EU Report Outlines Guidelines for Footwear Components

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has published PD CEN/TR 16417:2016 with guidelines regarding the presence of certain chemicals known as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).

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SVHC Candidate List Cited in Report for Footwear Industry

Technical Report PD CEN/TR 16417:2016 “Footwear – Footwear industry guideline for substances of very high concern (Annex XIV of REACH)” supersedes PD CEN/TR 16417:2012 and indicates which SVHC may be present in footwear components and potentially present in the footwear industry. This guideline helps footwear manufacturers collect mandatory information from suppliers regarding the presence of these chemicals and allows manufacturers to provide accurate information to their customers. The technical report includes substances that appeared on the candidate list on or before June 16, 2014 and provides informative test methods to identify where these chemicals may be found in order to control their use along the supply chain.

According to the technical report, 24 SVHC out of the listed 155 are classified as having a high occurrence in footwear or in footwear components. Table 1 (sgs.com/en/news/2016/02/safeguards-04016-eu-cen-publishes-guideline-on-svhc-for-footwear-industry) of the latest Safeguards bulletin shows Substances of Very High Concern included in Annex XIV of REACH that are especially important for footwear and footwear components

Annex XIV of REACH Under Constant Revision

Annex XIV of REACH is an authorization list of SVHCs prioritized by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) determining which substances should be included and therefore subject to authorization. The ECHA will regularly submit recommendations to the European Commission to update substances that should be included in the list. The technical report does not address substances that are already restricted and therefore included in Annex XVII of REACH.

About SGS Services for the Consumer Goods and Retail Industry

SGS Global Softlines has an extensive network of over 40 laboratories worldwide, with a strong team of committed professionals from multi-disciplinary backgrounds. Its internationally accredited state-of-the-art testing laboratories offer a comprehensive range of physical, chemical and functional testing services for components, materials and finished products in the textile and footwear industry. SGS helps companies ensure quality, performance and product conformity (http://www.sgs.com/en/public-sector/product-conformity-assessment-pca) with international, industrial and regulatory standards worldwide.

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SGS Consumer Goods and Retail
Kris Wan
Senior Manager, Global Softlines Development Office
SGS Hong Kong

This release was published on openPR.