We are concerned that current proposals for a trade deal between the EU and the UK after Brexit will mean that tests already carried out for the registration of chemicals under EU REACH may have to be repeated for any new regulatory system in the UK, and that after December 31^st animal tests for identical substances could be required in both places. 

The UK’s draft trade plans fail to propose sharing of all the information between the UK and EU that would be needed to ensure duplicate animal tests to register chemical substances in the UK are not necessary. Such tests add nothing to chemical safety and needlessly increase animal suffering, a concern also highlighted by the UK’s Chemical Industries Association.

We want every effort made by both negotiating partners for the UK and the EU to share full access to existing and future chemical data to avoid animal tests being repeated.

It is critical that the EU and UK agree a relationship that is much closer than existing agreements with other non-EU countries which sadly only go so far as the sharing of general scientific knowledge, best practices and experiences in implementing chemical safety regulations.

Dr Emma Grange, our toxicology expert, says: “It’s vital we find a way for existing chemical data to be shared between the EU and UK. This will be key in ensuring that tests on animals already performed for the registration of chemicals in Europe are not unnecessarily repeated for the UK.

“Looking ahead, the UK and the EU must work together to ensure that testing on animals for new substances is kept to an absolute minimum.”

EU legislation for regulating chemicals, REACH, will stop applying to the UK from 1st January 2021. Thousands of chemicals are registered under EU REACH that could be produced in or imported to the UK while it was in the EU. Under current proposals, the manufacture and import of chemicals in the UK will now need a separate registration under UK-REACH, which could mean duplicate animal tests.