MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet
Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Members of the
Senedd will wish to be aware that I have given consent to the UK
Government's Defra Secretary of State to exercise a subordinate
legislation-making power in a devolved area in relation to Wales.
In accordance with Article 4A(3) of (EC) No 1907/2006 (“UK
REACH”) Welsh Ministers' consent was sought from of Ullock to make a
Statutory Instrument titled The REACH (Amendment)(No 2)
Regulations 2026 (“the Regulations”) (external link) in
relation to Wales.
The Regulations amend Annex XVII of the UK REACH. They introduce
extended deadlines for registration under the new UK REACH
Alternative Transitional Registration model (ATRm). It is no
longer possible for Defra to deliver the legislative changes to
implement the ATRm before the current first registration deadline
in October 2026, together with a suitable transition
period. It was therefore necessary for Defra to consult on
revised transitional registration deadlines, which provide
sufficient time for the government to complete the ATRm and for
industry to prepare to comply.
A public consultation took place between 14 July 2025, and 8
September 2025, and Defra propose to implement new registration
deadlines of 27 October 2029, 27 October 2030, and 27 October
2031.
While the Welsh Government's general principle is that
subordinate legislation in devolved areas should be made by the
Welsh Ministers where there is executive competence, under UK
REACH the Welsh Ministers do not have the power to make these
Regulations themselves. Therefore, in this case it is considered
appropriate for the Regulations to be made by the Secretary of
State. I consider it appropriate for the substance of the UK
Government's amendments to apply to Wales to ensure compliance
with our environmental and public health commitments and maintain
regulatory consistency across the UK.
The Regulations were laid in Parliament on 24 March 2026 by the
Secretary of State in exercise of powers conferred by Articles
68(1), 73(2), and 132A of UK REACH and come into force in the
summer of 2026.
