UK chemistry research and innovation is influenced by our links to Europe. Our relationship with Europe affects issues such as research funding, collaboration, innovation and regulation.
We work to share the views and experiences of our community and to understand the current and potential future interactions with Europe.
See our policy work on Science and the UK’s exit from the EU
Also in Research & innovation
Research funding policies
Research councils policies
Equipment funding policies
Innovation & commercialisation
Immigration and mobility
April 2020
The updated RSC policy position on immigration reaffirms that we remain committed to the easy movement of skilled scientists, and of students, to and from the UK. Our recommendations are:
- The new immigration system should always seek to streamline the visa application process as much as possible so that it is accessible for employers of all sizes. It should seek to decrease associated costs and promote a welcoming attitude to attract the best and brightest.
- Science is increasingly international and is best done in collaboration across borders so scientists and researchers are able to exchange knowledge and have access to the best facilities. The UK should seek ambitious reciprocal mobility arrangements with future trading partners across the world in order to enable scientists to move around and to collaborate on both a long and short-term basis.
Doing so will send a powerful message that the UK is committed to its status as a global leader in science and innovation, and that it wants to attract the best and brightest from around the world.
Royal Society of Chemistry position on mobility and immigration
Regulatory Divergence
February 2020
Following EU departure, the impact on the future of chemicals regulation in the UK must be considered, alongside the possibility of divergence from EU regulations. Any divergence from EU regulations must be based on a harmonised evidence-base, put safety first and placed in the context of a longer-term UK chemicals strategy.
RSC briefing - Regulatory Divergence in the Chemicals Sector
Horizon Europe
February 2020
We outline our position on the European Commission’s €97.6bn Horizon Europe programme, due to run from 2021-2027. Although the UK has left the EU it can still negotiate association to Horizon Europe, and we set out why this is essential for UK science to preserve and enhance international research collaborations and the many other reciprocal benefits.
Royal Society of Chemistry position on Horizon Europe
Policy Survey: Recruitment and immigration/mobility survey
August 2019
This survey was aimed to gain insight into the experiences and opinions of the chemical sciences community on the availability of specialist skills and possible changes to the UK immigration system. The goal was to collect information that could guide and inform RSC policy work and be used as evidence in government consultations.
Roundtable discussion on talent availability and immigration with SMEs and GO Science
June 2019
We teamed up with the Royal Academy of Engineering to bring together officials from the Government Office for Science and representatives from eight SMEs to discuss the availability of skills and talent, the Immigration White paper and the much-discussed proposed salary threshold. The representatives were from innovative, hi-tech SMEs working to create solutions to some of the society’s biggest challenges, including members of the RSC EnterprisePlus scheme.
Policy note from the Roundtable
Immigration policy position
May 2019
We are committed to the easy movement of skilled scientists, and of students, to and from the UK. Our recommendations are:
- The new immigration system should seek to remove arbitrary barriers to skilled workers, to decrease associated costs and promote a welcoming attitude. This is particularly crucial for early-career chemical scientists and for SMEs.
- The UK should seek ambitious reciprocal arrangements across the world in order to enable scientists to move around and to collaborate on both a long and short-term basis.
- The current UK visa system is complicated, not user-friendly and should be significantly streamlined. It should instead focus on attracting talent rather than plugging gaps in the jobs market, simply expanding the current system cover EEA nationals is inadequate for the needs of UK science.
RSC Immigration policy position
No deal briefing
March 2019
As part of our ongoing work on Brexit, we sent a briefing to MPs outlining our concern that no deal is not an option for chemical sciences and would undermine the UK’s influence and reputation as a world leader in science and innovation.
'What leaving the EU with No Deal would mean' briefing
The House of Lords share our concerns regarding a UK Approach to REACH in a no deal Brexit
March 2019
We briefed peers ahead of the House of Lords debate on 26 March, on the establishment of UK REACH regulations via secondary legislative changes to the EU withdrawal bill.
The Royal Society of Chemistry calls for chemicals regulation that achieves a balance between nurturing innovation, protecting the environment and human health, and enabling the UK to trade internationally. Should a no deal scenario arise, we call for pragmatic and evidence-based decision-making that is harmonised with EU outcomes in chemicals regulation.
We have three primary asks regarding the additional responsibilities being transferred to the Health and Safety Executive:
- We ask that the government set out its plans to ensure HSE has adequate scientific capability to take on increased decision-making responsibilities and act as the national regulator.
- We ask that the government clarify how the UK will seek to aid harmonisation of its scientific evidence base with the EU in a no deal scenario.
We ask that the government set out plans for a fully transparent decision-making process, guided by clear principles.
Briefing to the House of Lords debate on the REACH SI 26 March 2019
RSC response to inquiry on ‘What will ‘No Deal’ mean for science and innovation?’
January 2019
'We responded to the House of Commons Science and Technology Brexit Select Committee inquiry on ' What will ‘No Deal’ mean for science and innovation?' Our response focused on the potential consequences of a 'no deal' Brexit on the UK chemical sciences, in particular three main areas: funding and collaboration; the mobility of scientists both into and out of the UK; and the potential impact of being outside the EU regulatory framework for chemicals RSC response to ‘What will ‘No Deal’ mean for science and innovation?
