NEW: the U.K. chemicals industry calls for common sense re-think of U.K. post- #brexit plan to build copycat EU REACH chemicals database at cost of £1bn - @GeorgeWParker @FinancialTimes scoop. Stay with me. /1 https://on.ft.com/3aQOdyy 

So what's all this about? Well, no sleeping at the back there, because chemicals are in everything - from paint to nail polish, cars to contact lenses - they are key part of manufacturing base, with highly mobile pan-EU supply chains. #Brexit is a bugger for them /2

The problem is that as part of the 'sovereignty at all costs approach @DavidGHFrost the UK relationship ruled out close links with the EU chemicals agency ECHA in Helsinki which controls the EU REACH database - a store of all the info on all the chemicals on the market /3

The UK industry actually bitched about it back in the day, but in the end spent £500m conforming with EU rules, essentially providing full safety data for all chemicals - which is expensive to build (tests cost money). Problem is, all that info is now inaccessible /4

The UK has decided it wants to build it's own UK REACH - but that means "re-stocking the cupboard" from scratch - time, and money (buying access to the data) to essentially build a copy of what already exists... the Industry @See_Chem_Bus reckons it'll cost £1bn! So what to do?/5

Well today industry is out IN FORCE to write to the UK Government @DefraGovUK @beisgovuk asking them to think again - it's a monster list, from aviation to food and drink - it's all here. I mean, I know the govt likes to dismiss the movers and makers, but it's a BIG list /6

So what do they suggest? Well, basically that UK companies that have already got registrations in the EU should not have to provide "full data-packages" to populate UK reach - data that costs a fortune and the vast majority of which will never be looked at anyway. /7

Instead...companies should essentially have those pre-existing registrations grandfathered in - BUT fully notified to UK REACH so that UK authorities can take a *risk-based* approach.

The UK would still be aware of all chemicals on UK market.

And new chems register in full /8

The summary is below...but the signatories warn that failure to see sense will hit industry hard - and that's disproportionately the Midlands & North - while "hindering industry’s ability to support Government’s levelling up and net zero agendas" /9

The reality is that this electively diamond-hard "Canada-style" #Brexit will land hardest in many of the areas the Government professes most to want to help - and in many areas (hubbing from UK, musicians/models, shellfish exports etc) the UK can't 'fix' the deal it signed /10

But on something like this, the UK government can decided to be pragmatic - it's up to them - and also, as the letter says, seek to build as good a relationship as possible on chemicals which will necessary given supply chain integration /11

As the letter states, it would be "perverse" to spend £1bn creating UK REACH for one market of 65m people - which is double the £500m spent conforming to EU REACH that is 27 markets and 450m+ people. The maths is bonkers, and gravity will take over. /12

The red tape, they warn, will make it uneconomic to register some specialist chems in UK (these are commercial decisions) and that will mean less access for UK manufacturers - which is in no-one's interests. /13

Some Chemical companies like @AstonChemicals have already started to divide EU/UK supply lines in order to avoid customs issues with international imports - a small example, but one that shows how business has to vote with its feet. /14

https://www.ft.com/content/fbca627a-3d08-413f-b7e1-226a95b09d68

It seems there is a sensible fix here that will protect industry and consumers and still give the Govt the flex/control it wants... fingers crossed for everyone whose jobs depend on this that it can be worked out. ENDS