What is ECHA? A Guide to REACH, SVHCs and SCIP
ECHA stands for the European Chemicals Agency. Established in 2007 and based in Helsinki, Finland, this European Union agency supports the implementation of chemicals legislation and promotes the safe use of chemicals.
For manufacturers, importers, and suppliers, ECHA provides chemical information, guidance, and tools that support product compliance assessments. Its resources help companies investigate substances, understand regulatory obligations, and prepare relevant submissions.
This guide explains ECHA’s role and how its resources relate to REACH compliance, substances of very high concern (SVHCs), and SCIP reporting.
When searching for a substance, use its name and, where available, its CAS or EC number. Check whether the relevant entry covers an individual substance or a broader group.
Finding a substance in a database is one part of an assessment. You must also consider its concentration, use, product context, and the applicable legal conditions.
How Are ECHA and REACH Connected?
REACH is the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Regulation. ECHA performs technical, scientific, and administrative tasks under this framework.
For product suppliers, several REACH requirements may need separate consideration:
- Candidate List substances and supply-chain communication.
- Notification of substances in articles to ECHA.
- Restrictions under Annex XVII.
- Other obligations associated with the substances, mixtures, or articles supplied.
The relevant requirements depend on the product and the company’s role in the supply chain. Enviropass’s REACH compliance guide explains these topics in more detail.
What Is the SVHC Candidate List?
The Candidate List identifies substances of very high concern under REACH. It is updated periodically, so a supplier declaration should identify the version or date of the list it addresses.
For a practical assessment, determine:
- Which Candidate List substances may be present.
- Which articles contain them.
- Their concentrations in those articles.
- Whether the available supplier information supports the assessment.
Visit the official Candidate List and Enviropass’s REACH SVHC resource for further information.
What Is an Article Under REACH?
An article is an object whose shape, surface, or design determines its function more than its chemical composition.
A complex product can contain multiple constituent articles. These can retain their status as articles when assembled into a larger object. Consequently, an SVHC assessment must consider the relevant constituent articles rather than simply averaging a substance’s concentration across the entire finished product.
ECHA explains this distinction in its guidance for suppliers of articles.
Supply-Chain Communication and Notification to ECHA
REACH supply-chain communication under Article 33 and notification to ECHA under Article 7(2) are separate obligations. A company should assess each applicable requirement.
Under Article 7(2), producers and importers generally need to notify ECHA when both conditions are met:
- A Candidate List substance is present above 0.1% weight by weight in relevant articles.
- The total quantity of that substance in those articles exceeds one tonne per year.
Exemptions may apply, including where exposure can be excluded under the specified conditions or the substance has already been registered for that use. ECHA also specifies the notification timing.
Consult ECHA’s guidance on notification of substances in articles when determining whether notification is required.
What About REACH Annex XVII?
Annex XVII addresses restrictions on the manufacture, placing on the market, or use of certain substances, mixtures, and articles. Each entry has its own conditions and scope.
Checking the Candidate List alone does not complete an Annex XVII assessment. Review the applicable REACH restrictions separately, considering the product, material, application, and relevant limits.
What Is SCIP?
SCIP is ECHA’s database for information on substances of concern in articles as such or in complex objects. It was established under the Waste Framework Directive.
The database makes information about Candidate List substances in articles available throughout the product life cycle, including the waste stage. Users can search the public SCIP database for published notifications.
Who Must Submit a SCIP Notification?
SCIP obligations concern specified suppliers placing articles on the EU market that contain Candidate List substances above 0.1% weight by weight.
Relevant suppliers include EU producers, assemblers, importers, and distributors. Retailers supplying articles directly and exclusively to consumers are excluded from this notification obligation. See ECHA’s explanation of who must report.
SCIP reporting is separate from REACH Article 7(2) notification. The one-tonne condition described for Article 7(2) should not be applied as a SCIP reporting threshold.
What Information Should Suppliers Prepare?
A useful starting point is to identify the affected article, the Candidate List substance, its concentration range, and its location within the product.
Manufacturers can support this work by organizing product identifiers, component relationships, supplier declarations, and material information. Available evidence should connect the substance information to the correct article.
A public database search can support research, but your assessment also needs documentation that corresponds to your actual product and supply chain.
A Practical Workflow for Product Manufacturers
Use the following approach when reviewing ECHA-related requirements:
- Define the product and market. Identify what you supply, where it will be sold, and your role in the supply chain.
- Organize the product information. Gather the bill of materials, component identifiers, supplier details, and available material data.
- Review supplier evidence. Check that declarations cover the correct parts and identify the regulatory scope and reference date.
- Investigate potential substances. Use official resources to check substance identities and relevant regulatory entries.
- Assess obligations separately. Consider supply-chain communication, REACH notification, SCIP reporting, and applicable restrictions.
- Resolve information gaps. Request clarification or additional evidence and consider targeted testing where appropriate.
- Maintain the assessment. Revisit the documentation when the product, supplier information, or applicable requirements change.
How Enviropass Can Help
Enviropass supports manufacturers, importers, and suppliers with REACH compliance assessments and product environmental documentation reviews.
Depending on the agreed scope, our support can include:
- Reviewing supplier declarations and material information.
- Assessing evidence concerning Candidate List substances.
- Reviewing applicable Annex XVII restrictions.
- Identifying documentation gaps and supplier follow-up needs.
- Supporting the preparation of product information relevant to SCIP.
- Developing a testing strategy where additional analytical evidence is needed.
Request a REACH Compliance Review
Tell us about your product, target market, and the requirement you need to assess. If available, identify the relevant components, suspected substances, and supplier documentation.
We will clarify the scope and provide a quotation before starting the review.
Frequently Asked Questions About ECHA
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