Q&A info

The “Article category” in the SCIP database aims at providing summarised information on the function or use of the article containing the Candidate List substances or of the complex object incorporating such articles in the SCIP notification. It is also a key element to support the identification of impacted waste streams based on function/use of the article or complex object (e.g., textiles, batteries, construction and demolition, electrical and electronic equipment, end of life vehicles, packaging), once it becomes waste. 

The “Article category” consists of a common understandable name or description of the article or complex object selected from a pre-defined European harmonised list based on the integrated Tariff of the European Union – TARIC – list named “CN/TARIC codes and descriptions”.

The TARIC list incorporates the Combined Nomenclature (CN) codes and descriptions as set out in Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 and the specific TARIC subheadings. Both TARIC and the Combined Nomenclature are managed by the European Commission (DG TAXUD). The CN/TARIC codes and descriptions under the ‘article category’ do not have any purpose in the SCIP context linked to the legal purposes of those lists within the scope of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87. Even if the “article category” pre-defined harmonised list is based the CN/TARIC code and description, its aim does not relate in any way to the legal or regulatory objectives of the CN/TARIC list concerning customs tariffs and trade statistics.

The identification of the article or complex object in a SCIP notification based on its function or use cannot be ensured by the ‘article name’ on its own as assigned by the SCIP notification submitter, because it is a text field, can be submitted in a language other than English and can have a meaningless name for a user of the database, in particular for consumers and waste operators. 

Furthermore, due to reasons to protect commercial interests based on the information submitted to the SCIP database concerning complex objects as placed on the market, the names and identifiers submitted in a SCIP notification are disclosed only for the top-level complex object. However, regarding the components and subcomponents, only the article name and the article category – CN/TARIC codes and descriptions – will be publicly available in the SCIP database, as well as safe use instructions, disassembling instructions and characteristics. This means, for example, that if there is a notification for a bicycle, the information about the bicycle, such as the brand and model, will be published. However, if the bicycle includes two tyres of a certain brand and model, this specific information will not be made publicly available, but the database will indicate that the tyres (identified by the attributed ‘article name’ and ‘article category’) of that bicycle contains a Candidate List substance. It is of the highest importance to submit the appropriate CN/TARIC code and description under the ‘article category’ for the components and subcomponents of complex objects to allow the identification of the articles containing the Candidate List substances.