Section Menu

Chemicals sector issues

Chemicals Industry Regulatory Forum

This new joint Government/Industry body (it first convened in June 2004) is a response to the growing better regulation agenda.If you would like to know more, please contact the group secretary, Alastair East.

Chemicals Regulatory Forum - forward work programme November 2006 (54KB)

Evaluating the cumulative impact of safety, health and environmental regulation on the UK industrial coatings, aerosols and speciality chemicals sectors - executive summary (19KB)

Evaluating the cumulative impact of safety, health and environmental regulation on the UK industrial coatings, aerosols and speciality chemicals sectors (439KB)

Meeting notes from the 2004 CRF meetings can also be found on BERRs Freedom of Information  website.

Note of the Chemicals Regulatory Forum meeting of 28 April 2005 (77KB)

Note of the Chemicals Regulatory Forum meeting of 22 July 2005 (60KB)

Note of the Chemicals Regulatory Forum meeting 4 November 2005 (59KB)

Chemicals Regulatory Forum Meeting 24 February 2006 minutes and associated papers (34KB)

DEFRA and better regulation presentation (396KB)

Chemicals Regulatory Forum Meeting 4 May 2006 minutes and associated papers (32KB)

Local Better Regulation Office Presentation (20KB)

London Economics Presentation (15KB)

Chemicals Regulatory Forum Meeting 28 September 2006 minutes and associated papers (41KB)

HSE presentation: the challenges of regulating the chemical industry (3915KB)

Note of the Chemicals Regulatory Forum meeting of 8 May 2008 (21KB)

Chemicals Regulatory Forum forward work programme review May 2008 (18KB)

Note of the Chemicals Regulatory Forum meeting 9 October 2008 (209KB)

Report for the Chemical Regulatory Forum - Nanotechnology - Chemical Issues (154KB)

Report for the Chemical Regulatory Forum - Regulatory Framework with regard to Hazard vs Risk (161KB)

The Agenda for Regulatory Change in Scotland - presentation to the Chemical Regulatory Forum by Allan Reid, SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) (131KB)

Report for the Chemical Regulatory Forum - Waste - a chemical perspective (196KB)

REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals)

In 2001 the European Commission published a White Paper outlining a new EU Chemicals Strategy proposing a single system to gather hazard information, assess risks, classify, label and restrict marketing and use of individual substances (including both organic and inorganic chemicals). The Commission subsequently proposed a draft Regulation in October 2003, which is now under scrutiny by Member States and the European Parliament. The European Parliament completed its First Reading on 17 November 2005. The UK, during its Presidency of the EU, secured political agreement on a package, which improves the protection of human health and the environment whilst safeguarding competitiveness. This agreement at the 13 December 2005 Competitiveness Council, brings the long-running negotiations in Council to a successful conclusion, and paves the way for the European Parliament and Council to deliver a final joint agreement later this year.  The Austrian Presidency is expected to finalise the Council's Common Position on REACH (simply the political agreement text as fine-tuned by the EU's legal-linguists) by the end of June, with the European Parliament's Second Reading to follow in the autumn.  Assuming that the Council and Parliament can agree a final deal by the end of 2006, REACH is likely to enter into force in April 2007. DEFRA lead on this debate with support from BERR.

Here is a summary guide to REACH, including an implementation timeline and contact details for the HSE's REACH helpdesk.

Chemicals Leadership Council (CLC)

The Chemistry Leadership Council (CLC) was formed in early 2003 following a recommendation from the Chemicals Innovation and Growth Team (CIGT) Report of December 2002. The CIGT was established by Lord Sainsbury, the  Minister for Science in January 2002. Its terms of reference were:

• To evaluate the key factors that will impact on the chemicals industry globally and identify the opportunities and challenges for the UK over the next 15 - 20 years.

• To formulate a vision of what the future chemicals industry might look like and how to get there.

• To make recommendations to industry, Government and others for specific actions.

The key issues considered by the CLC were industry reputation and regulation, sustainable development, skills and innovation. 

Having successfully completed its work, the CLC was formally wound up by Lord Sainsbury in March 2006.  However, there are already arrangements in place to drive forward work in each of these key areas, for example COGENT SSC will lead the work on skills.