RoHS and REACH SVHC: two different flags, two different questions
Component pages often show both a RoHS status and a REACH status. They get treated as one generic "compliance" checkbox, but they restrict different things, are updated on different schedules, and a part can be fine under one and flagged under the other.
RoHS: a fixed, short list of substances
RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) restricts a specific, small list of substances above defined concentration thresholds — historically lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and certain flame retardants (PBB/PBDE), with four phthalates added later. A part is either compliant or it isn't, and the list changes rarely. "RoHS compliant" is close to a fixed, binary fact about a part.
REACH SVHC: a list that grows over time
REACH's Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) list is different in kind, not just in content — it's a much longer, periodically expanded list maintained by ECHA, and the obligation is disclosure-based rather than a flat restriction: above a concentration threshold, you have to be able to tell a customer if a listed substance is present. The practical consequence is that a part can be "REACH compliant" today and get flagged after a future update to the list, with no change to the part itself. Always check ECHA's current list (echa.europa.eu) for the up-to-date substance count and dates rather than trusting a cached number anywhere, including here.
Why this matters for a BOM, not just a single part
Because the SVHC list moves, a compliance flag is one of the few risk factors on a BOM that can turn on by itself with no design change and no supplier action — the part sits still and the regulation moves under it. That's a good reason to treat REACH status as something to re-check periodically, the same way you'd re-check lifecycle status, rather than a one-time box you tick during initial design.
The PartRadar surfaces RoHS and REACH SVHC flags per line item alongside lifecycle and sourcing risk, so a compliance issue on an otherwise-healthy part doesn't get missed.
This page is general reference material, not legal or regulatory advice. RoHS and REACH obligations depend on your specific product, market and role in the supply chain — verify against the current regulation text and ECHA's published lists for anything you're relying on for compliance purposes.