As UK eyes copying foreign chemical approvals, questions persist

A public consultation on the UK government’s proposal to base some of its chemical approvals on the work done by “trusted foreign jurisdictions” closed earlier this month. But experts question how decisions will be made to avoid dangerous substances being imported, manufactured, and used domestically. The Labour government has presented the proposal as part of a wider policy to make the British economy more competitive by “reducing costs to business.”The proposal, presented by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), states that “a list of countries, jurisdictions and other bodies would be deemed trusted jurisdictions where it can be established that regulatory standards for biocides are similar to and at least as high as those in Great Britain.” While government approval through a current two-step process for other chemicals is considered rather “straightforward,” the proposal to recognize international approvals would significantly streamline the procedure for biocides. The proposal comes as the UK presses on in its transition from the European Union’s (EU’s) regulatory framework on chemicals to establish its own regulations since leaving the regional group in 2020. But experts question how these “trusted” jurisdictions would be selected, with some concerned that these may include countries where dangerous substances are authorized.A focus on maintaining high standards Stephanie Metzger, policy adviser at the Royal Society of Chemistry, which contributed comments during the consultation, says she and her colleagues questioned “how other jurisdictions would be evaluated, who will be doing the evaluation, and how will they monitor any changes to ensure their partners are still eligible