,On 22 December 2025, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published a summary of responses to its consultation on extending the UK REACH transitional registration submission deadlines. The consultation, which ran for eight weeks and closed on 8 September 2025, received 210 responses, mainly from businesses and trade associations. The consultation sought views on extending current submission deadlines by up to three years. While 70% of respondents supported Option 2, which proposed the longest extensions, the Government confirmed Option 1 as its preferred and selected approach, setting revised deadlines of 27 October 2029, 27 October 2030, and 27 October 2031. The Government concluded that this option represents the most proportionate balance between stakeholder feedback and regulatory objectives, noting that the new Alternative Transitional Registration model (ATRm) significantly reduces information requirements compared with EU REACH. The response indicates that extending deadlines is not expected to disproportionately affect small and micro businesses, nor to undermine the protection of human health and the environment. Although no quantified cost estimates were provided, many respondents highlighted that longer deadlines would help spread compliance costs, while others warned of ongoing uncertainty. Strong support was also expressed for aligning compliance check deadlines with the revised submission dates. Defra acknowledged concerns regarding the lack of clarity on the final ATRm structure, potential data duplication, and calls for greater recognition of existing EU REACH data, though no specific policy responses were provided on these issues. Revised legislation is expected to be introduced in 2026, following the parliamentary process, to ensure the new deadlines take effect ahead of the first extended deadline in October 2029.
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