BREXIT UK, REACH: Don't panic, we are in control!

After a transition period, the 'hard Brexit', the departure of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union, was officially a fact on January 1, 2021. With the UK's departure comes the question of regulations and agreements. What will remain in force? What will change? De Monchy's quality department has spent the last few months studying the previous situation and what the EU and UK require . The aim is to streamline our quality system in line with laws and regulations and to ensure the continuation of our services to customers and suppliers.

Help me out... What is REACH?

REACH is a European regulation on the production and trade of chemical substances. It describes what companies and governments must do. REACH stands for: Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances. This regulation applies to all countries of the European Union. Producers and importers of chemical substances have to register all substances they produce or import. This obligation only applies to substances of which at least 1000 kilograms per year are produced or imported.

What will change?

The REACH legislation for the EU is no longer valid for the UK. A new database is required for the import and sale of chemical substances. The ECHA substance database can no longer be used by the UK. Before 27 October, all UK-based entities (whether or not part of a European company) must provide a list of all substances they import into the UK.

Unfortunately when leaving the EU, UK based companies did not have access to the ECHA substance database, so the UK government had to come up with a way to make their own database. So before the 27th of October all UK based entities have to come up with a list of all substances they import into the UK. The British government speaks of DUIN, Downstream User Import Notification.

Yes, We did it!

The careful building up of a database in CRM and PowerBI has paid off. As we are asked to register all substances of the past 2 years, it was a clear and (relatively) quick task. We have submitted DUINs ourselves, so that we can ensure continuity for the next 4 years. We expect that the rules and legislation surrounding registrations in and outside the UK, in relation to DUIN, may change. So we, our suppliers and customers are prepared for the future. We can focus on what really matters, guaranteeing and delivering quality for the success of the future!

If you have any questions, our quality professionals Tom Piket and Roxane Dekker are happy to help. Download here your Brexit UK REACH Statement here:

Brexit UK REACH Statement