U N I T E D N A T I O N S E N V I R O N M E N T P R O G R A M M E


### Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

العضوية الملوثات بشأن استكهولم اتفاقية الثابتة

▪ 关于持久性有机污染物的斯德哥尔摩公约

▪ Convention de Stockholm sur les polluants organiques persistants Convenio de Estocolmo sobre Contaminantes Orgánicos Persistentes ▪ Стокгольмск a я конвенция о стойких органических загрязнителях

Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention International Environment House 1 11-13, chemin des Anémones CH-1219 Châtelaine – Geneva Switzerland Telephone: +41 22 917 87 29 Facsimile: +41 22 917 80 98 E-mail: ssc@pops.int www.pops.int

Secretariat of the Stockholm Convent ion on Persistent Organic Pollutants 

### 25 October 2010

Subject: Invitation to submit information specified in Annex F of the Stockholm Convention on hexabromocyclododecane to the POPs Review Committee

The sixth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention took place on 11-15 October 2010 , in Geneva. The report of the meeting will be available at the Committee’s website: http://www.pops.int/poprc/

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The Committee had before it a risk profile prepar ed in accordance with A nnex E to the Convention for hexabromocyclododecane. Hexabromocyclododecane wa s previously proposed by Norway for addition to Annexes A, B and/or C of the Convention, and th e Committee had decided at its fifth meeting that the screening criteria in Annex D to the Convention had been fulfilled.

In accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 8 of the Convention, the Committee examined the risk profile and decided that hexabromocyclododecane is likely, as a result of its long-range environmental transport, to lead to significant adverse human health and/or environmental effects such that global action is warranted.

The next step in the process is to pr epare a risk management evaluation for hexabromocyclododecane. An outline of the risk ma nagement evaluation has been developed by the Committee (available at http://www.pops.int/poprc). The Convention provides that the risk management evaluation will include an analysis of the possibl e control measures, as well as the socio-economic considerations, and will take into acco unt information to be submitted by the Parties and observers relating to the considerations specified in Annex F.

The Committee shall recomme nd whether the chemical should be considered by the Conference of the Parties for listing in Annex A (elimination), A nnex B (restriction), and/or Annex C (unintentional production) of the Convention, based on the risk profil e and the risk management evaluation. The possible control measures may include prohibition or severe rest riction of production and use. In its deliberation on the control measures, the Committee will also consid er the possible needs for exemptions for use and production. Therefore, your submission of accurate and high quality information is very important for the Committee’s evaluation.

What information is required?

You are invited to submit information specified in Annex F according to the guidance provided in this letter.

The POPs Review Committee needs information that is supplementary to the information provided during previous stages in the review process (i.e., info rmation relevant to Annex D and E). The proposals, evaluations and risk profiles are ava ilable at the Convention’s web site.

To: Stockholm Convention official contact points Stockholm Convention national focal points Cc: Representatives of permanent missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva

./..Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants page 2



### How to submit information?

A form with a general guidance and explanatory no tes developed by the Committee is contained in the annex to this letter to facilitate the submission of information. The form is also available on the Convention’s website in the six official languages of the United Nations. You may also provide a free text submission.

Where feasible, please complete the form and give precise references for the data sources. Without the exact source of the information, the Committee might not be able to use it. If the information is not readily available in the public literature, you may consider attaching the original source of the information to the submission.

Concerning the submission of confidential informati on, please note that the code of practice for the treatment of confidential information in the Persis tent Organic Pollutants Review Committee adopted in decision SC-3/9 by the Conference of the Parties is available on the Convention’s website.

We would be grateful to receive your submission in English no later than 8 January 2011. Information in other United Nations official langua ges (Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish and Russian) should be submitted by 17 December 2010.

The information should be submitte d to the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, preferably by e-mail:

Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention Att: POPs Review Committee United Nations Environment Programme 11-13 chemin des Anémones CH-1219, Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland Fax: (+41 22) 917 8098 E-mail: ssc@pops.int ; kohno@pops.int

If you have any questions regarding this request or you would like to receive hard copies of the documents from the Committee, please do not hes itate to contact Ms. Ke i Ohno (e-mail: kohno@pops.int ; telephone +41 22 917 8201).

Yours sincerely,

Donald Cooper Executive Secretary Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic PollutantsSecretariat of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants page 3



## Annex

General guidance on submission of information specified in Annex F

A. Procedure

1. In accordance with paragraph 7 (a) of Article 8 of the Convention, if the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee decides on the basis of a ch emical’s risk profile that the chemical is likely as a result of its long-range environm ental transport to lead to significant adverse human health and/or environmental effects such that global action is warr anted, consideration of the proposal for listing the chemical in Annexes A, B and/or C proceeds to the next step.
2. The Committee at that point invites Parties and observers to submit information relating to the social and economic considerations specified in Annex F of the Convention. Based on the submitted information, the Committee prepares a draft risk management evaluation that includes an analysis of possible control measures for the chemical.



