Candidate List for authorisation with seven new substances of very high concern (SVHCs) updated

ECHA has amended the Candidate List with seven new substances. The Candidate List now contains 151 substances. Seven new SVHCs were added to the Candidate List following either unanimous agreement by the Member State Committee (MSC) or without the involvement of the MSC where no comments challenging the identification as SVHC were received by the Agency.

Cadmium sulphide was added as it is carcinogenic and also as it was identified as being of an equivalent concern based on probable serious effects to human health (specifically due to the effects on kidney and bone). The next two substances listed are also identified as being carcinogenic, with the remaining four substances identified as being toxic for reproduction.

The legal obligations that companies may have resulting from the inclusion of substances in the Candidate List may apply to the listed substances on their own, in mixtures or in articles. Producers and importers of articles containing any of the seven substances included in the Candidate List on 16 December 2013 have six months to notify ECHA if the SVHC is present in articles in amounts that total more than one tonne per producer or importer per year and above a concentration of 0.1% weight by weight. There are exemptions from the notification obligation if the substance is already registered for the use or when exposure can be excluded.

Information on the notification of substances in articles and related submission tools, as well as a manual with instructions on how to create and submit a notification dossier are available on the ECHA website. A webform is also available to aid the submission of substance in article notifications. Nevertheless, datasets are also provided for submission of the notifications through REACH-IT.

As foreseen by REACH, a specific procedure will be followed to decide when the substances should also be included in the List of Substances subject to Authorisation (Annex XIV of the REACH Regulation).

Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)