On 25 March 2019, the UK Government published guidance on how businesses can register on its new UK IT service for chemical regulation. This is needed because if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK businesses that manufacture or import chemicals will have to register under UK REACH which will replace the EU REACH regime for chemicals regulation in the UK.

The guidance explains the specific steps a business must take to register a chemical online under UK REACH. UK REACH will replace. From exit day, the new online system will allow businesses that have existing UK-held REACH registrations to validate their registrations and for those that import chemicals from the European Economic Area to submit downstream user import notifications.

It is important that businesses currently holding a REACH registration access their REACH-IT account held by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and ensure that all the information relating to their business is downloaded. Information required to comply with UK REACH includes registration confirmation documents and ECHA decisions.

This Guidance follows earlier guidance issued in February 2019 by the ECHA on REACH and a no-deal Brexit and by the European Commission on chemicals regulation after Brexit.