REACH compliance
Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
REACH compliance means meeting the obligations of the EU REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on chemicals. For electronics, the key duty is to know whether any Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) on the Candidate List is present in an article above 0.1% by weight, and to pass that information down the supply chain.
REACH compliance explained
REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It covers chemical substances on their own, in mixtures and in articles. Most electronics companies are not chemical manufacturers, so their obligations relate mainly to articles: components, PCBs, cables and finished products.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) publishes the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern. The list is updated regularly, typically twice a year, so a product that had no listed substances last year may contain one today. If an article contains a Candidate List substance above 0.1% weight by weight, Article 33 requires the supplier to give recipients enough information to use the article safely — at minimum the name of the substance. Consumers can also request this information.
Since 2021, suppliers of such articles on the EU market must also submit information to ECHA's SCIP database under the Waste Framework Directive, so that waste operators know which substances are present.
REACH also includes Annex XIV, the Authorisation List, which covers substances that cannot be used without specific authorisation, and Annex XVII, which restricts certain substances in specific uses.
In practice, REACH compliance for an assembled PCB is built from supplier data. Component manufacturers publish REACH declarations or full material declarations, and these are collected against the BOM. Because the Candidate List changes, the declarations need to reference a list version and be refreshed over time.
When REACH compliance matters
REACH matters whenever a product is placed on the EU or EEA market, and it is often a contractual requirement from customers even when it is not legally triggered. Buyers typically ask for a REACH declaration for every part number, or for the finished assembly, and expect it to state the Candidate List version it covers.
The main risk is outdated or missing data. A component declaration that refers to an old Candidate List version may not cover recently added substances. Generic or unidentified parts, such as unmarked cables or mechanical parts, are often the gaps in a declaration package. Substances that commonly appear in electronics declarations include certain lead compounds in some components and certain plasticisers in cables.
Problems surface late if they are not addressed in the design and sourcing phase: a key component may need to be replaced, or customers may require SCIP notifications. Collecting supplier declarations alongside the BOM avoids this.
REACH vs RoHS
RoHS bans specific substances in electronic equipment above defined limits. REACH is broader: it mostly requires communication about SVHCs present above 0.1% in articles, and the substance list grows over time. An electronic product sold in the EU usually needs to address both.
REACH compliance in your quote request
In your quote request, state whether you need REACH declarations for the components, the bare board or the finished assembly, and which Candidate List version they should cover if your customer requires one. If you have a list of substances that must be avoided, include it with the BOM. If REACH or SVHC declarations are required, state it in the request so the manufacturer can include them in the quote.
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Component sourcing →FAQ about REACH compliance
What is REACH compliance?
REACH compliance means meeting the requirements of the EU REACH Regulation on chemicals. For electronic products, the most relevant duty is to identify any Substance of Very High Concern from the Candidate List present in an article above 0.1% by weight and to inform customers about it. Suppliers of such articles must also notify the SCIP database.
What is the difference between RoHS and REACH?
RoHS restricts a fixed list of hazardous substances, such as lead and cadmium, in electrical and electronic equipment, with defined maximum concentrations. REACH is a broad chemicals regulation covering all sectors, with a Candidate List of substances that grows over time. For articles, REACH mainly requires communication about these substances rather than banning them outright.
Does REACH apply in the UK?
EU REACH no longer applies in Great Britain. After Brexit, Great Britain introduced UK REACH, a separate regime with similar structure and its own candidate list, administered by the Health and Safety Executive. Northern Ireland continues to follow EU REACH. Companies selling into both markets usually need to consider both regimes.
Related terms
- RoHS compliance
RoHS compliance means the PCB and all its components meet the EU's Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (2011/65/EU), which limits 10 specified substances including lead, mercury, cadmium, and four phthalates. RoHS compliance is mandatory for electronic equipment placed on the EU market.
- BOM
A BOM (Bill of Materials) is the structured list of every component needed to build a PCB, mapping reference designators on the board to specific manufacturer parts. It is one of the three core files — alongside Gerber and pick and place — required to quote and assemble a PCBA.
- MPN
An MPN (Manufacturer Part Number) is the unique identifier assigned by a component manufacturer to a specific part. It is the only reliable way to specify exactly which component to source — generic descriptions like "10k resistor" are ambiguous. Every line in a BOM should include the MPN alongside the manufacturer name.
- Authorised distributor
An authorised distributor (also called franchised distributor) has a contractual agreement with the original component manufacturer to stock and sell their parts. Examples include Digi-Key, Mouser, Farnell, RS Components, and Arrow. Components sourced from authorised distributors come with full traceability. Authorised distributors carry the lowest counterfeit risk. For obsolete or hard-to-find parts, independent sourcing with proper verification is often the only route.
- EOL component
An EOL (End of Life) component is one the manufacturer has announced will no longer be produced. Manufacturers issue Product Change Notices (PCNs) with key dates: Last Time Buy (LTB) and Last Time Ship (LTS). Orders placed in this window are typically Non-Cancellable, Non-Returnable (NCNR). Designs using EOL parts need re-spinning or a last-time buy of lifetime stock.