The UK Government is set to break from Brussels rules dictating how chemical companies should register substances.
Under the plans, the “hazard” information required by chemical firms will be reduced to an “irreducible minimum” as part of a drive to cut red tape post-Brexit.
The Government argued that scrapping the EU regulations would mean UK companies will no longer need to pay for data packages held by the Europan chemical consortium.
In a policy member paper, DEFRA insists this move will result in a “significant reduction of the estimated £2 billion costs to industry associated with buying or accessing EU hazard information.”
The department declared in the paper: “The government’s ambition is to establish, for the first time, a more comprehensive picture of where and how chemicals are used in Great Britain.
“This is to make sure industry is best fulfilling its duty to ensure the safe use of chemicals and to enable our regulators to assess the level of exposure and risk that chemicals present in Great Britain, and to take targeted regulatory actions where those risks are deemed unacceptable.”
They continue: “Under this approach we can tailor the requirements we set for Great Britain registration of chemicals to focus on gathering information on the use and exposure of the chemicals, in particular those of higher concern.
“We can augment this by requiring any further data needed for regulatory purposes in a targeted way, as new or emerging risks are identified by the UK or other global sources.”
Criticism has come from campaigners who argue the UK is “falling behind” the standards of the EU.
Richard Benwell, the chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link told the Guardian the UK is “falling behind, leaving UK wildlife and consumers exposed to more toxic chemicals than our European neighbours”.
He described the proposal as a “misguided step in the wrong direction, permanently damaging the ability of UK regulators to identify and prevent harmful chemical pollution.”
A Defra spokesperson told the Guardian: “We are reviewing our legislation to see whether we can deliver more effective and efficient outcomes for both the environment and business. We will continue to work closely with industry and other interested stakeholders to understand their concerns and discuss how these might be addressed while ensuring high levels of protection of human health and the environment.”
