of the following scenarios:
  • The UK(Great Britain)-based manufacturer goes through an acquisition or relocation to the EU/EEA.
  • Intragroup transfer of the whole operations / manufacturing activity (e.g. transfer of the activity from a UK(Great Britain)-based mother company to an EU/EEA-based daughter company).

• You can appoint an Only Representative (OR) within the EU/EEA. For further details (particularly with regard to the timing), please refer to Q&A 1464.
• Alternatively, your EU/EEA-based customers can continue sourcing from you by registering the substance(s) themselves, as importers.

After the end of the transition period, you will not have registration obligations under REACH, as only EU/EEA-based manufacturers and importers, as well as companies located in Northern Ireland, are required to register their substances under REACH. However, you may consider transferring your registration to an EU/EEA-based legal entity, if this transfer is the result of a legal entity change, i.e. the importing business is transferred to a legal entity in the EU/EEA.

With regard to the timing of this transfer, it must take place ahead end of the transition period and be notified to ECHA (through the ‘Legal entity change’ functionality in REACH-IT) without undue delay. Following the transfer, the UK(Great Britain)-based legal entity is not allowed to benefit from the registration any longer (i.e., they must cease their importing activities). After the end of the transition period, when UK(Great Britain) companies will no longer be bound by the REACH Regulation, import may restart in the UK(Great Britain), subject to relevant UK law.

If you also act as a formulator (i.e., you import a substance from a third country to the UK(Great Britain), and include the substance in a mixture that you export to the EU/EEA), you can appoint an Only Representative (OR) for the quantities of the substance that you formulate into a mixture that you export to the EU/EEA. For further information, please refer to Q&A 1464.

Alternatively, your EU/EEA based customers can register the substance(s) individually as importers and continue sourcing from you.
In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that registrants can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A 1700.

After the end of the transition period, your supplier will no longer be subject to REACH and CLP obligations. Therefore, you will need to ask your UK(Great Britain)-based supplier- if they will appoint an Only Representative to cover the necessary REACH registrations for the component substances of the mixture. If not, you will need to submit the relevant registrations as an importer yourself to be legally on the EU/EEA internal market.

Under CLP, you will now be the importer and thus will have the obligation to ensure that the imported mixture is correctly classified, labelled and packaged. You may also have the notification obligation to the Classification and Labelling Inventory.

In Northern Ireland, REACH and CLP continue to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that REACH registrants can continue to be based in Northern Ireland and that supplies from Northern Ireland are not considered as imports. Please refer to Q&As 1700, Q&A 1701, Q&A 1702.

• You can appoint an Only Representative located within the EU/EEA to carry out the required registration of the imported substance.
• The substance can also be registered directly by its EU/EEA-based importer(s).

You can appoint a new Only Representative, located within the EU/EEA or in Northern Ireland. This requires that the old and the new Only Representatives collaborate in making a ‘legal entity change’ in REACH-IT. The new appointment must take place ahead of the end of the transition period and be notified to ECHA (through the ‘Legal entity change’ functionality in REACH-IT) without undue delay.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that Only Representatives can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A 1700 for further details.

After the end of transition period, trading the substance back to the EU/EEA may be considered as re-import into the EU/EEA.

A re-imported registered substance does not need to be registered again, as long as the conditions for re-import set out in Article 2(7)(c) of REACH are fulfilled. These conditions are outlined in Q&A 1076, and further elaborated in the Guidance on registration section 2.2.3.6.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that substances shipped from Northern Ireland to the EU/EEA are not considered as imports. Please refer to Q&A 1700 for further details.

Substances registered only by UK(Great Britain) companies are listed in the List of substances registered only by UK companies. This list includes all substances

• with an active registration by a UK-based company, and
• no active registrations by any EU/EEA-based companies

To keep substances that are registered under REACH legally on the EU/EEA market, you can either transfer your business to, or appoint an only representative in one of the EU/EEA countries. Only complete registrations can be transferred to another legal entity, i.e., the registration first needs to be confirmed to be complete by ECHA. Therefore, you will need to submit the requested update following the instructions in the completeness check communication and pay the registration fee (if relevant) in good time before the end of the transition period. Leave a minimum of two weeks before the end of the transition period for ECHA to check the completeness of your dossier and for the transfer of the registration fee (if relevant). 

