Six-month delay to post-Brexit rules dubbed unenforceable by industry

Nearly eight years after the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU), the government is still delaying on introducing certain new rules that impact the life sciences industry.

Importers of laboratory reagents and materials used in the manufacture of medicines in the sector have been given a six-month extension to make the necessary changes to their supply chains for new post-Brexit border paperwork and border inspections.

"We are pleased the government has listened to our sector’s legitimate and reasonable concerns"The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has agreed that intermediate animal by-products, laboratory reagents and derived products for pharmaceutical use, including the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and laboratory reagents, will be treated as low-risk until July 31, under the new post-Brexit import regime, known as the Border Target Operating Model.