EU: Chromium Trioxide REACH Authorisation for Functional Plating

On July 20, 2026, the European Union published an Official Journal summary (C/2026/3717) of Commission Decision C(2026) 4743, adopted July 13, 2026, partially granting a REACH authorisation for the use of chromium trioxide (EC No 215-607-8, CAS No 1333-82-0). The authorisation is held by STI Deutschland GmbH and Hartchrom Teikuro Automotive GmbH, both registered at the same Sternenfels-Diefenbach site in Germany, for functional plating of the applications listed in the decision annex.

The grant lets the two named holders continue using chromium trioxide for functional plating until the review period expires on November 20, 2035. Only those two addressees are directly bound: a REACH authorisation decision is binding in its entirety on its holders, not on the sector at large.

Who has to act on this decision, and by when?

Only STI Deutschland and Hartchrom Teikuro must act, and only to comply with the conditions attached to authorisation numbers REACH/26/24/0 and REACH/26/24/1. Other functional chrome-plating shops are not authorised by this decision and cannot rely on it: each must hold its own authorisation, or source from an authorised holder for an authorised use, to keep using chromium trioxide legally under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.

The compliance clock for the two holders runs to November 20, 2035, the expiry of the review period. By that date they must either have substituted chromium trioxide with a suitable alternative or secured a renewed authorisation. Continuing use beyond the review period without a new grant is unlawful.

Why chromium trioxide is still authorised, and on what legal basis

Chromium trioxide is a substance of very high concern listed on REACH Annex XIV. Once a substance reaches its Annex XIV sunset date, any continued use requires a specific authorisation under Article 60 of REACH, published in summary form under Article 64(9). Functional plating is one of the use categories that has repeatedly secured such authorisations.

The Commission granted this authorisation under Article 60(4), finding that the socio-economic benefits of the functional plating use outweigh the risk to human health and the environment, and that no suitable alternative substances or technologies are currently available. That is the standard authorisation test for functional chrome plating, where hard-chrome coatings on automotive and industrial components still lack an equivalent substitute for certain performance-critical applications. The full decision is available on the Commission's REACH authorisation page.

What this means for the wider functional plating sector

The decision does not change the legal position of other plating shops, but it signals how the Commission is treating functional plating authorisations in 2026. Compliance leads at EU surface-treatment operations should read it as precedent that the Article 60(4) route remains open for functional plating where no substitute exists, with review periods now running into the mid-2030s.

Downstream users, notably automotive OEMs sourcing hard-chrome-plated parts from the two holders, should confirm that their supply chain remains covered by a valid authorisation number and that the November 20, 2035 review-period expiry is tracked against product obsolescence planning.

Take advantage of this real-time watch

For most readers the action is narrow. If you are STI Deutschland or Hartchrom Teikuro, apply the annex conditions and diarise the November 20, 2035 review expiry now. If you run a separate functional plating line, confirm your own authorisation status rather than assuming coverage from this decision, and brief your supply-chain team on the 2035 horizon. Continuous, per-jurisdiction regulatory monitoring surfaces authorisation decisions the moment they publish in the Official Journal.