Huw Irranca-Davies 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 Baroness Hayman 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.