---
title: SVHC
description: An SVHC (Substance of Very High Concern) is a chemical identified under the EU REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 as carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction, persistent, or otherwise seriously hazardous. ECHA maintains the Candidate List of SVHCs; their presence in articles must be declared above defined thresholds.
canonical: "https://www.tracepass.eu/glossary/svhc"
locale: en
source: "https://www.tracepass.eu/glossary/svhc"
---

# SVHC

> An SVHC (Substance of Very High Concern) is a chemical identified under the EU REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 as carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction, persistent, or otherwise seriously hazardous. ECHA maintains the Candidate List of SVHCs; their presence in articles must be declared above defined thresholds.

An SVHC (Substance of Very High Concern) is a chemical identified under the EU REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 as carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction, persistent, or otherwise seriously hazardous. ECHA maintains the Candidate List of SVHCs; their presence in articles must be declared above defined thresholds.

The SVHC Candidate List is published and updated twice a year by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). Listing carries immediate legal duties even before a substance is added to the REACH authorisation list: when an SVHC is present in an article above 0.1% weight by weight, suppliers must pass that information down the supply chain and notify ECHA's SCIP database.

For a Digital Product Passport this matters because substance-of-concern data is a regulated field across product groups under ESPR. Knowing which SVHCs a product contains, and at what concentration, is the prerequisite for both the SCIP notification and any DPP disclosure on hazardous substances.

## FAQ

### What is the 0.1% SVHC threshold?

When an SVHC on the ECHA Candidate List is present in an article above 0.1% weight by weight, REACH duties trigger: communication of safe-use information down the supply chain, a response to consumer requests within 45 days, and a SCIP notification to ECHA.

### Is the SVHC list the same as the REACH Authorisation List?

No. The Candidate List is a precursor — substances on it may later be moved to Annex XIV (the Authorisation List), which then bans their use without specific authorisation. Candidate-List listing already carries notification and communication duties on its own.

## Related terms

- [SCIP](https://www.tracepass.eu/glossary/scip)
- [ESPR](https://www.tracepass.eu/glossary/espr)
- [Digital Product Passport (DPP)](https://www.tracepass.eu/glossary/digital-product-passport)