News Brief 

On February 24, 2026, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) released the "Approach to the UK REACH Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern" policy document.

Why the UK Is Updating New Approach to the Candidate List of SVHC?

Since the UK officially exited the EU, the UK REACH Regulation has served as an independent chemical regulatory framework since its implementation in 2021.

Although the regulation initially adopted all substances listed in the EU Candidate List at the time, in subsequent years, the update pace of the UK REACH list has significantly lagged behind the EU due to limited independent regulatory resources and evaluation processes, leading to increasing regulatory divergence between the UK and EU jurisdictions.

To address this regulatory challenge, Defra introduced a set of "Interim Principles" in 2021 to guide substance screening. However, according to the newly released Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 (EIP), the government has committed to systematic reform of the existing mechanisms. 

The newly announced strategy aims to mitigate the isolation effect by drawing more closely on regulatory decisions and scientific assessment results from other jurisdictions, particularly the EU, to substantially improve the operational efficiency of UK REACH.

This reform will ensure that protective measures for human health and the environment can be implemented more efficiently and in a coordinated manner, while also striving to strike a better balance between strengthening regulation and alleviating the compliance burden on businesses.

Key Policy Highlights

The new strategy includes the following key changes and highlights:

Abolition of the "Interim Principles"

As of February 24, 2026, the Interim Principles for the SVHC list, introduced by Defra in 2021, will officially expire.

Closer Alignment with EU Regulations

The UK government has explicitly stated its intention to draw more heavily on regulatory decisions from other jurisdictions. Specifically, for substances added to the EU REACH Candidate List since January 1, 2021 (the official Brexit date), as well as future additions, UK regulators will assess these substances and, where deemed appropriate, incorporate them into the UK REACH Candidate List.

Preservation of Independent Proposal Rights

Despite emphasizing alignment with the EU, UK REACH retains the ability to identify potential SVHCs based on domestic circumstances. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the competent authority for UK REACH, retains the right to propose additional potential SVHCs if certain substances meet the criteria outlined in Article 57 of UK REACH.

Promotion of Substitution

Defra, along with the Scottish and Welsh governments, aims to promote the appropriate substitution of additional SVHC substances. The inclusion of substances in the Candidate List serves as a clear signal to the industry that high-hazard substances should be phased out in favor of low-hazard substitutes where available.

What This Means for Businesses: Compliance Implications and Action Points

In response to this significant policy shift by the UK government, REACH24H recommends that relevant companies take the following measures: 

Review EU Candidate List Additions

Companies should promptly review all substances added to the EU REACH Candidate List since January 1, 2021. If your products contain these substances and are exported to the UK, anticipate the high likelihood of these substances being included in the UK REACH Candidate List in the near future.

Prepare for Compliance Obligations in Advance

Once a substance is added to the UK REACH Candidate List, companies will be subject to a series of statutory obligations, including:

• Supply Chain Communication: Communicating safe use information to customers.

• SVHC Notification: Submitting notifications to HSE when SVHCs in articles meet specified tonnage and concentration thresholds.

Monitor HSE Announcements

Although the general direction is alignment, the inclusion of specific substances will still require a "review" process. REACH24H recommends that relevant companies closely monitor HSE's substance consultations and formal inclusion announcements.

Updates: In March 2026, the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has officially initiated a public consultation regarding the inclusion of 15 chemical substances in the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern under the UK REACH Regulation.

Contact Us

For more information and assistance on UK REACH, please feel free to contact our experts at customer@reach24h.com.