SG 146/26
Albania adds 42 entries to its Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) and 28 entries to its Authorization List.
On October 27, 2026, Albania’s Ministry of Tourism and the Environment published Order No. 521 of October 21, 2026 (Order No. 521/2026), approving updated lists of SVHCs subject to authorization (Authorization List, Annex 1) and candidates for authorization (Candidate List, Annex 2). The updated lists form part of Albania’s regulatory framework under Law No. 27/2016 ‘On the Management of Chemicals', which is partially aligned with two pieces of EU legislation:
- Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH, consolidated version to June 2026 for reference)
- Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 on the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP Regulation, consolidated version to July 2026 for reference)
What does this order require?
Key changes under Order No. 521/2026 include:
- Adding 28 entries to the Authorization List (Annex 1), bringing the total to 59. The new entries have an authorization application deadline of October 21, 2027, and a sunset date of April 21, 2029
- Adding 42 entries covering substances or groups of substances to the Candidate List (Annex 2), increasing the total from 211 (SafeGuardS 118/21) to 253
The SVHCs on the two lists mentioned above are also included on the REACH Candidate List of SVHCs for authorization and the Authorization List (Annex XIV).
What are the consequences of a substance being added to the Candidate List?
Once a substance is placed on the Candidate List, companies have legal obligations when it is present on its own, in mixtures or in articles.
Safety data sheets (SDS) for substances on their own or in mixtures
Suppliers of substances on the Candidate List, either on their own or in mixtures, are obliged to provide users with an up-to-date SDS in Albanian (Articles 15 and 17 of Law No. 27/2016).
Duty to communicate on substances in articles
Suppliers of an article containing a Candidate List SVHC in a concentration greater than 0.1% are required to provide information to the recipient of the article sufficient to allow the safe use of the article. Upon consumer request, this information must be supplied within 45 days (Article 16 of Law No. 27/2016).
Who is impacted?
Stakeholders across multiple industries and supply chains are affected. This includes manufacturers, importers and suppliers of SVHCs, whether these substances are present on their own, in mixtures or in articles, operating in Albania.
When does it apply?
Order No. 521/2026 entered into force on October 21, 2026.
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