What are your obligations in terms of communication and information on SVHC?
Article 33 Duty to communicate information on substances in articles
1. Any supplier of an article containing a substance meeting the criteria in Article 57 and identified in accordance with Article 59(1) in a concentration above 0.1 % weight by weight (w/w) shall provide the recipient of the article with sufficient information, available to the supplier, to allow safe use of the article including, as a minimum, the name of that substance.
2. On request by a consumer any supplier of an article containing a substance meeting the criteria in Article 57 and identified in accordance with Article 59(1) in a concentration above 0.1 % weight by weight (w/w) shall provide the consumer with sufficient information, available to the supplier, to allow safe use of the article including, as a minimum, the name of that substance. The relevant information shall be provided, free of charge, within forty-five days of receipt of the request.
Article 33 of the REACH regulation defines the obligation of suppliers to communicate information on substances of very high concern (SVHC) contained in their products. By supplier we mean any producer or importer of a product, any distributor or any other actor in the supply chain that places an item on the market. The substances concerned are included in the list of substances of very high concern.
The AskREACH system is a tool that will enable you to meet your obligation of transparency towards consumers along the supply chain. This can be done on a regular basis or in response to a consumer request.
- As a product supplier, you must provide your customers with the names of all SVHC included in the product (> 0.1% by weight), free of charge and throughout the supply chain, as well as sufficient information on safe use [Article 33(1) of REACH].
- Following a consumer request, you, as a product supplier, must provide your customers with the names of all SVHC included in the article (> 0.1% by weight), free of charge and throughout the supply chain, and sufficient information on safe use [Article 33(2) of the REACH regulation].
Since 5 January 2021, this information must also be notified to the SCIP database in order to make it available throughout the product's life cycle, including as waste. The aim is to facilitate waste sorting and improve the quality of recycled materials.
What Are Your Benefits?
The AskREACH system allows you to present yourself as a reliable, responsible company that listens to consumers and enables you to:
- be transparent about the composition of your products and provide your customers with recommendations for the safe use of items containing SVHC;
- promote your SVHC-free products;
- actively communicate your commitments: show consumers that your company is responding to their concerns. 75% of European consumers expect companies to take sustainable development initiatives;
- benefit from regulatory support: thanks to a reminder to update your information, sent with every update of the SVHC list, you can keep up to date with your obligations under Article 33 of REACH.
