COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT European Union Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF REGIONS On the review and update of the second European Community Implementation Plan in accordance with Article 8(4) of Regulation No 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants
Date: 2019-01-21
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, 21.1.2019  SWD(2018) 495 final/2  CORRIGENDUM This document corrects document SWD(2018)495 final of 4.1.2019 Insertion of the title of the Commission Staff Working Document The text shall read as follows:  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT European Union Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF REGIONS On the review and update of the second European Community Implementation Plan in accordance with Article 8(4) of Regulation No 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants  {COM(2018) 848 final}  
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENT 

1. 

1.1. 

1.2. 

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 6 

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) ........................................................................... 6 

International agreements addressing POPs ................................................................... 6 

1.2.1.  UNECE Protocol on POPs ............................................................................................ 6 

1.2.2.  Stockholm Convention ................................................................................................. 7 

1.2.3.  Coordination and cooperation among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm 

Conventions ................................................................................................................ 10 

1.3. 

2. 

Purpose of the Union Implementation Plan on POPs ................................................. 11 

Key Union Legislation and Policies related to the Union’s Obligations under the 
Stockholm Convention and UNECE Protocol on POPs ............................................. 13 

2.1. 

Legislative instruments ............................................................................................... 15 

2.1.1.  The POP Regulation ................................................................................................... 15 

2.1.2.  EU chemicals legislation ............................................................................................ 16 

2.1.2.1.  REACH ....................................................................................................................... 17 

2.1.2.3.  Regulation on Plant Protection Products .................................................................... 18 

2.1.2.4.  Biocidal Products Regulation ..................................................................................... 18 

2.1.2.5.  Regulation on the export and import of hazardous chemicals .................................... 19 

2.1.2.6.  PCB Directive (Directive 96/59/EC) .......................................................................... 19 

2.1.3.  Other environmental legislation with POP relevance ................................................. 20 

2.1.4.  Legislation on food and feed and on the protection of public health ......................... 24 

2.1.5. 

Information exchange between Commission and Member States on POPs in food 
and consumer products ............................................................................................... 25 

2.1.6.  Food monitoring within the European Union ............................................................. 25 

2.1.7.  Emission monitoring legislation ................................................................................. 26 

2.1.9.  Public access to environmental information ............................................................... 26 

2.2. 

Strategies, policies and programmes .......................................................................... 26 

2.2.1.  Sustainable development ............................................................................................ 26 

2.2.1.1.  Substitution of substances for intentional use ............................................................ 27 

2.2.2.  Environment Action Programme ................................................................................ 28 

2.2.3.  Strategies for control of pesticides and chemical substances ..................................... 29 

2.2.4.  Environment and Health Action Plan ......................................................................... 29 

2.2.5.  Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) ...................................................... 30 

2.2.6.  Monitoring efforts of the EU ...................................................................................... 30 

1 

 
 
2.3. 

Financial instruments .................................................................................................. 31 

2.3.1.  Funding instruments for the EU ................................................................................. 31 

2.3.2.  Funding for neighbouring and partner countries ........................................................ 32 

2.3.3.  Multilateral programmes funded by the EU ............................................................... 33 

2.4. 

Research and Development and the Framework Programmes ................................... 34 

2.4.1.  European Research Institutions including the JRC .................................................... 36 

2.4.2.  Supporting co-operation, co-ordination and networking ............................................ 37 

2.4.3.  Future research and innovation ................................................................................... 38 

2.5. 

Information Exchange, Public information, awareness and education ....................... 39 

2.5.1.  Stockholm Convention Regional Centres ................................................................... 40 

3. 

3.1. 

Overall Assessment of the POPs issue in the EU ....................................................... 41 

POPs regulated before 2009 (“old POPs”) ................................................................. 41 

3.1.1.  Production ................................................................................................................... 41 

3.1.2.  Use and placing on the market .................................................................................... 42 

3.1.3. 

Import and export ....................................................................................................... 42 

3.1.4.  Stockpiles and waste ................................................................................................... 42 

3.2. 

POPs regulated from 2009 (“new POPs”) .................................................................. 44 

3.2.1.  Endosulfan .................................................................................................................. 48 

3.2.2.  Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether ......................................... 48 

3.2.3.  Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether ......................................... 50 

3.2.4.  Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride52 

3.2.5.  Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) ....................................................................................... 53 

3.2.6.  SCCPs – short chain chlorinated paraffins ................................................................. 55 

3.2.7.  HCBD – hexachlorobutadiene .................................................................................... 56 

3.2.8.  PCN – polychlorinated naphthalenes .......................................................................... 56 

3.2.9.  Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) ........................................................................ 57 

3.3. 

