Introduction
When the transition period ends, Great Britain will operate a Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime. The new PIC regime is based on the existing EU regime, but they will operate independently of each other. Amendments have been made to enable functions presently carried out in the EU to continue in Great Britain.
If you are exporting listed chemicals from Great Britain, you will continue to notify those exports to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as the GB PIC Designated National Authority (DNA). Businesses exporting or importing listed chemicals from or to Great Britain (including to or from EU countries and Northern Ireland) will need to comply with the requirements of the new GB PIC regime.
Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, the EU PIC Regulation will continue to apply to Northern Ireland.
Separate guidance for Northern Ireland can be found at the following web page:
Prepare for the end of transition: What you need to know
The main changes you should be aware of to help you prepare are:
- companies exporting PIC-listed chemicals from Great Britain will no longer be able to use ePIC and will need to notify HSE of exports of listed chemicals using the new notification procedures, guidance on these new procedures will be made available on HSE’s website - further information will be issued separately on how to submit export notifications for 2021
- the PIC regime will apply to listed chemicals that are exported from Great Britain, including to EU countries and to NI - companies that currently only move listed chemicals within the EU single market and do not export them outside the EU or NI will have to start to notify these to HSE
- where explicit consent has been given by an importing country to another EU country under the current EU PIC arrangements, it will be necessary to seek the consent of that country for GB exports of the chemical - HSE will seek consent on the exporter’s behalf
- exporters and importers will need to include in the information they submit to HSE in the first quarter of each year, details of the quantities of listed chemicals exported to or imported from EU countries and NI, as well as other countries
What you must do and by when
This scenario table sets out some actions to help you prepare for the end of the transition period.
Useful links from the Preparations for the end of the transition period in GB table can be found here:
|
If you are: |
You want to: |
You must: |
By when: |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A company exporting listed chemicals from GB |
Export from GB to anywhere, including the EU or NI |
Notify the export to HSE (the Designated National Authority for GB) |
At least 35 days before the first export. You must then notify at least 35 days before every first export to each importing country in each subsequent calendar year |
|
A company exporting listed chemicals to GB |
Continue to export to GB |
Comply with the EU PIC Regulation - Exports of listed chemicals to GB must be notified before export |
Refer to the guidance on ECHA’s website |
|
A company exporting chemicals (excluding from the EU or NI) listed in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention to the UK |
Export to the UK |
Comply with any obligations you may have under the Rotterdam Convention |
Refer to guidance on the Rotterdam Convention website |