The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has added a new chemical to its Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC), a list of chemicals with the potential to harm human health and the environment. The list now includes 242 substances in total. Companies working with chemicals included on this list have a responsibility to provide information to customers and consumers on safe use and to manage risks.
Helsinki, November 7, 2024 – The ECHA Member State Committee approved the addition of triphenyl phosphate to the list at its meeting in October. This chemical, which exhibits endocrine disrupting properties, is widely used as a flame retardant and plasticizer. The Committee’s consideration of this substance had been delayed from June due to the emergence of new information on its properties.
Updated as of November 7, 2024:
| Article Name | EC Number | CAS Number | Reason for Inclusion | Use Cases |
| Triphenyl Phosphate | 204-112-2 | 115-86-6 | Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57(f) – environment) | Polymer formulations, adhesives, sealants |
Legal Obligations and Future Authorization Process
Each substance added to the list creates new legal responsibilities for companies under the REACH Regulation. Companies are obliged to inform customers about the safe use of a substance on the Candidate List when its concentration is above 0.1%. Consumers also have the right to ask manufacturers if their products contain a substance of very high concern.
Importers and manufacturers of goods are required to notify ECHA within six months of the date of addition to the list (November 7, 2024) if this substance is present in their products. Suppliers in the European Union and the European Economic Area must also update and make safety data sheets available to their customers.
Under the Waste Framework Directive, if manufactured or imported products contain SVHCs above 0.1%, notification to ECHA is required and this information is published in ECHA’s SCIP database. In addition, products containing SVHCs are not given eco-labels under the EU Ecolabel Regulation.
The inclusion of triphenyl phosphate and similar chemicals on the Candidate List may pave the way for their future inclusion on the Authorization List. In this case, companies would need to apply for authorization for the substances concerned and obtain authorization for use from the European Commission.