Unintentionally produced POPs ................................................................................. 58 

3.3.1.  Estimation and monitoring of emissions .................................................................... 58 

3.3.2.  Addressing industrial sources ..................................................................................... 61 

3.3.3.  Addressing domestic sources ...................................................................................... 63 

3.4. 

Information on the state of knowledge on stockpiles and contaminated sites ............ 63 

3.4.1.  PCB contaminated sites and deposits ......................................................................... 64 

3.4.2.  HCH contaminated sites and waste deposits .............................................................. 66 

3.4.3.  Other POPs Pesticides ................................................................................................ 67 

2 

 
 
3.4.4.  Contaminated sites from unintentionally formed POPs (PCDD, PCDF, PCB, HCB, 

PeCB, PAHs) .............................................................................................................. 67 

3.4.5.  PBDE contaminated sites ........................................................................................... 67 

3.4.6.  PFOS contaminated sites ............................................................................................ 68 

3.4.7.  Hexachlorobutadiene contaminated sites ................................................................... 70 

3.5. 

4. 

4.1. 

Emerging risks from POPs ......................................................................................... 70 

Implementation of the basic obligations of the Stockholm Convention ..................... 72 

Elimination of intentional production and use of POPs (Article 3(1)) ....................... 72 

4.1.1.  POP pesticides, HBB, HBCDD, HCB and PeCB ....................................................... 72 

4.1.2.  PCBs ........................................................................................................................... 73 

4.1.3.  Hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether, tetrabromodiphenyl ether and 
pentabromodiphenyl ether .......................................................................................... 74 

4.1.4.  DDT ............................................................................................................................ 79 

4.1.5.  Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOS)79 

4.2. 

4.3. 

4.4. 

4.5. 

4.6. 

Elimination of import and export of POPs (Article 3(2)) ........................................... 82 

Prevention of the production and use of new chemicals exhibiting characteristics of 
POPs (Article 3(3)) ..................................................................................................... 83 

Assessing and controlling chemicals in use (Article 3(4)) ......................................... 84 

General exemptions .................................................................................................... 85 

Reduction of total releases from unintentional production (Article 5) ....................... 85 

4.6.1.  Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) ....................................................................................... 88 

4.7. 

Identification and environmentally sound management of stockpiles and wastes ..... 89 

4.7.1.  Disposal and destruction of PBDE containing materials ............................................ 91 

4.7.2.  Disposal and destruction of PFOS and PFOS precursor containing materials ........... 93 

4.7.3.  Disposal and destruction of POPs Pesticides .............................................................. 94 

4.7.4.  Destruction of PCB and PCB containing materials .................................................... 94 

4.8. 

5. 

5.1. 

5.2. 

5.3. 

6. 

6.1. 

6.2. 

Identification of contaminated sites (Annex A, B and C Chemicals) and if addressed 
then remediation in an environmentally sound manner .............................................. 95 

Implementation of the obligations on supporting activities ....................................... 96 

Information exchange ................................................................................................. 96 

Public information, awareness and education ............................................................ 97 

Research, development and monitoring...................................................................... 98 

Implementation of other commitments ..................................................................... 100 

Technical assistance .................................................................................................. 100 

Financial Assistance ................................................................................................. 101 

3 

 
 
6.3. 

6.4. 

6.5. 

7. 

Reporting .................................................................................................................. 102 

Effectiveness evaluation ........................................................................................... 103 

Addition of Future Chemicals to the Stockholm Convention .................................. 104 

EU research projects since 2007 with references to POP issues .............................. 106 

Table 1 

Table 2 

Table 3 

Table 4 

Table 5 

Table 6 

Table 7 

Table 8 

List of tables 

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

EU chemicals legislation relevant for POPs 

Further environmental legislative instruments with relevance on 
the use and disposal of POPs (including unintentional POPs). 

Food & Feed related legislation with relevance to POPs 

Overview on the new POPs (ESWI 2011) 

Emissions of unintentionally produced POPs according to E-PRTR 
(PCDD + PCDF as TEQ) 

Research Projects with references to POPs funded under FP7 (by 
June 2011) 

Research Projects with references to POPs funded under the FP6 
and by other programmes, focusing on projects with starting date 
from 2007 on. 

