ECHA Announces Completion of SVHC 2020 Roadmap

With its recent completion, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has issued a review of the SVHC 2020 Roadmap. In this blog post, we take a look at substances of very high concern (SVHCs) and several of the roadmap’s principal achievements.

SVHCs and the Roadmap

The SVHC 2020 Roadmap was established in 2013 by the Council of the European Union. Central to the roadmap has been the commitment within the European Union for ensuring, by the end of 2020, that all SVHCs identified thus far be included in the Candidate List of substances of very high concern for authorization.

According to the ECHA, SVHCs must adhere to the following criteria:

  • “Substances meeting the criteria for classification as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR) category 1A or 1B in accordance with the CLP Regulation.”
  • “Substances which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) according to REACH Annex XIII.”
  • “Substances on a case-by-case basis, that cause an equivalent level of concern as CMR or PBT/vPvB substances.”

Substances on the Candidate List are candidates for eventual inclusion in the Authorization List.

Key Achievements

The SVHC 2020 Roadmap has yielded several key achievements, as noted by the ECHA:

  • Identification of all known relevant substances of very high concern

    • In total, 211 chemicals have been included in the Candidate List of substances of very high concern as of the end of 2020. Further evaluation is likely to result in the identification of new SVHCs.
  • Development of methods for effectively addressing new substances of concern

    • The process of new substance of concern identification, and the ability to address them, has been facilitated by regulatory management option analysis (RMOA).
  • Evaluation of groups of chemicals to identify substances of concern more quickly

    • By addressing chemical substances in related groups, a greater amount of pertinent information is available. This facilitates identification of substances requiring additional action.
  • Addressing of petroleum and coal stream substances

    • Developing a methodology for prioritizing needed actions on petroleum and coal stream substances is improving management of them.
  • Providing greater transparency on relevant activities

    • To provide individuals with better and more transparent information on activities related to substances of concern, the ECHA developed the public activities coordination tool (PACT).
  • Improving advice on harmful chemicals

    • The Expert Group for Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic substances and the Expert Group on Endocrine Disruptors have provided valuable advice for the evaluation of such substances.

More detailed information on the SVHC Roadmap and its achievements may be found on the ECHA website.

Additional Information on SVHCs and More

For professionals who deal with substances of very high concern, or any other hazardous chemicals, having fast and seamless access to detailed information is essential. ToxPlanet can help address this need with our suite of authoritative decision support solutions.

ToxPlanet is the world’s largest and most comprehensive content-as-a-service provider focused on supporting the toxicology and chemical hazard information needs of a broad spectrum of professionals. Used extensively by toxicologists, pharmacologists, industrial hygienists, occupational physicians, product stewards, risk assessment professionals, hazardous materials/emergency management personnel, first responders, environmental managers, and a host of other chemical safety professionals, our products are designed to help manage the impact of chemicals in the workplace and on the environment. Contact us to learn more about all of the valuable data that our solutions can provide, and to register for a Free Trial.