SVHC Resource

EU REACH

The SVHC Candidate List under EU REACH can be found on the ECHA website. When launched, the Candidate List is already sorted in descending order for date of inclusion, i.e., the most recent additions to the list will appear at the top.

Above the list, there is a blue link “> Filter the list” – clicking on this will expand a search function. The most common search term is the substance identifier; this will search all fields relating to substances identifiers such as substance name, EC number, CAS number, etc.

You can also search by:

1. Reason for inclusion; if you wanted to see all SVHCs included due to endocrine disrupting properties.
2. Date of inclusion; if you knew what month or year your chemical had been included in the Candidate List or wanted to see the additions in a specific year.

UK REACH

The HSE webpage on the UK Candidate List hosts an Excel document that is updated updated by HSE as needed. The document can be navigated in the usual way, allowing users to look for a specific chemical identifier by using either the filters or the CTRL+F search function. There is also a secondary tab to aid in the search options, if needed.

EU REACH

From the Candidate List table, website users can click on the chemical name to be taken to the ECHA substance information page for that chemical. From here, two useful areas can be accessed to gain more information on uses of an SVHC.

Method 1: The Annex XV Report

Annex XV of EU REACH details the reporting style required to propose identification of a substance as SVHC. This report will also contain known uses of the substance at the time of the proposal.

To access this report from the substance information page, scroll down to the section titled “REACH – Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Regulation”. For all SVHCs, this section will contain a link to the “Registry of SVHC intentions until outcome”. Click on this link to be taken to the registry page for the specific substance.

Scroll down until you can see the “Consultation document” and the corresponding PDF linked. Clicking on the link will launch a copy of the Annex XV report submitted at the time of proposal for the SVHC. There will be a table under “References for Part II”, titled “Table [x]: Uses”. This will show the known uses of the SVHC at the time of the proposal.

Method 2: The Registration Dossier

The substance information page will also link to the registration dossier for a registered substance. This can be found in the same section as above, and the link is “Registered substances factsheets”.

Once the registration dossier is launched, there will be a vertical toolbar on the left-hand side of the page. The third option down from this is “Manufacture, use & exposure”. Clicking on this will shift the lighter vertical toolbar immediately to the right to display links related to manufacture, use and exposure for the substance.

Clicking on the link for “Life Cycle description” will expand a further menu, showing several different links based on uses for manufacture, formulation, industrial use and so on. Click on each different use category to see the known uses under each one. (Note: use categories that have no associated uses may be greyed out.)

 UK REACH

At present, there is no searchable database for registrations under UK REACH, nor are there dedicated Annex XV reports for UK REACH, as all existing SVHCs on the UK Candidate List were inherited from EU REACH.

REACHReady plans to update this webpaget when further search functions are possible under UK REACH; until that point, we recommend searching the EU database as a guideline for possible uses in the UK.

EU REACH

Each new addition to the EU REACH Candidate List is preceded by a public consultation run by ECHA, following the submission of the Annex XV dossier to identify a substance as SVHC. These public consultations last for 45 days and provide a chance for interested parties to comment or provide further information on the substance, and an indication that a substance may be placed on the Candidate List.

The update cycle for the EU REACH Candidate list is biannual, typically occurring in January and June/July each year. This will usually be announced in ECHA’s news bulletins.

 UK REACH

At the time of writing, there have been no new additions to the SVHC Candidate List in UK since our exit from the European Union; as such, there is no precedent or established update schedule that UK companies can use to anticipate new additions for SVHC. It is anticipated that additions would be made annually under UK REACH, but this is yet to be confirmed.

However, in theory, the legislation and the process should not deviate significantly from the EU process. Also, part of Defra’s ongoing project to improve UK REACH has highlighted the need for predictability within the regulation, so we hope that there will be a more defined SVHC schedule in future.

Additions to the UK REACH Candidate List will first undergo public consultation following submission of an Annex XV dossier for the substance to be identified as SVHC, which will allow stakeholders to come forward with any relevant information on the substance to inform the regulators’ decision.

 REACHReady’s Technical Alert

Published fortnightly and available to receive for Gold subscribers, the REACHReady Technical Alert provides updates on the SVHC status of chemicals under EU and UK REACH, both when substances are proposed for inclusion and a public consultation is launched, and also when they are identified as SVHCs and added to the Candidate List.

In addition to this, the Technical Alert will also advise subscribers when:

• New information is available under UK or EU substance evaluation procedures. Often the first hint that a substance may be on its way down the SVHC path, substance evaluation can show if a substance is currently being evaluated under criteria that is relevant for SVHC purposes, such as Category 1 CMRs. PBT properties, and so on.
• After identification as an SVHC, Candidate List substances could then go on to be recommended for inclusion in the Annex XIV “Authorisation List”. Proposals, consultations, and additions to Annex XIV are also covered in our Technical Alert.

Alongside this, the Technical Alert also aims to consolidate information about SVHCs and the Authorisation List with other important REACH, CLP and BPR updates – from both EU and UK – into a single news update.