Which substances have been added to the Candidate List?
On request of the European Commission, a Member State or the ECHA may propose the classification of a substance as substance of very high concern (SVHC). If such classification occurs, the aforementioned substance will be added to the candidate list for its eventual inclusion in Annex XIV. The inclusion of a substance in the candidate list generates legal obligations for companies producing, importing or using such substance as is, in preparations, or in items.
On January 5th 2018, seven substances have been added to the Candidate List. Among these there are three Cadmium compounds. The substances are the following:
- Chrysene (CAS 218-01-9)
- Benz[a]anthracene (CAS 56-55-3)
- Cadmium nitrate (CAS 10325-94-7)
- Cadmium hydroxide (CAS 21041-95-2)
- Cadmium carbonate (CAS 513-78-0)
- 1,6,7,8,9,14,15,16,17,17,18,18-Dodecachloropentacyclo[12.2.1.16,9.02,13.05,10]octadeca-7,15-diene (“Dechlorane Plus”TM) [covering any of its individual anti- and syn-isomers or any combination thereof]
- Reaction products of 1,3,4-thiadiazolidine-2,5-dithione, formaldehyde and 4-heptylphenol, branched and linear (RP-HP) [with ≥0.1% w/w 4-heptylphenol, branched and linear
Moreover, the reason for inclusion in the Candidate List for the entry related to bisphenol A (CAS 80-05-7) has been updated, identifying it as an environmental endocrine disruptor.
Which substances have been prioritized?
Substances from the candidate list can then be added to the Authorisation List (REACH Annex XIV), meaning that their use is regulated by ECHA and a specific authorization must be obtained from the ECHA itself.
ECHA usually proposes the prioritization of substances already included in the candidate list, in order to add them to the list of substances subject to authorization as soon as possible, because of their hazardous properties and/or their widespread use.
You can read the ECHA press release for the complete list of the prioritized substances.