GB importers or downstream users of qualifying NI goods registered under EU REACH by a business in Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland notifications)

This is for Great Britain-based importers, or downstream users of qualifying Northern Ireland goods (QNIGs) registered under EU REACH by a company based in Northern Ireland that want to maintain access to the market in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).

Detailed QNIG guidance on GOV.UK

For the duration of the Northern Ireland Protocol, Northern Ireland will remain part of EU regulatory systems for chemicals to ensure frictionless movement of goods within the island of Ireland, whilst remaining within the UK customs territory.

Northern Ireland businesses will retain their current EU REACH status and obligations allowing them to maintain current supply chains to the EU/EEA.

Northern Ireland notifications

A light-touch notification system (known as 'Northern Ireland notifications') will enable ongoing GB market access for existing NI-based EU REACH registrations for qualifying NI goods.

Northern Ireland notifications only apply to the import from Northern Ireland of QNIGs with a relevant connection to Northern Ireland, for example, substances, mixtures or articles that have been manufactured, formulated or produced in Northern Ireland.

Great Britain-based importers who:

  • were importing before 1 January 2021, must submit information on the substances they import into GB from NI in quantities of a tonne or more. If you have not submitted this information and wish to continue to import into GB from NI at or above one tonne per year, you can still submit a notification
  • commenced importing after 31 December 2020 must submit the required information before commencing importing

The notification and information can be submitted by either the GB importer or the NI supplier.

Northern Ireland-based business wishing to do this should first inform your GB customer of your intentions.

What you need to do

You can submit your Northern Ireland notification using the Comply with UK REACH IT service by:

  1. creating an account on the Comply with UK REACH IT service
  2. downloading the Northern Ireland notification spreadsheet and populating it with information about the substances being imported into GB from NI. The spreadsheet should list individually all the substances being imported, one per line
  3. uploading this completed spreadsheet onto the Comply with UK REACH IT service

There will be no fees for the submission of a Northern Ireland notification. No registration will be needed where a Northern Ireland notification has been made.

If you wish to amend the details of your notification you will be able to do this on Comply with UK REACH IT from March 2021.

The Agency, which is the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will help to determine whether a notification is needed and, if so, send a spreadsheet to complete and return.

Information required for a Northern Ireland notification

Imports of 1 to 10 tonnes from Northern Ireland

You can find the articles referred to below in the UK REACH Regulation on legislation.gov.uk.

If the substance is being imported into Great Britain from Northern Ireland in quantities of between 1 to 10 tonnes per year, the relevant business must supply:

  • notification that the import is a protected NI import
  • the information referred to in Article 10(a)(i)
  • the information referred to in Article 10(a)(ii) and (iv) to the extent that it is available to them
  • the information referred to in Article 32(1)(a) to (d)
  • the relevant registration number for the substance under EU REACH to the extent it is available to them, such other evidence as HSE may require to demonstrate that the Article 32 information complies with Articles 10, 12 and 14. This means:
    • notification of the protected NI import
    • identity of manufacturers/importers
    • substance identity to the extent it is available to them
    • classification and labelling to the extent it is available to them
    • details of any authorisations
    • details of any restrictions
    • any other available and relevant information necessary to enable appropriate risk management measures to be identified and applied
    • registration number(s) assigned by ECHA to the extent it is available to them

10 tonnes or more

If the substance being imported into Great Britain from Northern Ireland is in quantities of 10 tonnes or more per year, the relevant business must supply:

  • notification that the import is a protected NI import
  • the information referred to in Article 10(a)(i)
  • the information referred to in Article 10(a)(ii) and (iv) to the extent that it is available to them
  • the information referred to in:
    • Article 14(6) to the extent it is available to them
    • Article 31, and
    • Article 32(1)(a) to (d)
  • the relevant registration number for the substance under EU REACH to the extent it is available to them
  • such other evidence as HSE may require to demonstrate that the Article 14, 31 and 32 information complies with Articles 10, 12 and 14, this means:
    • notification of the protected NI import
    • identity of manufacturers/importers
    • substance identity to the extent that it is available to them
    • classification and labelling to the extent that it is available to them
    • identification and application of appropriate measures to control risks identified in the Chemical Safety Report to the extent it is available to them
    • safety data sheets
    • details of any authorisation
    • details of any restriction
    • any other available and relevant information necessary to enable appropriate risk management measures to be identified and applied
    • registration number(s) assigned by ECHA to the extent it is available to them
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Updated 2022-03-30