REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS On the review and update of the second European Union Implementation Plan in accordance with Article 8 (4) of Regulation No 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants
Date: 2019-01-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, atmospheric pollutant, environmental protection, environmental standard, international agreement, organic chemical, organic pollution, pollution control, prevention of pollution

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.1.2019  COM(2018) 848 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS On the review and update of the second European Union Implementation Plan in accordance with Article 8 (4) of Regulation No 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants {SWD(2018) 495 final}  
 
 
INTRODUCTION 

1. 
The  Stockholm  Convention  on  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants  (POPs)1  was  adopted  in  May 
2001  in  the  framework  of  the  United  Nations  Environment  Programme  (UNEP).  The 
European Union and its Member States2 are parties to the Convention3 and the provisions of 
the Convention have been implemented in Union law by Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council4 (the POPs Regulation). 

The Stockholm Convention requires Parties pursuant to Article 7 to: 

(a)  Develop  and  endeavour  to  implement  a  plan  for  the  implementation  of  its  obligations 
under this Convention; 

(b) Transmit its implementation plan to the Conference of the Parties within two years of the 
date on which this Convention enters into force for it;  

(c) Review and update, as appropriate, its implementation plan on a periodic basis and in a 
manner to be specified by a decision of the Conference of the Parties. 

The  first  European  implementation  plan,  titled  the  ‘Community  Implementation  Plan’  was 
developed  in  2007  (SEC  (2007)  341)5.  The  implementation  plan  was  later  updated  with  a 
‘Union Implementation Plan’ in 2014 (COM (2014) 306 final). The review and update of the 
second  implementation  plan  has  become  necessary  to  further  address  1)  the  inclusion  of  a 
number  of  new  persistent  organic  pollutants  into  the  Stockholm  Convention,  and  2)  the 
technical and legislative progress made in the area. 

This  new  implementation  plan  has  been  subject  to  a  consultation  with  Member  States' 
competent authorities, industry, environmental organisations and the general public. 

The implementation plan will be submitted to the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention in 
accordance with the European Union's obligations as a Party. 

2. 

PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPS) 

POPs  are  chemical  substances  that  persist  in  the  environment,  bio-accumulate,  and  pose  a 
risk  of  causing  significant  adverse  effects  to  human  health  or  the  environment.  These 
pollutants  are  transported  across  international  boundaries  far  from  their  sources  and  even 
accumulate in regions where they have never been used or produced. POPs pose a threat to 
the  environment  and  to  human  health  all  over  the  globe,  with  the  Arctic,  Baltic  and  the 
Alpine regions  being examples of EU sinks of POPs.  International  action has been deemed 
necessary  to  reduce  and  eliminate  production,  use  and  releases  of  these  substances.  The 
substances addressed in the international legal instruments on POPs are listed in Table 1. 

1 
2 
3 

4 

5  

http://www.pops.int/documents/convtext/convtext_en.pdf. 
One EU Member State has not yet ratified (Italy).  
Council  Decision  of  14  October  2004  concerning  the  conclusion,  on  behalf  of  the  European 
Community, of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2006/507/EC) (OJ L 209, 
31.7.2006, p. 1.) 
Regulation  (EC)  No  850/2004  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  29  April  2004  on 
persistent organic pollutants and amending Directive 79/117/EEC (OJ L 158, 30.4.2004, p. 7). 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pops/pdf/sec_2007_341.pdf  

1 

 
 
                                                           
3. 

3.1. 

INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ADDRESSING POPS 
UNECE Protocol on POPs6 

The  Protocol  on  POPs  ("the  POPs  Protocol")  of  the  UNECE  Convention  on  Long-Range 
Trans-boundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) was adopted on 24 June 1998 in Aarhus, Denmark. 
The Protocol  focuses currently on a list of 16 substances comprising eleven pesticides, two 
industrial  chemicals  and  three  unintentional  by-products.  The  ultimate  objective  is  to 
eliminate any discharges, emissions and losses of these POP substances. 

The Protocol bans the production and use of the chemicals that are listed, either immediately 
or at a later stage and includes provisions for dealing with waste consisting of or containing 
those  chemicals.  It  obliges  Parties  to  reduce  their  emissions  of  dioxins,  furans,  polycyclic 
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and HCB and lays down specific emission limit values for the 
incineration of municipal, hazardous and medical waste. 

3.2. 

