WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/60 
23 March 2004  
 
(04-1308) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English 
   
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
European Commission, 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point, 
Fax:  0032 2 299 80 43, E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int
 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Thirteen chemical 
substances listed in Annex I or II of the Stockholm Convention or in Annex I or II of 
the 1998 Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on 
persistent organic pollutants (POPs). 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Commission proposal 
for a Regulation of the European Parliament  and of the Council on persistent organic 
pollutants and amending Directives 79/117/EEC and 96/59/EC.  N° of pages:  36 
 Languages:  English, Danish, German, Greek, Sp anish, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, 
Finnish, Swedish   
European Parliament legislative resolution on th e proposal for a Regulation of the European 
Parliament and of the Council on persis tent organic pollutants and amending 
Directives 79/117/EEC and 96/59/EC, A5-0017/2004  Available at:  
http://www3.europarl.eu.int/omk/omnsapir.so/pv2?PRG=DOCPV&APP=PV2&LANGUE=
EN&SDOCTA=7&TXTLST=1&POS=1&Ty pe_Doc=RESOL&TP V=PROV&DATE=260
204&PrgPrev=TYPEF@A5|PRG@QUERY|A PP@PV2|FILE@BIBLIO04|NUMERO@17|
YEAR@04|PLAGE@1&TYPEF=A5&NUMB=1&DATEF=040226  G/TBT/N/EEC/60 
Page 2  
 
6. Description of content:   
 The proposed Regulation would implemen t the main control provisions of the 
Stockholm Convention and the UNECE Protocol that are not already covered by the Community legislation.  These control measur es include prohibition of  the production, use 
and placing on the market of the listed subs tances.  The proposed Regulation would not 
make use of the possibility for exemptions o ffered by the international agreements of 
continuing the production and use of DDT and HCB for limited uses.  HCH/lindane, which 
is still allowed for several major uses under th e Protocol, is proposed to be subject to 
additional restrictions.  Moreover, the gene ral exemptions for the listed substances are 
limited to those allowed in the Convention.  In  addition, stockpiles of more than 100 kg are 
proposed to be subject to a notification obliga tion.  After a decision on listing of a substance 
is made under either of the two internati onal legally binding instruments on POPs, the 
Regulation would be amended, as appropriate,  by using a regulatory committee procedure. 
 The European Parliament has already introduced some amendments (see its 
legislative resolution under Point 8).  The main changes include addition of a general 
provision, in line with the Stockholm Conventio n, on control measures concerning new and 
existing chemicals exhibiting POP characteristics, tightening of the provisions on HCH/lindane, allowing limited use of DDT as a si te-limited, closed-system intermediate in 
the production of dicofol and modification of the provisions on treatment of waste 
containing POP substances. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human health and the envir onment from persistent organic pollutants 
8. Relevant documents:   Commission proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament 
and of the Council on persistent organic po llutants and amending Directives 79/117/EEC 
and 96/59/EC, COM(2003) 333 final  
 Available at:  http://europa.eu.in t/comm/environment/pops/index_en.htm
  
 European Parliament legislative resolution on th e proposal for a Regulation of the European 
Parliament and of the Council on persistent organic pollutants and amending Directives 
79/117/EEC and 96/59/EC, A5-0017/2004 
 Available at:   http://www3.europarl.eu.int/omk/omnsapir.so/pv2?PRG=DOCPV&APP=PV2&LANGUE=
EN&SDOCTA=7&TXTLST=1&POS=1&Ty pe_Doc=RESOL&TP V=PROV&DATE=260
204&PrgPrev=TYPEF@A5|PRG@QUERY|A PP@PV2|FILE@BIBLIO04|NUMERO@17|
YEAR@04|PLAGE@1&TYPEF=A5&NUMB=1&DATEF=040226  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  End of April 
Proposed date of entry into force:  On the 20th day after publication in the 
Official Journal of the European Union  
10. Final date for comments:   40 days from the notification date  G/TBT/N/EEC/60 
 Page 3 
 
 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
European Commission, 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point, Fax:  0032 2 299 57 25, 
E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int