What it is
The Candidate List is ECHA’s public list of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) — substances that are, for example, carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction, or persistent and bioaccumulative. It is updated roughly twice a year, and substances on it may later move to authorisation or restriction.
Why it matters for compliance
For brands that make or import articles, the Candidate List is the trigger for two duties: where an article contains a listed SVHC above 0.1% by weight, the supplier must communicate sufficient information down the chain (and to consumers on request), and must notify the article to ECHA’s SCIP database. Each update is a standing prompt to re-screen affected products.
How to use it
- Check the list each time it updates and compare against your products’ composition.
- Where a listed SVHC exceeds 0.1% w/w of an article, discharge the communication and SCIP duties.
- Wire the update into a continuous-compliance routine so it generates a targeted re-screen, not a crisis.
Good to know
Knowing whether a substance is present at all depends on reliable supplier composition data — the hard part of REACH is the supply chain, not the legal text.
Visit the official REACH Candidate List (SVHC) 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.