UK REACH: Alternative Transitional Registration model (ATRm)
25 June 2025
UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals) was established post-Brexit to replace the EU REACH regulation. In May 2024 the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) proposed a significant change to the regulation, namely the Alternative Transitional Registration model (ATRm). The aim of the ATRm was to reduce the costs and complexity for companies by allowing them to register chemicals with less reliance on duplicating expensive EU REACH data, particularly vertebrate animal studies. A public consultaiton on the proposal was run from 16th May 2024 to 25th July 2024. Since the closure of the public consultation there has been no further communications from DEFRA on this matter.
At recent official events, DEFRA confirmed that they could not provide clarity on the future of the ATRm or any potential extension of the registration deadlines at this moment in time. DEFRA ask for patience and assure that an announcement will be made soon, within the year.
This means uncertainty for the industry. We recommend submitting inquiry dossiers where possible, as this provides visibility into which companies are in a substance group. Companies impacted by the first registration deadline should continue planning for it, but nothing should be submitted without clarity from DEFRA.
Aside from that, all the stakeholders can do is wait for DEFRA’s announcement. Please reach out to our experts if you have any questions.