Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) Swedish Chemicals Agency's substance evaluation for flame retardant bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate and (b) potential merits of the Health and Safety Executive classifying the flame retardant bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate as a substance of very high concern.
The substance evaluation recently completed by KEMI, the Swedish Environment Agency, recommended further follow-up regulatory action at EU level, although the process required under EU REACH to identify the substance as a “substance of very high concern” (SVHC) has not yet started.
After the end of the transition period, the UK will establish its own independent chemicals regulatory framework for Great Britain, UK REACH. All substances on the EU REACH candidate list of SVHCs for authorisation at that point will be listed on the UK REACH candidate list. We will make independent decisions on future identification of substances as SVHC, taking into account existing evidence, and consultation.