Q.01

Which substances need REACH authorisation?

Under EU REACH, the substances that need authorisation are the 59 entries on the Annex XIV Authorisation List. Once an entry's sunset date has passed, the substance cannot be placed on the market or used without a granted authorisation for that use. All 59 sunset dates have now passed. The earliest was musk xylene and MDA on 21 August 2014 [1][2]. The latest are entries 55-59, on 1 May 2025 [3][4].

Approach: I pulled every entry of ECHA's REACH Annex XIV Authorisation List. I couldn't open ECHA's Authorisation List page, its page on recommendations for inclusion, or the consolidated REACH text on EUR-Lex to check them against the registry. So I could not confirm whether any amendment has added entries above 59. The use-specific exemptions in Annex XIV are not covered here.

The 59 entries, by group:

  • Phthalates (reproductive toxicants):
    • DEHP (entry 04). It was also listed for endocrine-disrupting properties, for both the environment and human health [5].
    • BBP, DBP and DIBP (entries 05-07) [6].
    • Entries 33-39 (sunset 4 July 2020), including diisopentyl, dipentyl and bis(2-methoxyethyl) phthalate [7].
    • Entries 44-46 (sunset 27 February 2023), including dihexyl phthalate [8].
  • Chromium(VI) compounds (carcinogens):
    • Entries 10-12: the lead chromate pigments [9].
    • Entry 16: chromium trioxide [10].
    • Entry 17: the acids generated from chromium trioxide and their oligomers [11].
    • Entries 18-22: sodium, potassium and ammonium dichromate, and potassium and sodium chromate (sunset 21 September 2017) [12].
    • Entries 28-31: dichromium tris(chromate), strontium chromate, and two zinc chromates (sunset 22 January 2019) [13].
  • Arsenic compounds (carcinogens):
    • Diarsenic trioxide and diarsenic pentaoxide (entries 08-09) [14].
    • Arsenic acid (entry 24) [15].
  • Chlorinated solvents and other industrial chemicals:
    • Trichloroethylene (15) [16].
    • 1,2-dichloroethane (26) [17].
    • MOCA (27) [18].
    • 1-bromopropane (32) [19].
    • Diglyme (25) [20].
    • TCEP (13) [21].
    • 2,4-DNT (14) [22].
    • Formaldehyde–aniline oligomers (23) [23].
    • Trixylyl phosphate (47) [24].
  • Borates:
    • Sodium perborates (group entry 48) [25].
    • Sodium peroxometaborate (49) [26].
  • Substances listed as PBT/vPvB (persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic, or very persistent and very bioaccumulative):
    • Musk xylene (01).
    • HBCDD and its isomers (03) [27].
    • Anthracene oil and high-temperature coal tar pitch (40-41) [28].
    • Karanal-type dioxanes (50) [29].
    • UV-328, UV-327, UV-350 and UV-320 (51-54, sunset 27 November 2023) [30].
  • Endocrine disruptors (environment):
    • Octylphenol ethoxylates (42) [31].
    • Nonylphenol ethoxylates (43) (sunset 4 January 2021 for both) [32].
    • RP-HP (57) [33].
  • Most recent entries (sunset 1 May 2025):
    • Tetraethyllead (55).
    • 4,4'-bis(dimethylamino)-4''-(methylamino)trityl alcohol (56) [34].
    • DOTE (58) [35].
    • The reaction mass of DOTE and MOTE (59) [4].

The panel document has the full table, with EC and CAS numbers and the constituents of each group entry.

The Candidate List of SVHCs is a separate list. Being on it does not by itself mean a substance needs authorisation; only the substances the Commission moves into Annex XIV do. That step is based on ECHA's recommendations (ECHA recommendations page, which I could not open).

Sources: Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/586 amending Annex XIV (found in search, not opened); ECHA Authorisation List (could not open).

Q.02