UK Government plans national REACH programme for 2023-24

The UK Government has published its rationale for prioritising substances in the UK REACH work programme 2023-24.

UK REACH is part of the independent chemicals' regulatory framework for Great Britain. For its third year, the work programme outlines the operational activities.

The UK Government and devolved administrations have jointly identified priorities for two types of activities.

1. Restriction – a mechanism for limiting, banning or imposing conditions on the manufacture, use, or placing on the market of a substance or group of substances
2. Regulatory management options analysis (RMOA) – analysis produced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or the Environment Agency to assess the potential human health and environmental risks associated with the use of a substance or group of substances, alongside existing regulation.

Priorities for restriction have been identified, based on a review of proposals from stakeholders and proposed substances by other regulators, such as the European Chemicals Agency.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Scottish and Welsh Governments are the appropriate authorities for UK REACH and they work with HSE, the Evironment Agency, and stakeholders such as non-governmental organisations and trade associations, to identifiy priorities for the work programme, which are detailed in their report.

The five priorities for the 2023-24 work progamme are:

1. To start a restriction dossier on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in fire-fighting foams and assess potential additional restrictions on further wide dispersive uses of those released from consumer articles, and are likely to be.
2. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers in articles – continue the RMOA initiated under the 2022-23 work programme and consider its recommendations.
3. Bisphenols in thermal paper – continue the RMOA initiated under the 2022-23 work programme and consider its recommendations.
4. Hazardous flame retardants – further develop the risk assessment on flame retardants and consider the recommendations on completion.
5. Intentionally added microplastics – monitor progress of the evidence project initiated and commissioned under the 2022-23 work programme.