Seven Substances Proposed for REACH Candidate List

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), together with EU Member States, have proposed to identify another seven chemicals as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) to be included on the so called Candidate List within REACH.

These seven substances are all listed on the SIN List, and are all potentially harmful to human health as either being carcinogenic or toxic for reproduction.

Belgium, Austria, Poland, Denmark, France and ECHA stands behind this initiative putting forward the following substances to be regulated within the EU:

• 2-ethoxyethyl acetate
• Strontium chromate
• 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-C7-11-branched and linear alkyl esters
• Hydrazine
• 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone
• 1,2,3-trichloropropane
• 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-C6-8-branched alkyl esters, C7-rich

This proposal is open for public consultation until 7 April 2011. After that EU Member States will decide on whether these substances will be added to the currently 46 substances on the Candidate List. There is also an additional proposal to identify Cobalt dichloride, which was included on the Candidate List in October 2008 due to its carcinogenic properties, also to be identified as toxic for reproduction.