Future Directions for UK Chemicals Regulation 2024

Kate Lowe joined the regulatory information service Chemical Watch News & Insight as managing editor in 2020, becoming head of editorial in 2022. A politics graduate, she has worked as an editor, launch editor and business director across numerous business and professional sectors. These include commercial property, information technology, estates management, social care and, most recently, commercial horticulture where she campaigned successfully to secure public funds for applied agricultural research.  

Roger is the Team Leader of the Chemical Industries Association’s (CIA) chemicals management policy team. He leads the trade association’s regulatory policy advocacy work on chemicals management and workplace health topics relevant to CIA members. With over 20 years’ experience in chemicals policy, Roger works on existing and emerging UK, EU and international developments & challenges engaging with government, industry, academia, and NGO stakeholders to advise and effect solutions

Elaine McGavin is the Regulatory Lead at the Chemical Business Association and has more than 20 years’ experience within the chemical industry. She is passionate about chemical regulation and has worked in various sectors including lubricants, catalysis, R&D and supply chain. In her current role she leads on UK REACH, CLP, PFAS and supports and advocates for members on regulatory issues.

Alastair trained as a chemist and worked in various R&D and product development roles with DuPont, specializing in the formulation and application of light sensitive thin film coatings for lithographic printing plates, before exporting his skills to China. He has worked in international trade promotion for nearly 20 years, initially with China-Britain Business Council, then with the Department for Business & Trade, when the Department was known as UK Trade & Investment. In his current role as DBT Trade Specialist for the Chemicals sector, Alastair promotes and supports the UK’s world class chemicals industry on a global stage, working closely with stakeholders across government and business to ensure that no business in the UK supply chain seeking to grow their international business has the support and resources that they need to do so.

Neil is an experienced scientist and regulatory expert with over 35 years involvement in the chemical industry. He has worked in various technical and product safety related roles and currently leads on regulatory affairs for BASF in the UK. He began his career with Allied Colloids, which was subsequently combined into Ciba Specialty Chemicals in 1998, before this organization was acquired by BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, in 2009. Since 2007, Neil has been actively involved in REACH compliance projects including registration dossier compilation, SIEF negotiations, data & cost-sharing mechanism construction alongside consortia representation and production site conformity. Currently, he is coordinating BASF’s activities and providing guidance on the development and implementation of corporate processes to ensure UK chemicals legislation compliance across BASF’s expansive portfolio.

Steve George worked in the Aerospace industry for 33 years, in a range of engineering, programme, supply chain and functional roles. For the last 10 years he chaired the European Aerospace and Defence industries REACH working group, representing the industry with the European Commission, ECHA and many other stakeholders cross-sector. Since 2020 he has been an independent consultant working with a range of clients and recently joined the HSE’s REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool or RISEP. He also chairs a UK industry cross-sector discussion group on REACH and chemical regulation issues. 

Darren enables clients throughout the chemicals and life sciences supply chain to get and keep their products on the European market (both in the UK and the EU). He provides a global clientele (companies, consortia and trade associations) with strategic advice, undertakes advocacy before public authorities and agencies and litigates before courts and tribunals (including the ECHA board of appeal and CJEU). Darren has a wealth of experience with regulation of biocidal products, plant protection products, REACH, CLP, food and feed, GMOs and wider aspects of environmental law, including extensive work with the Aarhus convention. He loves tackling “impossible” problems, learning new fields and working in multi-disciplinary client teams, with scientists, business leaders, regulatory and public affairs specialists and (even other) lawyers.

Tom Gillett advises clients on environmental and product law, with a focus on chemicals regulation (REACH, CLP, biocides, food contact), product safety and standards (CE/UKCA marking, RoHS, WEEE), sustainability, and the circular economy (packaging, producer responsibility and waste) in both the EU and the UK. Tom’s product defense experience includes: strategic advice for maintaining market access; advocacy before EU and UK institutions and agencies; appeals before the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Board of Appeal; regulatory investigations; and commercial disputes concerning product compliance, safety and liability.