Stockholm Convention 

The Stockholm Convention on POPs was adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2004. It 
promotes  global  action  on  an  initial  cluster  of  twelve  POP  substances,  with  an  overall 
objective to protect human health and the environment from POPs and requires Parties to take 
measures to eliminate or reduce the release of POPs into the environment. Specific reference 
is made to a precautionary approach as set forth in Principle 15 of the 1992 Rio Declaration 
on  Environment  and  Development.  This  principle  is  implemented  by  Article  8  of  the 
Convention, which lays down the rules for including additional chemicals in the Stockholm 
Convention. 

There are 22 chemicals currently listed in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention which are 
subject  to  a  prohibition  on  production  and  use,  except  where  there  are  generic  or  specific 
exemptions.  In  addition,  the  production  and  use  of  DDT,  a  pesticide  still  used  in  many 
developing  countries,  is  severely  restricted,  as  set  out  in  Annex  B  of  the  Stockholm 
Convention. There are also exemptions and acceptable uses in place for PFOS, its salts and 
PFOSF. 

The  generic  exemptions  allow  laboratory-scale  research,  use  as  a  reference  standard  and 
unintentional  trace  contaminants  in  products  and  articles.  Articles  containing  POPs 
manufactured or already in use before the date of entry into force of the relevant obligation 
are also subject to an exemption provided that Parties submit information on the uses and a 
national  plan  for  waste  management  for  such  articles  to  the  Secretariat  of  the  Stockholm 
Convention.  

Releases of unintentionally produced by-products listed in Annex C (dioxins, furans, PCBs, 
PeCB, HCB and from December 2016 PCNs) are subject to continuous minimisation with the 
ultimate objective of total  elimination, where  feasible. According to Annex C, Parties shall 
promote  and,  in  accordance  with  their  action  plans,  require  the  use  of  best  available 
techniques for new sources within their major source categories identified in Part II and Part 
III of Annex C of the Stockholm Convention. 

The  Stockholm  Convention  also  foresees  identification  and  safe  management  of  stockpiles 
containing or consisting of POPs. Waste containing, consisting of or contaminated with POPs 
should  be  disposed  of  in  such  a  way  that  the  POP  content  is  destroyed  or  irreversibly 

6  

UNECE  (United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe)  Protocol  to  the  1979  Convention  on 
Long-Range 
Pollutants 
http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/pops_h1.htm 

Transboundary 

Persistent 

Pollution 

Organic 

Air 

on 

2 

 
 
                                                           
transformed so that it does not exhibit POPs characteristics. Where this does not represent the 
environmentally preferable option or where the POP content is low, waste shall be otherwise 
disposed  of  in  an  environmentally  sound  manner.  Disposal  operations  that  may  lead  to 
recovery  or  re-use  of  POPs  are  explicitly  forbidden.  With  regard  to  shipment  of  wastes, 
relevant international rules, standards and guidelines, such as the 1989 Basel Convention on 
the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, are to be 
taken into account. 

Table 1  Overview on POPs regulated at international level; the new POPs under the 
Stockholm Convention (since 2009) are highlighted in grey   

Substance 

CAS 

Listed in Stock-
holm Convention 

Listed in the UNECE 
Protocol on POPs 

Listed in the EU POP 
regulation 

Intentionally produced POPs 

Aldrin 
Chlordane 
Chlordecone  
Dieldrin  

Endosulfan 

Endrin 
Heptachlor 
Hexabromobiphenyl 
(HBB) 
Hexabromocyclododeca
ne (HBCDD) 

Hexabromodiphenyl 
ether and 
heptabromodiphenyl 
ether 

Hexachlorobenzene 
(HCB) 
Alpha hexachlorocyclo-
hexane* 
Beta hexachlorocyclo-
hexane* 
Lindane* 
Mirex 
Pentachlorobenzene 
Pentachlorophenol 
(PCP) 

Polychlorinated 
biphenyls (PCB) 

Tetrabromodiphenyl 
ether and 
pentabromodiphenyl 
ether 
Toxaphene 

DDT 

7  

yes 
yes 
yes 
yes 

no 

yes 
yes 

yes 

no 

309-00-2 
57-74-9 
143-50-0 
60-57-1 
959-98-8 
33213-65-9 
115-29-7 
1031-07-8 
72-20-8 
76-44-8 

