The European Commission has announced that six substances of very high concern will be banned from EU market due to their carcinogenic, toxic for reproduction effect or their persistence in the environment and accumulate in living organisms. Operators wishing to sell or use these substances will need to demonstrate that the required safety measures have been taken to adequately control the risks, or that the benefits for the economy and society outweigh the risks. Where feasible alternative substances or techniques exist, a timetable for substitution will also have to be submitted.

This decision to ban six substances from the European market follows the successful first phase of registration and notification of chemicals, which is part of Europe’s initiative to make the use of chemicals safer, REACH. As highlighted by European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani, responsible for industry and entrepreneurship it is an example of the successful implementation of REACH and of how sustainability can be combined with competitiveness, as it will encourage industry to develop alternatives and foster innovation.

The six substances of very high concern have been moved from the candidate list to the authorisation list, known as Annex XIV, under the EU's REACH regulation for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, which means that they cannot be placed on the market or used unless authorisation has been granted for a specific use. This are certainly good news given that, as stressed by Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, some of the chemicals which are everywhere in the modern world, can be very dangerous for natural life.

The 6 chemicals listed to be the first entrants in the Annex XIV are:

• 5-ter-butyl-2,4,6-trinito-m-xylene (musk xylene)
• 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane (MDA)
• hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD)
• bis(2-ethylexyl) phthalate (DEHP)
• benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP)
• dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

In the process of evaluation and registry of chemicals, additional substances will be added to Annex XIV in the future. The objective is to ensure that the risks from substances of very high concern are properly controlled and that these substances are progressively replaced by economically and technically viable alternatives. To that end, the Commission aims to put forward a greater number of known substances of very high concern for inclusion in the candidate list. The Commission and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) are fully committed to achieve this goal with the active engagement of the Member States.