REACH
SCIP Notification: What It Actually Requires, Field by Field
SCIP notification catches a much wider set of sellers than REACH substance registration ever does — because the trigger is an SVHC above 0.1% by weight in any article, not a tonnage threshold on a substance you manufacture. This is the page for what to actually submit, not just that you have to.
SCIP at a Glance
- Who: EU/EEA producers, importers, assemblers and distributors of qualifying articles
- When: before the article is placed on the market, not after
- Where: ECHA's Submission Portal, in IUCLID format
- Not the same as: CPNP (that's cosmetics-specific, entirely separate)
Quick answer: SCIP notification is required for any article containing a Candidate List Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) at or above 0.1% by weight, submitted to the SCIP database EU-wide (ECHA's system) before the article is placed on the market. It sits under the Waste Framework Directive rather than REACH itself, though it's tied to REACH's SVHC threshold — the real answer to "SCIP vs REACH" is that SCIP is a waste-transparency notification layered on top of a REACH-defined threshold, not a REACH duty itself. Pure business-to-consumer retailers who don't themselves place the qualifying article on the market are exempt; the duty sits with producers, importers, assemblers and distributors instead.
Who Needs to Submit SCIP Notification, Concretely
SCIP Notification Requirements, Stated Plainly
The SCIP notification requirements boil down to one test applied per article, not per product: does this specific component contain a Candidate List substance at or above 0.1% by weight? If yes, whoever first places that article on the EU market — a producer, an importer, an assembler putting components together, or a distributor further down the chain who wasn't covered by an earlier notification — has a notification duty. This is a wider net than most sellers expect, because it catches components most people wouldn't think to check (a metal fastener, a plastic clip, a printed label) just as much as the main material of a product.
The Data Fields
What a SCIP Notification Actually Contains
Three blocks of data, submitted together for each qualifying article.
1. Article identification
Name, a primary identifier, category, production country and a description sufficient to identify the specific article — not the product it's part of, the article itself.
2. SVHC content
The substance name, its EC or CAS number, its concentration range, and where in the article it's located — precise enough to be actionable for waste-stage handling.
3. Safe-use instructions
Handling, recycling and disposal information — the practical detail a waste operator downstream actually needs, which is the whole point of the database.
Submission Process
How to Submit SCIP Notification, Step by Step
Build the dataset in IUCLID format
SCIP notifications are structured as IUCLID datasets — ECHA's standard chemical-data format, not a free-text form.
Validate before submitting
ECHA's Validation Assistant checks the dataset for completeness and format errors before it reaches the actual submission step — catching gaps here avoids a rejected notification later.
Submit through the Submission Portal
The validated dataset goes to ECHA's SCIP Submission Portal, which returns a SCIP Reference Number confirming the notification is on file.
Keep the reference number as evidence
The SCIP Reference Number is what you'd produce on request to show the notification exists — treat it the same way you'd treat any other compliance-evidence document.
Distributors
The Simplified Notification Option
Not every seller in the chain needs to build a dataset from scratch.
Referencing an existing dataset
A distributor selling an article someone earlier in the supply chain already notified can use a simplified notification that references the existing SCIP dataset instead of resubmitting the full data — provided the upstream notification actually covers the same article, which is worth confirming rather than assuming.
SCIP vs CPNP
Two Different "Notification" Systems, Easy to Blur Together
If you sell both regular products and cosmetics, this distinction matters — the word "notification" shows up in both regimes but means something entirely different.
SCIP
ECHA-run, REACH-adjacent, article-level SVHC tracking for waste-stage transparency — covered on this page.
CPNP
European Commission-run, product-level pre-market notification for genuine cosmetic products under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 — covered on our Cosmetics guide. No portal or data overlap between the two.
FAQ
Common Questions About SCIP Notification
What is SCIP notification, in plain terms?
A mandatory ECHA database notification for any article containing an SVHC above 0.1% by weight, filed before the article is placed on the EU market — separate from REACH substance registration, though tied to the same SVHC Candidate List threshold.
Who needs to submit SCIP notification?
EU/EEA producers, importers, assemblers and distributors placing a qualifying article on the market — pure business-to-consumer retailers who don't place the article on the market themselves are exempt.
How is SCIP notification different from REACH registration?
REACH registration applies to substances above tonnage thresholds, mainly relevant to manufacturers and importers of the substance itself. SCIP notification applies to finished articles containing an SVHC above 0.1% by weight, which catches a much broader set of sellers, including many who never register a substance under REACH directly.
How do I submit a SCIP notification?
Build the required dataset in IUCLID format, validate it with ECHA's Validation Assistant, and submit it through ECHA's SCIP Submission Portal — the process returns a SCIP Reference Number once accepted.
Is SCIP notification the same as CPNP notification for cosmetics?
No — separate systems run by different bodies for different purposes. SCIP is ECHA's article-level SVHC database under the Waste Framework Directive; CPNP is the European Commission's pre-market notification system specifically for cosmetic products under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Does SCIP notification apply to every component in a multi-part product, or just the main material?
Every distinct article is assessed on its own against the 0.1% threshold — not the product's average composition by weight. A small metal or plastic component can trigger the notification duty even while the dominant material by weight is unaffected, which is why checking only the main material is a common and genuinely risky shortcut.
What if I'm not sure whether my product qualifies as an "article" under SCIP rules?
An article, in REACH/SCIP terms, is an object given a specific shape, surface or design during manufacture that determines its function more than its chemical composition does — most finished goods and their components qualify. Where genuinely uncertain, treat the component as an article and check its SVHC content rather than assuming it falls outside scope.
Where the Facts Come From
Sources for This Page
SCIP's legal basis is Article 9(1)(i) of Directive (EU) 2018/851 (the Waste Framework Directive, Tier 1, EUR-Lex), tied to the SVHC threshold defined in Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH). Process detail (IUCLID format, the Submission Portal, the simplified-notification option) is drawn from ECHA's own published guidance (Tier 1).
Not sure if your product needs SCIP notification?
Run the free Product Compliance Check to see the full mapped picture for your specific product.
Check Your Product →