Annex A 
Annex A 
Annex A 
Annex A 

Annex A 

Annex A 
Annex A 

36355-01-8 

Annex A 

Annex A 

25637-99-4 
3194-55-6 

68631-49-2 
207122-15-4 
446255-22-7 
207122-16-5 
and others 

Annex A 

yes 

yes 
yes 
yes 
yes 

yes 

yes 
yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

118-74-1 

Annex A 

yes 

319-84-6 

Annex A 

319-85-7 

58-89-9 
2385-85-5 
608-93-5 

87-86-5 

all PCBs and their 
mixtures have 
different CAS 
numbers 

5436-43-1 
60348-60-9 
and others 

8001-35-2 

50-29-3 

Annex A 

Annex A 
Annex A 
Annex A 

Annex A 

Annex A 

Annex A 

Annex A 

Annex B 

yes: 
Hexachlorocyclohexanes 
(HCH; CAS: 608-73-
1
), including lindane 
(CAS: 58-89-9) 

7

Yes (all isomers including 
gamma HCH found in 
lindane) 

yes 
yes 

no 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 
yes 

no 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes  

This CAS No. covers the isomer mixture of alpha, beta, gamma, delta and epsilon HCH.  

3 

 
 
 
                                                           
Substance 

CAS 

Listed in Stock-
holm Convention 

Listed in the UNECE 
Protocol on POPs 

Listed in the EU POP 
regulation 

Perfluorooctane sulfonic 
acid, its salts and 
perfluorooctane sulfonyl 
fluoride (PFOS) 
SCCPs – short chain 
chlorinated paraffins 
HCBD – 
hexachlorobutadiene 

PCN –polychlorinated 
naphthalenes 

1763-23-1 s,  
307-35-7, 
and others 

Annex B 

yes 

85535-84-8 

under review 

87-68-3 

Annex A 

all PCNs & their 
mixtures have 
different 
CAS numbers 

Annex A 

yes 

yes  

yes 

Unintentionally produced POPs 

Polychlorinated dibenzo-
p-dioxins (PCDD) 
Polychlorinated 
dibenzofurans (PCDF) 
Hexachlorobenzene 
(HCB) 
Pentachlorobenzene 

Polychlorinated 
Biphenyls (PCBs) 

PCN – polychlorinated 
napthalenes 

Polycyclic aromatic 
hydrocarbons (PAHs) 

1746-01-6 

Annex C 

1746-01-6 

Annex C 

118-74-1 

608-93-5 
all PCBs & their 
mixtures have 
different CAS 
numbers 
all PCNs & their 
mixtures have 
different 
CAS numbers 
207-08-9 and 
others  

Annex C 

Annex C 

Annex C 

Annex C 

no 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 
yes 

no 

yes 

*  Lindane,  Alpha-  and  Beta  hexachlorocyclohexane,  as  well  as  Chlordecone  and  Hexabromobiphenyl  are  new  POPs 
under the Stockholm Convention but have already been covered under the POP Protocol and the EU POP Regulation. 

4. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNION IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ON POPS 

The Stockholm Convention lays down an obligation to all Parties, to develop and endeavour 
to  implement  a  plan  for  the  implementation  of  its  obligations  under  the  Stockholm 
Convention. For the Union, this obligation is expressed  in Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 
850/2004  on  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants.  The  Union  has  in  2007  therefore  developed  an 
implementation plan on POPs, which also covers the substances that fall under the UNECE 
Protocol on POPs8. 

The overall purpose of the implementation plan is not only to fulfill legal obligations, but also 
to  take  stock  of  actions  taken  and  lay  down  a  strategy  and  action  plan  for  further  Union 
measures  related  to  POPs  included  in  the  Stockholm  Convention  and/or  in  the  UNECE 
Protocol on POPs. 

The UIP therefore aims to: 

review the existing Union level measures related to POPs; 

 
  assess their efficiency and sufficiency in meeting the obligations of the Stockholm 

Convention; 
identify needs for further Union level measures; 

 

8  

SEC (2007) 341 

4 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
  establish a plan for implementing the further measures; 
 

identify and strengthen links and potential synergies between POPs management 
and other environmental policies and other policy fields; and 
increase awareness on POPs and their control measures. 

 

5. 

SUMMARY OF THE ACCOMPANYING STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

The Commission Staff Working Document lays down the third Union Implementation Plan 
as  required  by  the  Stockholm  Convention.  The  review  and  update  of  the  second 
Implementation  Plan  addresses  the  inclusion  of  new  persistent  organic  pollutants  into  the 
Stockholm Convention and the technical and legislative progress made in the area. 

The introduction provides an overview of the international legislative framework in which the 
POPs  Regulation  operates,  including  a  summary  of  the  UNECE  Protocol  on  POPs  and  the 
Stockholm Convention. 

