Brexit-related ‘Repeal Bill’ provides certainty to chemicals – UK’s CIA

LONDON (ICIS)–The UK government’s publication of the so-called Repeal Bill gives the highly regulated chemical industry certainty to continue trading with its EU partners, the country’s chemical trade group said on Thursday.

The Chemical Industries Association (CIA) said since the vote to leave the EU in 2016 one of its objectives had been to secure regulatory continuity, something The Repeal Bill would ensure.

The Repeal Bill presented by the government seeks to ensure “as far as possible” the same rules and laws will apply on the day the UK leaves the EU.

In practice, it is a translation of all EU-related regulations into UK’s law.

“This will allow the UK to leave the EU while ensuring that our future laws will be made in London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff [the four UK nations’ capitals],” said the government on its Repeal Bill website.

“For businesses, workers and consumers across the UK that means they can have confidence that they will not be subject to unexpected changes on the day we leave the EU. It also delivers on our promise to end the supremacy of EU law in the UK.”

While details about potential legal scenarios after Brexit remain scarce, the CIA said on Wednesday it has been working with the government and other stakeholders “to show the impact of various Brexit scenarios.”

Steve Elliott, the CIA’s CEO, said the high regulations applied to the chemical industry made the Repeal Bill the more necessary, in order to give chemical trade the certainty it needs.

“Our industry is highly regulated and has to be, in order to give assurance. Chemical businesses across the UK will be grateful for any certainty and continuity that this [Repeal] Bill provides,” he said.

“Since the UK voted to leave the EU, securing regulatory continuity has been one of our key priorities. For years now UK companies have complied with EU chemicals regulations including Reach and CLP – the regulation for the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of chemicals.”

Picture source: UK’s Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU)