What Is the REACH Substance Restricted List?

Certain substances are restricted from being manufactured, marketed, or used across the EU by REACH Annex XVII, also known as the restricted substances list.

By:

Ladan Judge

Published:

April 3, 2023

What Is the REACH Substance Restricted List?

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals or REACH (EC 1907/2006) is a safety regulation that was implemented by the European Union (EU) to prevent the use of certain toxic chemical substances in products manufactured, sold, and imported within the EU.  

The regulation aims to improve the protection of human health and the environment through better and earlier detection of harmful chemical substances.  

Certain substances are restricted from being manufactured, marketed, or used across the EU by REACH Annex XVII, also known as the restricted substances list. Whether they are authorized or not, these substances are deemed to pose a substantial risk to human health and the environment.

The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) first identifies potentially hazardous substances named “Substances of Very High Concern” (SVHC) at the request of member states or the European Commission. Confirmed hazardous substances or SVHCs, are then added to the Candidate List.

A restriction may apply to any substance on its own, in a mixture, or in an article, including those that do not require registration, for example, substances manufactured or imported below one ton per year or certain polymers.

On-site isolated intermediates, substances used in scientific research and development, and substances only posing risks to human health from their use in cosmetics are exempted from those substances to which REACH restriction applies.

Annex XVII to REACH includes all the restrictions adopted in the framework of REACH and the previous legislation, Directive 76/769/EEC. Currently, that includes 71 entries some of which are listed below:

Azocolourants and Azodyes (entry 43)
Polycyclic-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (entry 50)
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives (PFOS) (entry 53, deleted in 2010 and subject to EU POPs regulation now.)
Phthalates (entries 51 and 52)

Cadmium and its compounds (entry 23)
Nickel and its compounds (entry 27)
Lead and its compounds (entry 63)
Mercury and its compounds (entry
Chromium VI compounds (entry 47)

Arsenic compounds (entry 19)
CMR 1A/1B substances listed in Annex VI of CLP regulation (28, 29, 30)
Nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates (entry 46)
Organostannic compounds (entry 20)
Hazardous solvents (benzene, cyclohexane, trichlorobenzene, chloroform, etc.);

Bisphenol A (entry 66, added in Dec 2016)
decaBDE (entry 67, added in Feb 2017)
PFOA, its salts, and PFOA-related substances (entry 68, added in June 2017)
D4 and D5 (entry 70, added in Jan 2018)
Methanol (entry 69, added in April 2018)

1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) (entry 71, added in April 2018)
CMR substance in textile and footwear (entry 72, added in Oct 2018)
[ethane-1,2-diylbisoxy]bis[2,4,6-tribromobenzene]
tetrabromo-4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol
sulphonyldiphenol

Barium diboron tetraoxide
tetrabromophthalate covering any of the individual isomers and/or combinations thereof
Isobutyl 4-hydroxybenzoate
Melamine
Perfluoroheptanoic acid and its salts

reaction mass of 2,2,3,3,5,5,6,6-octafluoro-4-(1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropan-2-yl)morpholine

The substances that are exempted from REACH regulations include:

Radioactive substances.

Substances in temporary storage under customs supervision.
The transport of hazardous substances.
Substances used in the interest of defense.
Non-isolated intermediates.
Waste, but not products recovered from waste.

The latest consolidated version of REACH Restricted Substances can be found HERE.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the SVHC List?

The SVHC List stands for Substances of Very High Concern. This is a list maintained by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) that identifies substances that may pose a risk to human health or the environment. While inclusion on the SVHC List does not automatically prohibit use of a substance in the EU, it does trigger specific requirements on the part of the manufacturer, importer, or distributor.

Is the REACH Substance Restricted List the Same as the SVHC List?

The SVHC List and the REACH Substance Restricted List are not the same thing—although they are both part of ECHA’s process of regulating substances in the EU. Substances on the SVHC List do not have specific legal restrictions on their use, but rather impose requirements on manufacturers and distributors. Chemicals on the Substance Restricted List, on the other hand, are subject to hard restrictions, including concentration thresholds or outright bans.

What Substances Are Currently on the SVHC List?

As of early 2026, there are 253 substances on REACH’s SVHC List. These include certain PFAS and fluorinated substances, bisphenols, and phthalates, among other chemical families. ECHA adds substances to the list twice a year, and in 2025 ECHA added eight new chemicals to the SVHC.

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Are Substances on the SVHC List Prohibited in the EU?

No, substances included on the SVHC List are not banned in the EU. Instead, inclusion triggers specific obligations on the part of the companies manufacturing, importing, or distributing products that use the chemicals. These obligations include communicating the SVHC content on the product or article, responding to questions from consumers within 45 days, and submitting information to the EU’s SCIP database.

What’s the Difference Between the SVHC List and the Candidate List?

There is no difference between REACH’s SVHC List and its Candidate List. Both lists refer to the same group of chemicals that ECHA has identified as potentially hazardous to human health and/or the environment. These chemicals are “candidates” for eventual inclusion on the Authorisation List, a more restrictive category that often requires companies to obtain specific authorization from ECHA to use the substances on the list.

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