On June 27, 2024, ECHA’s Member State Committee (MSC) has confirmed the addition of one hazardous chemical to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC). The list now contains 241 entries, some of which are groups of chemicals so the overall number of impacted chemicals is higher.
The substance may be placed on the Authorisation List in the future. Companies need to apply for authorisation to continue the uses once they are on that list.
The newly added chemical, bis(α,α-dimethylbenzyl) peroxide, is toxic for reproduction and is used as a processing aid, e.g. as a flame retardant.
The entry added to the Candidate List is shown below:
Substance name | EC No. | CAS No. | Reason for inclusion | Example of use |
Bis(α,α-dimethylbenzyl) peroxide | 201-279-3 | 80-43-3 | Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c) | Flame retardant |
Consequences of inclusion on the Candidate List
Once a substance is identified as an SVHC, it is placed on the Candidate List for Authorization. According to EU REACH Regulations, suppliers of an article containing SVHC in a concentration of more than 0.1% must provide following information to downstream:
Provide SDS to downstream if the concentration of SVHC on its own or in preparations exceeds 0.1%
Provide safety use instruction to downstream recipient if the concentration of SVHC in products exceeds 0.1%. This equivalent information should be supplied to consumers within 45 days when requested
EU manufacturers, importers or only representative (OR) of SVHC shall notify ECHA if:
The substance is present in those articles in quantities totalling over one tonne per producer or importer per year;
The substance is present in those articles above a concentration of 0.1 % weight by weight (w/w).
In addition, starting from January 5, 2021, companies that have products containing more than 0.1% of SVHC are required to submit notifications through ECHA’s substances of concern in products (SCIP) database.