UK authorities to assess 4 groups of substances for potential inclusion in the candidate list

When UK REACH entered into force, all substances included in the EU REACH candidate list were ipso facto (by the fact itself) transferred into the new UK REACH candidate list. As to the substances added to the EU REACH candidate list after UK REACH entered into force, the UK regulators committed to assess whether these substances should also be added into the UK REACH candidate list.

On December 10, 2021, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Environment Agency (EA) announced having conducted an assessment of the substances placed into the EU REACH candidate list by ECHA since the entry into force of UK REACH. Out of those, HSE and EA have identified four substance groups that should undergo further assessment:

ü  dioctyltin dilaurate, stannane, dioctyl-, bis(coco acyloxy) derivatives, and any other stannane, dioctyl-, bis(fatty acyloxy) derivatives wherein C12 is the predominant carbon number of the fatty acyloxy moiety

ü  1,4-dioxane

ü  small brominated alkylated alcohols (SBAA)

ü  phenol, alkylation products (mainly in para position) with C12-rich branched or linear alkyl chains from oligomerisation, covering any individual isomers and/or combinations thereof (PDDP)

Following the assessment, the UK regulators will recommend the most appropriate course of action for managing the risks identified from these four substance groups. Such actions may consist in adding the substances into the UK REACH candidate list, although according to the official statement “HSE and EA may make other recommendations.”

Source: Approach to including substances of very high concern on the UK REACH candidate list