What is the Candidate List (SVHC)?
The Candidate List is a list of more than 200 substances of very high concern. It is part of REACH, the European chemicals legislation.
Anyone who manufactures, imports, or distributes chemical products or articles within the EU and EEA must know whether their products contain any substance on the Candidate List, as this may involve specific requirements.
For articles containing 0.1% weight by weight or more of a substance on the Candidate List, all suppliers must provide information to the recipient on how to use the article safely. Since January 2021, it has also been required to notify these articles to the SCIP database.
Anyone who manufactures or imports an article containing 0.1% weight by weight or more of a substance on the Candidate List must notify the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) if the substance is manufactured or imported in quantities of more than one tonne per year.
If a chemical product contains a substance on the Candidate List, authorisation may be required to place the product on the market or to use it. The substances on the list are candidates to be included in the REACH Authorisation List (Annex XIV).
Which substances are included on the Candidate List?
The substances included on the Candidate List have properties that may cause serious and lasting effects on human health and the environment.
Examples of hazardous properties include:
- Carcinogenic (cancer-causing)
- Mutagenic (damaging to genetic material)
- Toxic for reproduction
- Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT)
- Very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB)
Other substances may be included if they have equally serious effects, such as those disrupting the endocrine system or causing other long-term harm.
How often is the Candidate List updated?
The Candidate List is updated twice per year, typically in January and July, when new substances are added.
For the most recent version of the Candidate List and further information, visit the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) website
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