Chapter  2  presents  a  status  quo  of  the  EU's  execution  of  its  obligations  as  a  Party  to  the 
above-mentioned  international  frameworks.  It  describes  the  relevant  EU  legislation  put  in 
place as well as the financial instruments that support implementation.  

The  EU  has  adopted  and  implements  a  number  of  legislative  measures  that  are  related  to 
POPs addressing both the aims of the Stockholm Convention and also the UNECE Protocol 
on POPs.  The main legal  instrument  is  Regulation  (EC) No 850/2004  on persistent  organic 
pollutants,  which  entered  into  force  on  20  May  2004.  The  POPs  Regulation  has  been 
amended several times to list new substances and to establish concentration limits in waste.  

Other  chemicals  legislation  complements  the  POPs  Regulation  in  implementing  the 
obligations of the Stockholm Convention and the POPs Protocol, ensuring that the export ban 
on POPs is implemented, that allowed imports and exports are in conformity with the rules of 
the Stockholm Convention, that POPs are collected and irreversibly destroyed and preventing 
that the chemicals exhibiting POP characteristics are produced or marketed. 

Monitoring of the occurrence of POPs in food and feed and in the environment is done on the 
basis  of  various  legal  acts  and  in  the  context  of  a  number  of  programmes.  The  European 
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) enhances public access to environmental 
information.  It  covers  91  pollutants  and  65  economic  activities  and  implements  threshold 
levels for a number of pollutants, including POPs.  

The  Information  Platform  for  Chemical  Monitoring  data  (IPCheM)  aims  at  facilitating  the 
access to monitoring data, including on POPs.  It draws together monitoring data-sets in the 
form  of  ‘modules’,  which  are  available  publicly.  IPCheM  provides  a  valuable  resource  to 
researchers and allow cross-reference of different data-sets quickly and easily. 

A  number  of  financial  instruments  exist  in  the  Union  that  provide  funding  to  support 
implementation  of  the  Stockholm  Convention  in  the  Union  and  at  international  level  and 
research  on  matters  that  are  relevant  for  POPs.  The  Union  also  provides  funding  to 
international instruments, including the support of the Secretariat of the Convention. 

Chapter  3  provides  an  overall  assessment  of  POPs  in  the  European  Union,  regarding  their 
production, their use, their placing on the market as well as with regard to existing stockpiles 
and  the  contamination  of  the  waste  stream.  This  chapter  is  mainly  based  on  reports  and 
implementation plans prepared by the Member States. 

5 

 
 
Chapter  4  provides  an  in-depth  analysis  of  each  individual  obligation  of  the  Stockholm 
Convention  affecting  the  EU's  treatment  of  POPs.  Subsequent  to  this  analysis,  the 
Commission  identifies  25  technical  measures  to  improve  implementation  of  the  EU's 
obligations under Stockholm Convention. 

Chapters  3  and  4  demonstrate  that  the  use  of  the  substances  listed  in  the  Stockholm 
Convention or the POPs Protocol and regulated by the POPs Regulation at EU level before 
2008  (the  old  POPs)  has  been  progressively  phased-out  in  the  EU.  Remaining  uses  of  old 
POPs are only in articles that were produced and placed on the market before the entry into 
force of the POPs Regulation and as standards for research purposes. Both remaining uses are 
covered  by  general  exemptions  granted  in  the  Stockholm  Convention  and  the  POPs 
Regulation.  

The new POP substances listed in the Stockholm Convention or the POPs Protocol between 
2009  and  2015  were  subsequently  added  to  the  POPs  Regulation.  Those  substances  were 
already subject to prohibition or severe restrictions in the EU prior to their listing and with 
the new amendments of the POPs Regulation, certain restrictions go further than previously 
in order to comply with the new international commitments. 

Waste  containing  POPs  (e.g.  obsolete  pesticides  or  contaminated  equipment)  has  been 
imported into some EU Member States for the purpose of its disposal and elimination. These 
imports  originate  from  EU  and  non-EU  countries  that  lack  adequate  technology  for  proper 
disposal  of  such  waste.  These  imports  have  been  undertaken  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions of the Stockholm Convention and they contribute to the overall reduction of POPs 
in the EU and globally.  

There was almost no export of POPs outside the EU. Only a few kilograms of lindane have 
been  exported  from  one  Member  State  under  the  exemption  for  standards  for  research 
purposes. 

