15 substances of very high concern (SVHCs) are recommended to be added to the REACH Authorisation List. These substances were prioritised from the Candidate List because they are used in high volumes and have widespread uses which may pose a threat to human health or the environment or can potentially be used to replace substances which are already on the Authorisation List.
ECHA's sixth recommendation to prioritise substances of very high concern for authorisation to the European Commission includes 15 substances which have hazardous properties for human health due to being classified as carcinogenic or toxic for reproduction. Two substances are in addition very persistent, very bio-accumulative and toxic (PBT and vPvB). One entry comprises a group of substances which has effects to the environment due to their degradation to substances with endocrine-disrupting properties.
ECHA organised a public consultation on its draft recommendation which included these substances in autumn 2014. The Member State Committee (MSC) considered the comments received and adopted its opinion on the draft recommendation on 11 June 2015. ECHA took into account the comments and the MSC's opinion when deciding on the substances that are now recommended to be added to the REACH Authorisation List (Annex XIV) and for proposing the related latest application and sunset dates. Lead substances left out for the final recommendation will be considered again in the future.
The final decision on the inclusion of the substances in Annex XIV and on the dates by which companies will need to apply for authorisation to ECHA will be taken by the European Commission in collaboration with …
