UK Chemicals Regulation: What Businesses Need to Know in 2026

UK Chemicals Regulation: Clearer Direction Emerging, But Questions Remain on Delivery

Recent presentations from DEFRA, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Chemical Business Association (CBA) have provided one of the clearest indications yet of the future direction of UK chemicals regulation.

Whilst many implementation details remain under development, a consistent theme emerged across discussions on UK REACH, restrictions, classification and labelling, biocides and PFAS. The UK appears to be moving towards closer alignment with EU chemicals regulation, whilst retaining the legal ability to diverge where there is a clear domestic need.

For businesses operating in Great Britain, this provides greater visibility of the likely regulatory direction of travel. However, significant uncertainty remains around implementation timelines, future consultations and the pace of policy delivery.

 

UK REACH and the Alternative Transitional Registration Model

DEFRA confirmed its continued commitment to the Alternative Transitional Registration Model (ATRm), which is intended to reduce the cost of UK REACH registrations whilst maintaining the principle of “No Data, No Market”. Government estimates suggest ATRm could reduce industry costs by around 70% compared with the inherited UK REACH registration model.

The revised registration deadlines, extending the existing submission dates to 2029, 2030 and 2031, provide additional time for businesses to prepare. DEFRA also indicated that a technical consultation on ATRm is expected during 2026, with guidance anticipated to follow.

Although the registration framework is changing, the message from regulators was clear. Registration obligations are not disappearing, and businesses will still be expected to understand the hazards, uses and risks associated with the substances they place on the GB market.

 

Restrictions Reform and Growing UK-EU Alignment

One of the most significant policy signals related to the future operation of UK REACH restrictions.

DEFRA outlined an emerging approach under which EU restrictions would increasingly act as the starting point for GB decision making. Future assessments would focus on determining how a restriction could be implemented in the GB context, followed by consultation and adoption where appropriate. According to DEFRA, divergence from EU restrictions is expected to become the exception rather than the norm.

This has potentially important implications for businesses. Monitoring EU restriction activity may become increasingly relevant even for organisations with no direct EU market presence.

PFAS was repeatedly highlighted as an area likely to remain a major focus of future restrictions activity.

 

Candidate List, Authorisation and Regulatory Consistency

Presentations from both DEFRA and HSE suggested that UK regulatory authorities are continuing to review developments under the EU REACH framework when considering future GB regulatory activity.

Whilst UK authorities retain the ability to take GB specific decisions, the broader policy objective appears to be greater consistency, stability and predictability across chemicals regulation.

For businesses, this means that EU Candidate List developments may increasingly serve as an early indicator of future UK regulatory activity.

 

CLP Reform and New Hazard Classes

The Chemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 came into force on 21 May 2026. HSE also confirmed ongoing work to establish greater consistency between classification and labelling requirements in Great Britain and Northern Ireland by June 2027.

Other developments include the removal of the GB CLP notification database and the migration of technical guidance to the GB Mandatory Classification and Labelling List platform.

Perhaps most notably, discussions suggested that the UK is likely to consider adopting the new EU hazard classes, including endocrine disruptors and persistent, mobile and toxic substances, as part of wider efforts to maintain consistency across regulatory regimes.

 

Biocides and UK-EU SPS Discussions

The future direction of biocides regulation appears increasingly linked to wider UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) negotiations.

Several previous proposals for standalone GB biocides reform now appear likely to be influenced by the outcome of these discussions. If implemented as anticipated, SPS arrangements could result in significantly closer alignment between GB and EU biocides regulation from 2027 onwards.

For companies operating in the biocides sector, future EU regulatory developments may therefore become increasingly relevant when considering GB compliance strategies.

 

PFAS Remains a Strategic Priority

PFAS continues to be a major area of regulatory focus.

DEFRA confirmed that its PFAS strategy is based on the OECD definition and is intended to be science based and proportionate. Rather than assessing every PFAS substance individually, regulators are expected to use grouping approaches where appropriate and continue gathering evidence on uses, exposure pathways and sector specific impacts before determining future interventions.

A recurring theme throughout the conference was the difficulty many organisations continue to face in identifying PFAS within complex supply chains. Regulators indicated that businesses are expected to continue undertaking supply chain due diligence and gathering information from suppliers.

 

Industry Perspective: Progress, But Continuing Uncertainty

Alongside the regulator presentations, the Chemical Business Association provided an industry perspective on the evolution of UK chemicals regulation.

Whilst acknowledging that the overall policy direction is becoming clearer, concerns were raised regarding the pace of implementation and the impact of political and organisational change on delivery. The presentation highlighted the number of ministerial and departmental changes that have occurred since Brexit and the resulting challenges for long term policy continuity.

Many businesses continue to express frustration at delays, uncertainty and the absence of a comprehensive UK Chemicals Strategy.

 

What Should Businesses Be Watching?

Whilst significant uncertainty remains around detailed implementation, several areas are likely to be particularly important over the next two years:

  • The ATRm technical consultation and implementation timetable.
  • Reform of the UK REACH restrictions process.
  • CLP alignment between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • Potential adoption of new EU hazard classes.
  • UK-EU SPS developments affecting biocides regulation.
  • Ongoing PFAS regulatory and restriction activity.

 

Looking Ahead

The clearest message from this year’s conference was that the direction of travel is becoming easier to see, even if the destination is not yet fully defined.

Across UK REACH, restrictions, classification and labelling, biocides and PFAS, regulators appear to be pursuing a more aligned and pragmatic approach that seeks to reduce unnecessary duplication whilst maintaining the ability to make GB specific decisions where justified.

For industry, the challenge remains balancing a clearer strategic direction with continuing uncertainty over the timing and detail of implementation.

Businesses that monitor developments early, understand their substance portfolios and engage proactively with future consultations are likely to be best placed to respond as the next phase of UK chemicals regulation develops.

 

For further information, please contact the Chemical team at Risk & Policy Analysts Ltd.