In a few Member States there were still stockpiles of obsolete pesticides which contain POP 
substances  and  for  which  production,  use  and  placing  on  the  market  are  now  strictly 
forbidden  under  the  POPs  Regulation.  These  stockpiles  amount  to  less  than  50.000  tonnes, 
estimated to contain between 2.000 and 9.000 tonnes of POPs. 

The  obligation  under  the  Stockholm  Convention  to  eliminate  the  use  of  polychlorinated 
biphenyls (PCBs) in equipment by 2025 is partly reflected in Council Directive 96/59/EC on 
the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT), which 
requires  Member  States  to  develop  registers  of  equipment  containing  more  than  5  dm3  of 
PCBs and to ensure that the equipment containing PCBs in the registers was decontaminated 
or  disposed  of  by  31.12.2010  at  the  latest.  In  compliance  with  the  Directive  96/59/EC, 
inventories  of  PCB-containing  equipment,  as  well  as  action  plans  for  their  disposal  and 
collection were compiled by all Member States.  

A survey and an evaluation undertaken in 2011 and 2014, respectively, identified that good 
progress had been made towards the identification of PCB-containing equipment and disposal 
of  PCB  wastes  in  the  EU,  with  some  Member  States  close  to  meeting  the  2010  target. 
However,  most  Member  States  had  not  met  the  target  of  decontamination  or  disposal  of 
liquids and equipment contaminated with PCB by 31.12.2010, and work to identify, remove 
and dispose of PCB-contaminated liquids was still ongoing after 2010. 

The polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) tetraBDE, pentaBDE, hexaBDE and heptaBDE 
were produced and used as flame retardants until the late 1990ies in the Union and continued 
to  be  used  for  some  time  in  certain  articles  thereafter,  in  particular  in  plastics  used  in 
electrical and electronic equipment. Although their production and use has been phased out 

6 

 
 
due  to  regulatory  measures  and  their  replacement  by  decaBDE,  their  presence  in  waste  of 
electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is still a challenge in the EU.  

There  are  indications  that  only  few  full  scale  e-waste  recycling  facilities  separate  plastics 
containing PBDEs as required by EU legislation. Therefore, there are some doubts whether 
the  capacity  of  EU  recycling  plants  for  separation  of  PBDEs  containing  plastic  from  other 
plastic  are  currently  sufficiently  developed  to  separate  a  major  part  of  PBDE  containing 
plastic  waste  stream.  Data  suggest  that  the  flow  of  plastics  recovered  from  WEEE  and 
containing PBDE is not currently being properly controlled in European recycling operations. 

The production, placing on the market and use of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and 
perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOS) is regulated under the POPs Regulation. Most uses 
are  prohibited  but  some  exemptions  are  granted  by  the  POPs  Regulation,  which  are 
significantly  less  numerous  than  in  the Stockholm  Convention,  as  alternatives  are  available 
for many of those uses. The exemptions are regularly reviewed and their use decreases over 
time. 

Hexabromocyclododecane is a brominated flame retardant which has been extensively used 
across  the  EU  within  expandable  polystryrene  (EPS)  and  extruded  polystyrene  (XPS) 
insulation boarding used within roof and cavity wall insulation. The listing of this chemical in 
the POPs Regulation in 2016 provides for a ban of all uses, with a time limited exemption for 
the use in expanded polystyrene articles. 

Unintentional emissions of pentachlorobenzene to the environment (mainly air and to a lesser 
degree  soil),  mainly  resulting  from  power  production  from  coal  (ca.  83%)  and  domestic 
burning of solid fuels, wood and mixed wastes (8%), were found to decrease. Within the E-
PRTR  data-set  only  a  limited  number  of  sites  across  the  Union  report  the  emission  of 
pentachlorobenzene  to  air  for  the  period  2007  –  2012  and  no  emissions  were  reported  for 
2013. 

Chapters  5  and  6  provide  additional  information  on  implementation  of  other  obligations 
than those directly linked with chemicals that are listed. They demonstrate that the exchange 
of information on technical matters amongst Member States and with third countries is still a 
challenge and should be improved in order to better support the objective of the Convention. 
Also the information made available to the general public by Member State authorities or by 
the Commission in order to raise awareness of POPs should be improved. 

The  European  Union  and  the  Member  States  provide  considerable  technical  and  financial 
assistance  to  support  implementation  of  the  Convention  by  developing  countries  through 
various instruments.  

6. 

