EU revises Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on POPs

On 18 May 2016, the Official Journal of the European Unionaccepted the amendment to Convention on Long- Range Transboundary Air Pollution on POPs by publication of Council Decision (EU) 2016/769.

The Union is a party to the 1998 Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants (‘the Protocol’), following its approval on 19 February 2004. The parties to the Protocol opened negotiations in 2007 with a view to further improving the protection of human health and the environment, including through the updating of the list of substances concerned and the emission limit values applicable to certain waste incinerators.

The amendments to the Protocol set out in Decisions 2009/1/EC and 2009/2/EC should therefore be accepted on behalf of the Union:

Annex I (List of Substances Subject to Prohibitions)
1. In the listings for the substance DDT, heptachlor and hexachlorobenzene, the conditions on use or production shall be amended.
2. The listings for the substances (hexachlorobutadiene, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH) including lindane, Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether, tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether, pentachlorobenzene and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCN) and short-chain chlorinated paraffins) shall be added。
3. The listing for the substance PCB shall be replaced by new provisions.

Annex II (Substances Subject to Restrictions)
1. The listings for the substances DDT, HCH, and PCB in the table appearing after the first paragraph of Annex II, shall be deleted.
2. The listings for the substances PFOS and short-chain chlorinated paraffins are added.

Amendments are also made to Annexes III, IV, VI and VIII to POPs Regulation.

The POPs Regulation, an important regulatory barrier on the EU market, will be affected by this amendment to the Protocol. The Europe has intensified enforcement on short-chain chlorinated paraffins present in articles since last year and such violations will be withdrawn from the shelf. It is important for businesses to pay due attention to regulatory news to avoid risks.