Caroline is a chemical legislation expert, with experience of interpreting and implementing EU legislation relating to hazardous chemical substances. Her knowledge and expertise is wide ranging, covering both supply and transport legislation including REACH, Safety Data Sheets, Poison Centres, ADR, COSHH, basically anything related to chemical safety and compliance! Caroline is very passionate about her work and wants to ensure that everyone is safe in their work with dangerous goods and chemicals and that companies comply fully with the regulations. Caroline will also help companies to save money where perhaps they are overregulating, a good example of this is suggesting that companies transport in Limited Quantities (LQ) (where applicable of course!) thus saving money by not needing to purchase UN approved packaging.

Francesca holds a Master’s degree in Law with a specialization in European Union Law. She has extensive experience in regulatory affairs of cosmetics, medical devices, and consumer products. She has gained educational and professional experience in Italy, Belgium, Poland, and Russia. In her most recent job, she was holding a position as Regulatory Intelligence consultant leading the research on cosmetics regulatory updates.

Hannah has a background in environmental science and has worked at Fidra for four years, specializing in sustainable chemical management. Throughout her time at Fidra, Hannah has worked on projects covering flame retardants and bisphenols, and now leads Fidra’s work on PFAS. Hannah is passionate about developing sustainable, evidence-based solutions that ensure effective protection of public and environmental health, whilst also supporting a clean and productive circular economy.

Iseult Lynch is the Director of Research at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Environmental Research and Justice, a member of the Management Board of the Horizon Europe Partnership for Assessment of the Risks of Chemicals (PARC), and is part of the Birmingham Plastics Network, an interdisciplinary team of academics working together to shape the fate and sustainable future of plastics.  Her research focuses on the environmental interactions of nanoscale materials (engineered, anthropogenic and natural) with biological entities from macromolecules to organisms to underpin approaches to Safe and Sustainable by Design materials and chemicals. She is Chair of DEFRA’s Hazardous Substance Advisory Committee, providing expert advice on all aspects of chemicals in the environment.

With the advent of the REACH regulation and changes brought about by INEOS’ acquisition of EVC in 2001, Chris moved into a full-time compliance role and managed the REACH registration of the INEOS Chlorvinyls range in 2010. He then took on the role of head of product compliance for INOVYN when it was formed in 2015. Since then he is head of a team responsible for over 100 REACH dossiers, including ten lead registrant roles, and ensuring that the products meet regulatory requirements under a variety of regulations including the EU Biocidal Products Regulation, Ozone Depleting Substances regulations, the Prior Informed Consent regulation and a variety of global initiatives such as the Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions. He also recently and  chaired the Plastics Europe team covering future polymer registration under the EU REACH regulation.

Stephanie is a Policy Adviser at the Royal Society of Chemistry and works on sustainable chemicals policy. Her background in policy and economics helps bridge the gap between science and policy on complex questions about chemicals, waste, and pollution.

Since graduating with a master’s in chemistry from the University of York, where she specialized in green chemistry, Mary Aiken-Wood has worked as a formulation chemist and supported the ERA team. She has gained experience at multinational companies such as Unilever and Johnson & Johnson, as well as SMEs. In April 2023, she transitioned into the plastics industry, where she is responsible for raw material members of the British Plastics Federation (BPF) and the Product Safety Committee, which supports members with regulations such as REACH.

Steve George worked in the Aerospace industry for 33 years, in a range of engineering, programme, supply chain and functional roles. For the last 10 years he chaired the European Aerospace and Defence industries REACH working group, representing the industry with the European Commission, ECHA and many other stakeholders cross-sector. Since 2020 he has been an independent consultant working with a range of clients and recently joined the HSE’s REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool or RISEP. He also chairs a UK industry cross-sector discussion group on REACH and chemical regulation issues.

Colin has 40 years technical design experience in Aerospace for multiple blue chip companies, with the last 14 years having a role that also includes environmental for design governance. He is currently the chair of BAE System’s global REACH working group and plays an active part in the USA environmental working group and UK head office environmental activities. Colin is chair of the Aerospace/Defense trade body ADS sustainable materials special interest group and supports SAE standards working groups and the Chemical Cross Sector working group. He is also part of the IPC standards organization Leadership team for sustainable electronics. Colin is currently deeply embroiled in PFAS impacts on industry, Scope 3 net-zero, impending UK legislative changes such as ATRm  and the EU revision to REACH (REACH 2.0). 

Kim joined Enhesa Product Intelligence in 2023 and is responsible for overseeing and developing analytical content, tools and training courses to assist the industry in navigating through complex compliance frameworks for Europe, Middle East and Africa.