OVERALL CONCLUSIONS 

In the European Union, legal measures regarding production, placing on the market and use 
of POPs, and those addressing the management of waste that consists of or contains POPs are 
sufficiently comprehensive to meet the obligations of the Convention and the POPs Protocol. 

Significant progress towards the elimination of POPs has been achieved. Production and use 
of all POP substances is prohibited with some minor exemptions. A main challenge for the 
EU is to eliminate POPs from the waste cycle and remaining stockpiles as these still present a 
major emission source. 

In  the  light  of  the  obligations  stemming  from  the  Stockholm  Convention  and  taking  into 
account the situation in the European Union, the implementation plan outlines 30 actions that 
are  needed  to  meet  the  obligations.  8  actions  are  new  and  address  in  particular  the  newly 

7 

 
 
listed  chemicals.  9  actions  are  continuous  actions  and  13  actions  were  already  listed  in  the 
previous implementation plan and are still ongoing since they have not yet been completed. 

The release of POPs due to unintentional production remains one of the most important issues 
to  be  tackled  in  the  EU.  Several  actions  are  thus  dedicated  to  the  development  of 
corresponding  measures  with  the  goal  to  reach  a  further  reduction  of  POP  emissions. 
Prevention of the formation of unintentional POPs through the development of processes and 
technologies that avoid their formation should mainly be addressed in the area of industrial 
production but also cover domestic sources such as diffuse incineration sources. There is still 
need for additional research and technological development. 

Inventories of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) containing equipment, as well as action plans 
for  their  collection  and  disposal  were  compiled  by  all  Member  States.  Information  about 
current  amounts  of  PCB  equipment  and  PCB  wastes  in  the  EU  showed  that  there  are  still 
significant quantities of PCB equipment in use. The quantities of PCB that were used in open 
applications  is  unknown,  as  is  the  quantities  of  products  containing  PCBs  still  in  use  or 
capable  of  emitting  to  the  natural  environment.  Further  efforts  are  required  to  meet  the 
objective under the Stockholm Convention of a phase-out of the use of PCB by 2025. 

There  is  limited  on-going  production  of  perfluorooctane  sulfonic  acid,  its  salts  and 
perfluorooctane  sulfonyl  fluoride  (PFOS)  in  the  EU.  The  use  of  PFOS  in  the  metal  plating 
industry  is  the  main  remaining  source  for  PFOS  releases  from  an  intended  purpose. 
Alternatives  and  substitutes  have  already  been  investigated  for  this  use,  which  need  to  be 
implemented to completely phase-out the use of PFOS.  

The identification and management of sites contaminated by hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) 
waste  represents  a  challenge  within  the  Union.  An  updated  assessment  revealed  that 
deposited HCH wastes within the EU might amount up to 1.8 to 3 million tonnes. Seventeen 
Member  States  have  identified  contaminated  land  as  an  issue  within  existing  national 
implementation  plans,  with  further  action  needed  to  help  address  this  issue.  A  coordinated 
strategy  for  the  identification  of  contaminated  sites  and  for  their  environmentally  sound 
remediation may be necessary. 

Reporting from Member States to the Commission is a prerequisite for the EU to be able to 
identify  further  measures  for  the  implementation  of  the  Stockholm  Convention  in  order  to 
meet  the  objectives  and  also  for  submitting  adequate  reports  to  the  Convention.  However, 
several Member States have not met their reporting obligations and need to improve. 

As  regards  the  monitoring,  despite  the  fact  that  Member  States'  authorities,  research 
organisations and EU bodies are making significant efforts to monitor numerous chemicals in 
various matrices (water, air, biota, soil, human milk, etc.) as a consequence of EU legislation, 
national and international initiatives and scientific curiosity, there is a knowledge gap on the 
chemical  burden.  This  occurs  because  the  chemical  data  generated  by  the  monitoring 
activities are not being collected, managed and assessed in a coherent and accessible manner. 
To  address  this  gap,  an  information  platform  for  chemical  monitoring  data  has  been 
established  at  the  European  scale  and  a  coordinated  and  integrated  approach  to  collecting, 
storing, accessing and assessing of data will be ensured in future. 

The  European  Union  should  develop  mechanisms  for  better  coordination  between  the 
bilateral aid programmes of the Commission and those of the Member States with regards to 
POPs  in  order  to  ensure  that  the  available  resources  are  used  more  efficiently.  To  increase 
awareness  and  demonstrate  the  support  provided  by  EU  financial  instruments  that  are 
relevant for POP-related action, specific information could be provided on the POP specific 
Commission website. 

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