Please join us on Tuesday, October 20, in Manchester for Chemical Reactions: UK Chemicals Conference 2026. The 3rd edition of our annual conference will offer analysis and insight on the evolving landscape of UK chemicals regulation and policy. 

We'll cover four main topics, through presentations and interactive panel discussion:

• the future direction of UK REACH,
• latest developments in GB CLP,
• PFAS policy and regulation,
• the Future of UK Chemicals.

The work of key public sector stakeholders will be discussed, including that of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 

This event is a joint initiative by the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) and Steptoe. It is aimed at chemical and product businesses operating in the UK wishing to stay abreast of new developments and building pan-European compliance and market access strategies. Attendees will include policymakers, regulators, public officials and senior product compliance and stewardship professionals.

We look forward to welcoming you. 

Please note space at the event is limited. For this reason, consultancy service providers are limited to two registrations per organisation. Register early to secure your spot.

The register button will redirect you to CIA's event page to register. By registering for this event, you understand that Steptoe and CIA will collect and process your personal data, including your name, job title, organisation, and contact details, for the purpose of coordinating the event and sharing event-related communications.

Further information on Steptoe's and CIA's privacy policies can be found at https://www.steptoe.com/en/privacy/index.html, and https://www.cia.org.uk/privacy-policy.

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. 

9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | Registration 

9:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. | Programme including lunch

5:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Networking Cocktail Reception

Speakers: Speakers will include CIA, Steptoe LLP, and other key stakeholders.

Fee: £50

Location: Hyatt Regency Manchester | 55 Booth Street West | M15 6PQ | Manchester

Programme

9:00 – 9:30  Registration & WELCOME COFFEE

9:30 – 9:40  Welcome Address & Introduction

Dr Roger Pullin, Head of Chemicals Policy & Health, CIA

Darren Abrahams, Partner, Steptoe

9:40 – 11:00  Session 1: UK REACH

• ATRm remaining milestones
• Practical actions for implementation

Moderator: Zanda Romata, Senior Associate, Steptoe

Panelists:

Silvia Segna, Senior Chemical Policy Executive, CIA

Neil Hollis, Regulatory Affairs Manager, BASF

Darren Abrahams, Partner, Steptoe

Speaker from DEFRA

11:00 – 11:30  Coffee Break & NETWORKING

11:30 – 12:50  Session 2: Latest Developments in GB CLP

• MCL divergence
• New hazard classes
• Practical and legal challenges

Moderator: Tom Gillett, Associate, Steptoe

Panelists:

Caroline Raine, Caroline Raine Chemical Consultancy

Jennifer Butcher, Hexcel Corporation

Kirsty Eley, CIA

Leo McDaid, Head of Policy, HSE

12:50 – 13:50  Lunch & NETWORKING

13:50 – 14:10  Keynote Address

• Presentation by CIA

Speaker:

tbc

14:10 – 15:30  Session 3: PFAS policy and regulation

• EIP
• PFAS Action Plan
• Adoption of EU PFAS restriction

Moderator: Elodie Brière, Associate, Steptoe

Panelists:

Tom Gillett, Associate, Steptoe

Speaker from DEFRA

 Nissanka Rajapakse, Head of Product Stewardship, Johnson Matthey

Further industry speaker (TBC)

15:30 – 15:50  Coffee Break & NETWORKING

15:50 – 17:10  Session 4: The future of UK chemicals

• How will EU alignment work in practice
• SPS Agreement
• SVHC/Restrictions/etc under REACH

Moderator: Darren Abrahams, Partner, Steptoe

Panelists:

Kathryn (Calvert) Tearle, Regulatory Affairs Manager, BCF

Magdalena Kawa, Sr Regulatory Affairs Manager, UKI & Europe’ at ‘Arbex

Alzbeta Hermankova, Associate, Steptoe

Speaker from DEFRA

Public Authority Speaker (TBC)

17:10 – 17:15  Closing Remarks 

17:15 – 19:00  Networking Cocktail Reception