What it is
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), based in Helsinki, is the EU body that implements the Union’s chemicals legislation — principally REACH (registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals), CLP (classification, labelling and packaging) and the Biocidal Products Regulation. It maintains the public databases that brands depend on, processes registrations and notifications, and supports the Commission and Member States in restricting hazardous substances.
Why it matters for compliance
Almost every physical product is also a collection of substances, and ECHA is where those substances are governed. For a consumer-product brand the agency matters in three concrete ways: it publishes the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) that triggers communication and SCIP duties; it hosts the restriction list (REACH Annex XVII) that bans or limits substances such as certain phthalates and lead in consumer articles; and it runs SCIP, the database to which SVHCs in articles must be notified. If you make or import articles, ECHA’s lists define a large part of your chemical obligations.
How to use it
- Check the Candidate List each time it updates (roughly twice a year) and re-screen affected products.
- Confirm none of your materials breach a REACH Annex XVII restriction for its use.
- File SCIP notifications for any article containing an SVHC above 0.1% by weight.
- Use ECHA’s substance search to look up a CAS/EC number’s status before sourcing it.
Good to know
ECHA does not test your products or issue approvals — it maintains the rules and the data. The duty to know your product’s composition, and to act on the lists, stays with you and your suppliers.
Visit the official ECHA — European Chemicals Agency site ↗How Conphora helps
Conphora turns obligations like these into one managed workflow — it matches each product to the rules that apply, flags the gaps, and keeps your evidence ready for retailers and authorities.