The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has just added four new substances to the Candidate List, which identifies the substances that are candidates for inclusion in Annex XIV of the REACH Regulation (substances subject to authorisation). Among them is Butylparaben, a preservative used in particular in medicines and cosmetic products. It is classified as a SVHC (substance of very high concern) because of its endocrine disrupting properties.
Butylparaben is therefore now one of the 209 substances on the Candidate List in the framework of the REACH Regulation.
The Candidate List includes substances of very high concern that may have serious effects on our health or environment. These may be placed on the Authorisation List in the future, which means that industry would need to apply for permission to continue using them.
Companies may have legal obligations when their substance is included in the Candidate List - either on its own, in mixtures or in articles. Any supplier of articles containing a Candidate List substance above a concentration of 0.1% weight by weight has to give sufficient information to their customers and consumers to allow safe use.
As of January 2021, companies will also need to notify ECHA’s SCIP database if their articles contain Candidate List substances. This database aims to ensure transparent information on articles containing hazardous chemicals throughout their whole lifecycle.
Importers and producers of articles containing a Candidate List substance also have six months from the date of its inclusion in the list (25 June 2020) to notify ECHA.
Christel Musset, ECHA’s Director of Hazard Assessment says: “Chemicals on the Candidate List are among the …
