SCIP is an acronym used in several different fields, and the meaning depends on context. The most common uses are the EU’s SCIP database for tracking hazardous substances in products, the Strategic Consortium of Intelligence Professionals for business strategy, and the Surgical Care Improvement Project in healthcare. Here’s what each one means and how it works.
The EU SCIP Database
In the European Union, SCIP stands for Substances of Concern In articles as such or in complex objects (Products). It’s a database managed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) that tracks products containing hazardous chemicals sold in the EU market. The database was created under the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) and has required submissions since January 5, 2021.
The core idea is straightforward: when a product contains a “substance of very high concern” (SVHC) at a concentration above 0.1% by weight, the company placing that product on the EU market must notify ECHA and submit information to the SCIP database. SVHCs are chemicals that pose serious risks to human health or the environment, such as carcinogens, reproductive toxins, or persistent pollutants. ECHA maintains a Candidate List of these substances, which is updated regularly.
The database serves two practical purposes. First, it gives waste treatment operators information about hazardous substances in the products they handle, so they can sort and process materials more safely. Second, it gives consumers access to information about what’s in the products they buy.
Who Must Submit to SCIP
Any company that manufactures, assembles, imports, distributes, or sells products in the EU containing SVHCs above the 0.1% weight threshold falls within scope. This applies to the full supply chain, not just the original manufacturer. If you’re a distributor importing goods into the EU, the obligation applies to you.
What a SCIP Submission Includes
Each submission, called a SCIP dossier, requires several pieces of information:
- Article identification: The product name, a primary identifier (like a product number or barcode), and the article category.
- Substance details: The name of the SVHC, which Candidate List entry it corresponds to, and where in the product the substance is located.
- Concentration range: Companies report the SVHC concentration within defined bands, starting at 0.1% to 0.3%, then 0.3% to 1.0%, and continuing up through higher ranges to 100%.
- Safe use instructions: Information that waste operators and consumers need to handle the product safely.
- Submitter information: The legal entity submitting the data, identified through a Legal Entity ID generated when the company registers a REACH-IT account with ECHA.
Companies submit dossiers electronically through ECHA’s portal. Each individual product or component containing SVHCs above the threshold gets its own article number in the system.
Strategic Consortium of Intelligence Professionals
In the business world, SCIP refers to the Strategic Consortium of Intelligence Professionals (formerly the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals). It’s a nonprofit organization focused on competitive intelligence, which is the practice of gathering and analyzing information about competitors, markets, and industry trends to inform business strategy.
SCIP describes itself as the world’s largest global intelligence association, with over 15,000 members across 120 countries working in enterprise, academic, and government settings. The organization offers training and certification programs for professionals who work in competitive intelligence, market intelligence, and related fields.
SCIP’s Code of Ethics
Because competitive intelligence involves gathering information about rivals, SCIP maintains a formal Code of Ethics that sets boundaries for how that work should be done. The code isn’t a corporate policy but a set of guidelines members are expected to follow. Key principles include transparency (disclosing your identity and organization before interviews), compliance with all applicable domestic and international laws, avoiding conflicts of interest, and providing honest recommendations. SCIP reserves the right to revoke memberships from anyone found in direct violation of the code.
Surgical Care Improvement Project
In healthcare, SCIP stands for the Surgical Care Improvement Project, a national quality initiative focused on reducing complications after surgery. The project established evidence-based measures representing best practices for preventing surgical site infections and blood clots following procedures like colon surgery, hip and knee replacements, hysterectomies, cardiac surgery, and vascular surgery. Hospitals track and report their performance on these measures as part of broader quality improvement efforts.