ECHA Expands SVHC Candidate List to 251 Substances: What It Means for Your Inventory

In November 2025, ECHA expanded the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) to 251 entries. Three new substances were added based on their endocrine-disrupting, carcinogenic, or PBT (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic) properties.

What is the SVHC Candidate List?

The Candidate List is a register of substances identified as SVHCs under the EU REACH Regulation. Inclusion triggers important legal obligations for companies that manufacture, import, or use these substances in the European Economic Area.

Companies must notify ECHA if their products contain a Candidate List substance above 0.1% weight by weight. Suppliers must provide Safety Data Sheets and communicate safe use information down the supply chain.

The 3 New Additions

The substances added in this update were identified for their particularly concerning properties. Endocrine disruptors can interfere with hormone systems even at low concentrations, while PBT substances persist in the environment and accumulate in living organisms.

What Should You Do?

1. Screen your inventory. Check all products in your chemical register against the updated Candidate List. Focus on CAS numbers rather than product names, as the same substance may appear under different trade names.

2. Update your Safety Data Sheets. If any of your products contain newly listed substances, ensure your SDS documents reflect this. Section 2 (Hazards) and Section 15 (Regulatory Information) may need updating.

3. Review supply chain communication. Under REACH Article 33, you must inform your customers if a product contains an SVHC above 0.1% w/w. This applies to articles (finished products), not just chemical substances.

4. Consider substitution. For substances on the Candidate List, evaluate whether safer alternatives exist. This is particularly important because Candidate List substances may eventually be moved to the Authorization List (REACH Annex XIV), requiring explicit authorization for continued use.

How Chemspark Helps

Chemspark automatically screens your entire chemical inventory against the SVHC Candidate List with every upload. When the list is updated, all existing products are re-checked and you receive notifications for any new matches. This eliminates the manual work of cross-referencing CAS numbers across hundreds of products.