REACH inclusions reaching final stages

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched a public consultation on its draft recommendation for eight Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) to be included in the Authorization List (Annex XIV).

Substances in Annex XIV will require (costly) authorization to be used after an implementation, or “sunset date”. The use of an SVHC after this date will be illegal, unless the use has been authorized.

The total number proposed is now 15, if you consider the first batch of seven. The first seven have not been added to Annex XIV yet, but the process is moving along and six of these have recently been presented to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is one of the last stages before inclusion in Annex XIV.

One of the original seven, Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffin’s (SCCP), is not in the list presented to the WTO, as I understand that this is being considered to be proposed as a POP (Persistent Organic Pollutant) and would be totally banned as a result, so authorization is not an option. An ECHA statement on Premier Farnell’s Element14 provides more information.