The UK government has confirmed significant changes to UK REACH ATRm requirements, reducing the data burden for companies re-registering chemicals already on the Great Britain market. In its response to a 2024 consultation, published on 30 March 2026, Defra outlined a more proportionate transitional registration model designed to cut costs, maintain safety standards and support closer alignment with EU regulatory decisions.
The reforms target transitional substances previously registered under EU REACH before the UK's exit from the EU. As this data was not transferred to the UK regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), businesses have been required to re-register chemicals to continue operating in Great Britain.
Under the revised UK REACH ATRm, registrants will submit hazard conclusions rather than full hazard datasets at the initial stage. This reflects the government's position that many transitional substances are already well understood internationally.
Regulators will retain the ability to request additional data through transitional evaluation powers where necessary. Defra said this approach balances reduced upfront requirements with the need to support regulatory decision-making and maintain protections for human health and the environment.
The model preserves the core "no data, no market" principle while introducing a more targeted and flexible data framework.
The changes are intended to address concerns over disproportionate compliance costs. Without reform, transitional registration under UK REACH could have cost industry an estimated £1.3 billion to £3.3 billion by 2030, with a midpoint of around £2 billion.
Consultation responses suggested broad support from industry for reducing hazard data requirements, particularly to avoid duplicating EU REACH submissions. However, some stakeholders, including NGOs and charities, raised concerns about reduced data availability and potential implications for hazard assessment robustness.
Questions also remain around access to underlying hazard data and associated intellectual property rights, which respondents identified as a potential cost and legal risk.
Defra confirmed it will not proceed with earlier proposals to expand Great Britain-specific use and exposure data requirements under the UK REACH ATRm.
This decision follows stakeholder feedback highlighting the complexity and cost of gathering detailed exposure information across supply chains. Businesses had also questioned whether additional data would materially improve risk management outcomes.
Instead, registrants will continue to provide use and exposure information in line with existing UK REACH provisions.
The ATRm maintains requirements for chemical safety assessments and reports, although these will focus initially on key hazard data to determine whether further exposure and risk analysis is required.
The framework also reinforces the use of substance groups to support joint data submission and cost sharing. These groups will operate in a similar way to the EU's Substance Information Exchange Fora, encouraging collaboration and reducing duplication across registrants.
Alongside the technical changes, the government signalled a broader policy direction for UK REACH. Defra stated that regulatory decisions from trusted jurisdictions, particularly the EU, will be used as a starting point, with alignment expected unless there are compelling reasons to diverge.
This reflects concerns that slower UK processes and regulatory divergence have created additional complexity and trade friction for the chemicals sector since EU exit.
However, consultation responses indicate that some stakeholders remain cautious about ongoing dual compliance requirements, potential impacts on competitiveness and the risk of product withdrawals from the Great Britain market.
Defra said legislation to implement the UK REACH ATRm will be introduced in time for businesses to meet updated registration deadlines. The department acknowledged industry concerns about prolonged uncertainty and the need for clarity to support compliance planning.
Further reforms to UK REACH, including changes to restrictions processes, reporting and approaches to animal testing, are expected to be taken forward separately as part of a wider reform programme.
The UK REACH ATRm introduces a more proportionate approach to transitional chemical registration, reducing duplication while maintaining regulatory safeguards. By lowering upfront data requirements and signalling closer alignment with EU decisions, the reforms aim to ease compliance pressures while preserving protections for health, environment and trade continuity.
Defra's new strategic approach aligns UK REACH candidate list updates more closely with EU decisions, with direct implications for supply chain communication and authorisation planning.
The UK government proposes a UK REACH restriction for tattoo inks and permanent make-up, tightening limits and labelling with phased transition periods.
The incorporation of PFAS into firefighting foams has raised significant environmental and health concerns.
Subscribe to Foresight Weekly for expert-picked regulatory developments across chemicals, sustainability, product safety, ESG, and HSE.
Free forever. Unsubscribe anytime.
Read by professionals at
