A
Authorisation Application
Definition
An Authorisation Application (AfA) under REACH is the formal submission made by a manufacturer, importer, or downstream user to ECHA requesting permission to continue using an Annex XIV substance after its Sunset Date. The application must include: a Chemical Safety Report for the applied-for uses; an Analysis of Alternatives; a Substitution Plan if technically and economically feasible alternatives exist; and a Socio-Economic Analysis (SEA) where adequate control cannot be demonstrated. Applications are evaluated by ECHA’s RAC and SEAC committees; the final decision is taken by the European Commission.
Source
REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, Articles 60–64 and Annex XIV; ECHA Application for Authorisation guidance.
Practical Explanation (Compliance Context)
Applications must be submitted before the Latest Application Date (LAD) specified in Annex XIV to allow continued use pending the Commission decision. Post-LAD submissions do not provide a grace period; use must stop at the Sunset Date if the LAD has passed. Applications can cover multiple uses and multiple applicants (joint applications). The Commission's authorisation decision includes a time-limited review period.