### B. How to submit information

3. Annex F information may be submitted to the Secretariat using a form provided by the Committee. The form may be obtained from the C onvention focal points an d from the Convention website. It is preferable that Annex F informati on be submitted in electronic format in English; information may be submitted, however, in the other official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) and in hard copy. Please note that if you are completing the form electronically, the size of the boxes will adjust to the amount of text inserted and, thus, a complete form may be longer than the current number of pages. If you are completing a paper hard copy of the form, please include additional pages as required. The deadline for submitting information is indicated in the letter from the Secretariat inviting Partie s and observers to provide information. 

### C. Reminders to those submitting information

4. Parties and observers providing annex F information should provide it in a concise manner with clear and precise references. If information on a specific item is not available, please so indicate. The information does not have to be national in nature; information from international sources maybe cited.
5. If possible and relevant provide additional information to support the Committee’s scientific considerations in preparing the risk management evaluation such as study methods, tissue concentrations for comparative purposes and citations including original copies of papers that are not readily available in the public domain. Information wh ich is not peer-reviewed may still be useful for the Committee.
6. The explanatory notes under each item have been developed by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to guide and assist submissions; they have no legal status.



### D. Possible control measures under the Stockholm Convention

7. The possible control measures under the Stockholm Convention for a given chemical are as follows:

(a) Listing of the chemical in Annex A : This would mean elimination of the production, use, export and import of the chemical. The Confer ence of the Parties might decide to provide for specific exemptions or to restrict the general exemptions laid down in paragraph 5 of Article 3 and notes (i)–(iii) of Annex I. It might also add provisions that would apply specifically to the chemical (as is currently done for PCBs in Part II of Annex A). These additional provisions can cover a wide range of control measures such as restriction of certain uses, labelling requirements, waste management requirements or provision of information to users along with a requirement to report on progress toward elimination at certain intervals;
(b) Listing of the chemical in Annex B : This would mean restriction of the production, use, export and import of the chemical. If it decides to list the chemical in Annex B the Conference of the Parties will also specify acceptable purposes for th e chemical in Annex B. It might also decide to provide for specific exemptions or to restrict the general exemptions laid down in paragraph 5 of Article 3 and notes (i)–(iii) of Annex II. It might also add provisions that would apply specifically to the chemical (as is currently done for DDT in Part II of Annex B). These additional provisions can include the establishment of a register, a requirement to notify the Secretariat or other intergovernmental organizations regarding intent to use the substance, and a requirement for reporting on quantities usedSecretariat of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants page 4

and conditions of use. Such provisions may also require the development and implementation of an action plan that includes the implementation of suitable alternatives and covers a wide range of control measures such as labelling or the pr ovision of information to users;
(c) Listing of the chemical in Annex C : This Annex is applicable only to unintentionally produced chemicals. Listing in Annex C would mean that the chemical would become subject to measures to prevent, reduce or elimin ate the unintentional formation and release of the chemical. The Conference of the Pa rties might also include any furt her amendments of Annex C that would be necessary to address the chemical (e.g ., additional source categor ies, additional process control methods or additional pollution prevention options);
(d) Listing of the chemical in Annexes A, B and/or C also make the chemical subject to the control provisions of Article 6 on stockpiles and waste . These provisions include obligations to develop strategies for identifying products and articles in use that contain the chemical; to identify, to the extent practicable, stockpiles and waste; to manage such stockpiles safely; and to ensure that wastes are disposed of in such a way that the persistent organic pollutant content is destroyed or irreversibly transformed.

8. It should be noted that the same chem ical can be listed in Annexes A, B and C.



### E. Guidance for information collection

9. A guidance document entitled “Handbook for effec tive participation in the work of the POPs Review Committee” contains the methodology for th e identification and compilation of information required by the Committee. The handbook is available on the Convention’s website and hard copies may be obtained upon request to the Secretariat.
10. It is suggested that each Party establish an ad hoc working group, perhaps building on the committee established to develop its national implementation plan, to assist the national focal point to collect and submit relevant information effectively.
11. Most of the information on use patterns, alternatives, production volumes, regulations andother measures taken to reduce releases could be provided by the Governments and by nongovernmental organizations, including manufacturers and users from the industrial sector. Some information can be found in official Government documents or provided by non-governmental organizations such as industrial sectors while other information may be found in the so-called grey literature. Grey literature refers to literature that is not available through publishers or conventional bibliographic sources such as databases or indexe s. Examples of grey literature include technical reports, fact sheets, patents, government documents, technical documents and unpublished works.
12. To collect relevant information from various sectors a national survey could be carried out using questionnaires. A literature review on possible control measures may also be useful.
13. Other potential sources of information are listed below:
(a) International literature;
(b) Databases;
(c) Government sources, legislation;
(d) National expertise (e.g., universities, ins titutes/research centres, non-governmental organizations, trade unions);
(e) Industries (e.g., producers, importers, suppliers, users).

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