Information on the inclusion of substances of very high concern

Spot check technical documentation from manufacturers and material suppliers. If necessary, analytical testing can be carried out.

Analysis report
Follow up the special contract term by requesting analysis reports for spot checked items and confirming that the values shown are below the contract term's threshold limit for any substances on the Candidate List that are present in the equipment. Check that the analyses have also been performed by a laboratory that is accredited for the analytical method used.

Self-declaration verified by an accredited verification body 
If a verified self-declaration is used as verification for the requirement, request the supplier's self-declaration along with documentation showing that the requirement is met. A self-declaration shall be verified by a verification body accredited for the task in accordance with ISO/IEC 17029 or an equivalent standard.  

This requirement is formulated as contract terms, which does not have to be fulfilled at the tender submission. It shall be fulfilled at the start of the contract or framework agreement or at a later specified time.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) publishes a list of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). This list is called the Candidate List, Article 59 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. These substances may be carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR), as well as persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic to the environment (PBT). The latest list is available on the ECHA's website.

When selling to a professional customer, such as a contracting organisation, suppliers or resellers are legally obliged to be able to provide details about substances on the Candidate List that are found in products at a level above 0.1% by weight. This special contract term aims to ensure that suppliers provide information about hazardous substances found in contracted products.

There are currently a limited number of accredited verification bodies according to ISO / IEC 17029 (Conformity assessment - General principles and requirements for validation and verification bodies), as it is a relatively new standard. However, this may change, especially if the demand for verifying compliance in this way increases. This possibility is therefore included in the list of possible verifications. More information about the standard is available at www.swedac.se.

The purpose of this requirement is to have information provided about substances of very high concern. Suppliers and resellers are required by law to be able to provide information about substances included in the Candidate List that can be found in their products at a level above 0.1% by weight. In addition to the provision of information about hazardous substances used in the contracted products, this requirement obliges suppliers to notify the contracting organisation if any new substances that are added to the Candidate List are found in their products.

The version date indicates when the sustainability criterion was created or last updated. Last reviewed dated tells when we last checked that the sustainability criterion still is relevant.

2023-05-03, Requirement ID 11445:2: Reformulated and clarified requirement text, harmonized with requirementID 11171.
2020-06-17, Requirement ID 10050: 1: Clarification of requirements text and updating of regulations
2012-01-31, Requirement ID 10050: Original version