ECHA Adds DBDPE to the Candidate List of SVHCs

On 5 November 2025, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) added 1,1'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[pentabromobenzene] (DBDPE) (CAS No. 84852-53-9) to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) under the REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. The addition brings the total number of entries on the list to 251, some of which cover groups of chemicals.

The decision follows the agreement of the Member State Committee (MSC) at its October 2025 meeting, confirming the identification of DBDPE as very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) under Article 57(e) of REACH. The Swedish competent authority prepared the Annex XV dossier supporting this identification.

Reason for Inclusion and Background

DBDPE is a brominated flame retardant used in a variety of industrial applications including plastics, textiles, and electronic equipment. Its identification as an SVHC is based on a weight-of-evidence assessment demonstrating its persistence in the environment and its potential to bioaccumulate in living organisms.

ECHA noted that, beyond the usual obligations following Candidate List inclusion, the identification of DBDPE as an SVHC supports ongoing work toward a potential restriction on brominated flame retardants.

Regulatory Implications

The inclusion of DBDPE on the Candidate List triggers multiple legal obligations for companies under REACH and related EU legislation:

• Information duty: Suppliers of articles containing DBDPE in concentrations above 0.1 % w/w must inform recipients and consumers about its safe use. Consumers may request this information and must receive a response within 45 days.
• Notification to ECHA: Importers and producers of articles must notify ECHA within six months of the inclusion date (i.e. by 5 May 2026) if their articles contain DBDPE above the 0.1 % threshold and exceed one tonne per year, unless exposure can be excluded.
• Safety data sheets: Suppliers of substances or mixtures containing DBDPE must update their SDSs to reflect its Candidate List status.
• SCIP notification under the Waste Framework Directive:
  Companies producing or importing articles containing DBDPE above the 0.1 % threshold must also submit a notification to ECHA’s SCIP database of substances of concern in products.
• Restrictions on ecolabels: Products containing SVHCs cannot be awarded the EU Ecolabel under the EU Ecolabel Regulation.

ECHA notes that DBDPE may be considered for future inclusion in the Authorisation List (Annex XIV), which would prohibit its use without prior authorisation by the European Commission.