If you do not wish to remain on the EU/EEA market, then following the end of the transition period, the completeness check deadline will no longer be relevant for you.

If the registration is not considered complete, you will not be able to transfer it. 

For any questions on your particular situation, please contact ECHA.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that registrants can continue to be based in Northern Ireland. Please refer to Q&A 1700 for further details.

Yes, if the batch of a substance, registered by the manufacturer/importer/Only Representative located in the UK, is placed on the market (See Article 3(12) of the REACH Regulation) of the EU before the  end of the transition period, that substance can continue to be placed on the EU market and be used as of that date.

However, any consignment of a substance imported into the EU market as of the end of the transition period has to be registered in accordance with the EU rules, i.e. it requires the registrant/Only Representative to be established in the EU.

Please note that this reply does not yet take into account the impact of the Protocol on Northern Ireland which will become applicable as from the end of the transition period. The reply will be amended in due course accordingly.

Substances that have been registered by a company in the EU/EEA may be placed on the market throughout the EU/EEA. The fact that the substance is transported through a third country (such as Switzerland) or, after the end of the transition period,  the UK, is immaterial. For issues related to customs procedures please refer to the relevant readiness notices issued by the European Commission. 

Stakeholders are reminded that specific cases of re-import exist, for example in cases where a substance is first manufactured in the EU/EEA, then exported – for example, to be formulated into a mixture – and then brought back into the EU/EEA again – for example, to be marketed or for further processing. In these cases, please refer to the guidelines on re-import outlined in Q&A 1076, and further elaborated in the Guidance on registration Section 2.2.3.6.

Your situation is not different from that of any member registrant “losing” the Lead Registrant for a registered substance. Please see Q&A 1570 for further information.

No, the re-import exemption cannot be relied on in this situation, because the conditions for this exemption are not fulfilled. The exemption requires the substance to be registered under REACH, exported from the EU by an actor in the supply chain and re-imported into the EU by the same or another actor in the same supply chain, who shows that the re-imported substance is the same as the previously exported substance and that it has been provided with the information required for the safe use of that exported substance.

In the case described in the question, no one has exported the substance from the EU. Therefore, it also cannot be re-imported into the EU by the same or another actor in the same supply chain.

Moreover, there may no longer be a valid REACH registration of that substance, once your registration will have become non-existent after the expiry of the transition period.

Please note that this reply does not yet take into account the impact of the Protocol on Northern Ireland which will become applicable as from the end of the transition period. The reply will be amended in due course accordingly.

As a general rule, your use of an Annex XIV substance will be covered by the REACH Authorisation (or the pending Authorisation application) until the end of the transition period. After the end of the transition period, the supply of a substance from EU/EEA to the UK(Great Britain) becomes an export and the supply of a mixture from the UK(Great Britain) to the EU/EEA becomes an import. If the substance is exported to the UK(Great Britain), where it is formulated into a mixture, the importer (if it is different from the applicant/authorisation holder) of the mixture containing that substance into the EU/EEA and its downstream users will not benefit from the provision in Article 56(2) of REACH. The reason is that Article 56(2) applies to downstream users of the applicant for authorisation/authorisation holder (under the conditions set out in that provision), and the importer of the mixture is by definition not a downstream user.

Therefore, your use of the imported mixture containing the Annex XIV substance can be covered by the Authorisation (or the pending Authorisation application) only if the mixture is supplied to you by the applicant or authorisation holder. In other scenarios (i.e. if the importer of the mixture is not the applicant/authorisation holder) you (or the importer supplying the mixture to you) will need to apply for authorisation.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. This means, inter alia, that the supply of a mixture from Northern Ireland to the EU/EEA is not an import. Please refer to Q&A 1700 for further details.

Yes. In accordance with Article 41(1) of the Withdrawal Agreement (and as reflected in the Commission’s notice to stakeholders dated 30 March 2020), an existing and individually identifiable good lawfully placed on the market in the EU or the UK before the end of the transition period may be further made available on the market of the EU or of the UK and circulate between these two markets until it reaches its end-user.

Importantly, the above does not apply to substances manufactured, but not placed on the market yet by the end of transition period.

In Northern Ireland, REACH continues to apply after the transition period. For further reference please refer to Q&A 1700.