Chemicals Regulation and EU Exit: the need for close partnerships
October 2018
We provided input into the House of Lords EU Exit Energy & Environment Select Committee in the form of two letters into their inquiry on ‘The Future of Chemical Management and Regulation Post EU Exit’. These two letters cover our positions on chemicals regulation as we leave the European Union.
Scientists and good science are at the heart of chemicals regulation.
We call for regulation that achieves a balance between nurturing innovation, protecting the environment and human health, and enables international trade. In particular, we call for
- Uninterrupted and continued full participation of UK nominated scientific experts in the work of all ECHA’s scientific and technical committees and in the important scientific work of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), which underpins chemicals regulation.
- Effective and continued data sharing: to assist in harmonised decision-making for chemicals regulation.
- A future partnership in which the EU and UK work together to raise global standards for chemicals regulation.
We ask pertinent questions around data sharing, evaluation and the expert science advice mechanisms that will need to be in place going forward.
RSC Chemicals Regulation Letter 1 (August 2018) RSC Chemicals Regulation Letter 2 (October 2018)
International Collaborations Create Chemistry
October 2018
We have developed a series of case studies that show the vital role that UK participation in EU science programmes plays in strengthening international collaboration. These stories from across academia and small businesses reveal the benefits, not just for the UK, but for partner countries and the international community more widely, helping to develop new medicines, protect the air we breathe and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
International Collaborations Create Chemistry
An immigration system that works for science and innovation
June 2018
We responded to the House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee inquiry into an immigration system that works for science and innovation. Our response outlines the mobility needs of those working in the research and innovation community and how an immigration system that supports science must be flexible and welcoming. We draw upon evidence from our own work in hosting scientific conferences to illustrate the international nature of scientific endeavour and highlight the key role that frequent, short-term mobility plays in maintaining and enhancing the UK’s role as a world-leader in science and innovation.
An immigration system that works for science and innovation
Brexit Science & Innovation Summit
February 2018
We responded to the House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee Brexit Science & Innovation Summit inquiry. Our response outlined near-term actions that the UK government can take to mitigate uncertainties and exploit opportunities for UK science and innovation, as the UK leaves the EU. In particular, we focus on the actions needed to provide clarity regarding the UK’s future regulatory regime, which is closely linked to the successful implementation of the government’s Industrial Strategy.
Future Partnership Project
January 2018
We responded to the Royal Society and Wellcome Trust Future Partnership project call for evidence. This project seeks to ‘develop a shared vision for an ambitious, close and achievable future agreement on research and innovation’ between the UK and the EU. Our response outlines the principles that can underpin international partnership, as well as actions to achieve this, for example the need to develop platforms to share data internationally that will contribute to the development of regulation.
EU exit and Chemicals Regulation
November 2017
Amongst other lines of evidence, scientific data and expertise will continue to be crucial in enabling the development and implementation of chemicals regulation.
In our briefing paper, we share the learnings from our workshop on EU exit and regulation and describe the next steps for us as we move forward, focusing on the science that underpins regulation.
EAC Inquiry - Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU referendum – Second Phase
October 2017
We submitted written evidence to the second phase of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee inquiry into ‘The Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU Referendum’. The inquiry focused on how the proposed delegated powers will be used in the EU Withdrawal Bill, as illustrated by a particular example around chemicals regulation.
We highlighted that it is critical for the chemicals sector to establish how regulatory decisions will be made in the UK post-EU exit, including how expert scientific input will feed in and how data will continue to be accessed.
The Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU Referendum – Written Submission
EAC Inquiry - Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU referendum – First Phase
February & January 2017
We submitted comprehensive and informative written evidence to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Commission inquiry into ‘The Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU Referendum’. On 21 February 2017, we presented oral evidence upon invitation to the EAC. We highlighted that the UK needs a clear, simple and enforceable regulatory framework relating to chemicals that balances the needs of research, innovation and trade with protecting citizens, wildlife and the environment. It is vital that UK scientists continue to work actively and internationally to stay at the forefront of providing sound evidence into chemicals regulation, in the UK and globally.
The Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU Referendum – Written Submission
The Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU Referendum – Oral Evidence
The UK’s Negotiating Objectives for Withdrawal from the EU
January 2017
We responded to the House of Commons Exiting the EU Committee inquiry on ‘the UK's negotiating objectives for withdrawal from EU’. Our response explains that science must be a negotiating priority to fulfil the government’s aim of research and development acting as a driver for economic growth across the country. We also outline what is needed to keep the UK at the forefront of global science and innovation.
Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU referendum
January 2017
We submitted written evidence to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Commission inquiry into ‘The Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU Referendum’. We highlighted that the UK needs a clear, simple and enforceable regulatory framework relating to chemicals that balances the needs of research, innovation and trade with protecting citizens, wildlife and the environment. It is vital that UK scientists continue to work actively and internationally to stay at the forefront of providing sound evidence into chemicals regulation, in the UK and globally.
The Future of Chemicals Regulation after the EU Referendum
Leaving the EU: implications and opportunities for science and research
July 2016
We responded to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee inquiry into ‘Leaving the EU: implications and opportunities for science and research’.
Our response focusses upon three key priorities for science and research as part of the UK’s negotiations to leave the EU; funding, mobility of scientists and regulation. Our response includes evidence from the chemistry community that shows the potential changes in these areas.
No deal briefing
March 2019