Nine Substances Of Very High Concern Proposed By ECHA

Phil Black - PII Editor 11/11/2016

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Nine substances of very high concern (SVHCs) are recommended to be added to the REACH Authorisation List. They have been prioritised from the Candidate List because of their high volume and widespread uses, which may pose a threat to human health, or may be used to replace other substances already on the Authorisation List.

ECHA”s seventh recommendation to prioritise substances of very high concern for authorisation to the European Commission includes nine substances that are toxic for reproduction.

ECHA organised a public consultation on the draft recommendation between November 2015 and February 2016. The Member State Committee (MSC) considered the comments received and adopted its opinion on 13 September 2016.

ECHA took into account the comments and registration updates as well as the MSC”s opinion when deciding on the substances now recommended to be added to the REACH Authorisation List (Annex XIV) and for proposing the related latest application and sunset dates.

Two substances were left out from the final recommendation due to a change in their priority after the public consultation. ECHA also took account of the substantial number of substances previously recommended for which the Commission still needs to decide on their inclusion in Annex XIV. These two substances (Hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA) and Methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA)) will be reconsidered in the future recommendation rounds together with all other substances in the Candidate List.

The final decision on the inclusion of the substances in the Authorisation List and on the dates by which companies will need to apply for authorisation to ECHA will be taken by the European Commission in collaboration with the Member States and the European Parliament.