The Legislation of Environmental and Relevant Knowledge
Three Reasons to REACH Out SVHC in your Products
Under REACH regulation, SVHC are the hazardous substances to be controlled in addition to the restricted substances listed in Annex XVII. SVHC refer to those substances classified as Cat. 1 and 2 CMR, PBT, vPvB or substances of equivalent concern (e.g. endocrine disruptor). SVHC may be inadvertently introduced in various consumer products due to the complexities of both supply chain and manufacturing process. To secure their sustainable competitive advantage, EU-based companies start requesting their suppliers to justify the presence of SVHC in their products.
AUTHORIZATION
To encourage the use of safe and green chemicals, certain SVHC are prioritized for authorization procedure. Those listed SVHC in Annex XIV will not be allowed to be used, placed on the market or imported into the EU after a date to be set unless the company is granted an authorization. By June 2009, ECHA will first issue the authorization list and critically review every two years.
NOTIFICATION
Notification to ECHA is required if any SVHC in the article is present at greater than 0.1% (w/w) and the total amount exceeds 1 tonne per annum per producer or importer. Nearly thousand SVHC have been recognized in the existing legal text which will be included in the first SVHC candidate list published in late 2008 or early 2009.
INFORMATION IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Any SVHC is present above 0.1% (w/w) in the article, it is obligatory to inform the recipients of the article along the supply chain about the chemical name(s) and how the article can be safely used. REACH further requires this information will be made available within 45 days upon consumer request. This provision will be immediately effective when the first SVHC candidate list is available.
To avoid any potential business obstacles, earlier management of SVHC in product is recommended. Appropriate corrective measures needed to eliminate and control unwanted SVHC can be thus sufficiently planned. For those essential SVHC in the product, documents for authorization and notification can be also well-prepared. Armed with strong expertise and remarkable technical support, SGS is able to offer a cost-effective SVHC screening solution for consumer products.
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