On February 7, 2024, European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) released a draft 12th recommendation to the European Commission, which recommends the inclusion of 5 substances to the REACH Authorisation List.
ECHA is looking for further information on the uses of these substances in scope of authorization, their possible exemptions from the authorisation requirement and on the structure and complexity of the supply chains. The consultations are open until May 7, 2024.
The proposed list of substances with examples of uses in the scope of authorization are presented below:
| Substance name | SVHC-relevant intrinsic property | Volume range in scope of authorization (t/y) | Examples of uses in the scope of authorization | |
| 1 | Melamine | Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to human health (Article 57(f) - human health). Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to the environment (Article 57(f) - environment) | > 10,000 t/y | use as additive in foams and coatings, use in resins |
| 2 | Bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate covering any of the individual isomers and/or combinations thereof | vPvB (Article 57e) | 100 - 1,000 t/y | use in the production of rubber articles, in plastics, in adhesives and sealants, in foam |
| 3 | S-(tricyclo[5.2.1.0 2,6]deca-3- en-8(or 9)-yl) O-(isopropyl or isobutyl or 2-ethylhexyl) O- (isopropyl or isobutyl or 2- ethylhexyl) phosphorodithioate | PBT (Article 57d) | 100 –<1,000 t/y | use in lubricants and greases e.g. in vehicles or machinery |
| 4 | Diphenyl(2,4,6- trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide | Toxic for reproduction (Article 57 c) | 1,000 -< 10,000 t/y | use as photoinitiator in UV-curable inks, coatings and adhesives |
| 5 | Barium diboron tetraoxide | Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c) | 100 -<1,000 t/y | use in coatings and paints, thinners, paint removers |
The draft recommendation can be accessed here.
Background ECHA has the legal obligation to regularly recommend substances from the Candidate List for the EU Commission to include in the Authorisation List. Substances recommended to be included in the Authorization List are considered to be of very high concern (SVHC), either because of their hazardous properties or because of their widespread use in consumer products.
Once a substance is included in the Authorisation List, producer, importer or downstream users need to apply for authorization before the latest application date to continue using or placing it on the European Economic Area (EEA) market. Without authorization, its use or placement will be banned after given sunset date. |