Table 9 

Research Projects with references to POPs funded by LIFE+ 

9 

16 

22 

24 

45 

59 

105 

118 

122 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PREFACE 

This document presents the European Union implementation plan required by the Stockholm 
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), of which the European Union is a Party. 
This document also details the work undertaken by the European Union towards the Protocol 
to  the  UNECE  Convention  on  Long-  Range  Transboundary  Air  Pollution  (CLRTAP)  on 
POPs1  and  Regulation  (EC)  No  850/2004  on  POPs.  The  implementation  plans  sets  out  the 
Union's regulatory framework for POPs and PBT substances, and what have been identified 
as  the  key  challenges  facing  the  European  Union  within  Part  I  (Party  Baseline).  Part  II 
subsequently sets out the Union’s response to these key challenges and what actions need to 
be  undertaken  to  help  achieve  the  overall  aims  of  protecting  human  health  and  the 
environment  from  exposure  to  POPs.  This  version  of  the  implementation  plan  presents  the 
Union’s third implementation plan since the entry into force of the Stockholm Convention in 
2004. 

The  first  plan,  titled  the  ‘Community  Implementation  Plan’  was  developed  in  2007 
(SEC(2007) 341). The implementation plan was updated with a ‘Union Implementation Plan’ 
published  in  2014  (SWD(2014)  172  final)2.  The  review  and  update  of  the  second 
implementation plan has become necessary to further address: 1) the inclusion of a number of 
new POPs into the Stockholm Convention; and 2) the technical and legislative progress made 
in the area. 

The  updated  implementation  plan  will  be  submitted  to  the  Secretariat  of  the  Stockholm 
Convention and published on the website of the European Commission. 

This  document can also be read alongside the triennial synthesis  reports  (2004-2006, 2007-
2009  and  2010-2012)  that  were  developed  on  the  basis  of  information  submitted  by  the 
Member  States  of  the  European  Union  pursuant  to  Article  12  of  Regulation  (EC)  No 
850/2004)  regarding  progress  towards  the  objectives  of  the  Regulation,  Convention  and 
Protocol. 

1  

2  

Protocol  to  the  1979  UNECE  (United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe)  Convention  on 
Long- Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/international_conventions/index_en.htm 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

1.1. 

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) 

Persistent  Organic  Pollutants  (POPs)  are  chemicals  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. 

At  European  Union  level,  significant  progress  towards  the  elimination  of  POPs  has  been 
achieved. Production and use of all POP chemicals is prohibited with some minor time limited 
exemptions that are decreasing. 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. 

International agreements addressing POPs 

1.2. 
1.2.1.  UNECE Protocol on POPs3 

The  Executive  Body  to  the  UNECE  Convention  on  Long-Range  Trans-boundary  Air 
Pollution  (CLRTAP)  adopted  the  UNECE  Protocol  on  POPs  on  24  June  1998  in  Aarhus, 
Denmark.  The  UNECE  Protocol  on  POPs,  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  UNECE  Protocol  on  POPs  bans  the  production  and  use  of  some  substances  outright 
(aldrin, chlordane, chlordecone, dieldrin, endrin, hexabromobiphenyl, mirex and toxaphene). 
Others  are  scheduled  for  elimination  at  a  later  stage  (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane 
(DDT),  heptachlor,  hexachlorobenzene  (HCB)  and  polychlorinated  biphenyls  (PCBs)).  In 
the  use  of 
addition, 
hexachlorocyclohexane  (HCH)  (including  lindane).  The  Protocol  includes  provisions  for 
dealing  with  the  wastes  of  substances  that  are  banned  and  it  obliges  Parties  to  reduce  their 
emissions of dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and HCB below their 
levels  in  1990  (or  an  alternative  year  between  1985  and  1995).  For  the  incineration  of 
municipal, hazardous and medical waste, it lays down specific emission limit values. 

the  UNECE  Protocol  on  POPs  also 

severely 

restricts 

On 18 December 2009, Parties to the Protocol on POPs adopted decisions 2009/1, 2009/2 and 
2009/3 to amend the Protocol to include nine new substances: hexachlorobutadiene, hexa and 
heptabromodiphenyl ether (found in the commercial octabromodiphenyl ether product), tetra 
and penta bromodiphenyl ether (found in the commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether product), 
pentachlorobenzene,  perfluorooctane  sulfonic  acid  (PFOS),  its  salts  and  other  derivatives, 
polychlorinated naphthalenes, and short-chain chlorinated paraffins. Furthermore, the Parties 
revised  obligations  for  DDT,  heptachlor,  HCB  and  PCBs  as  well  as  certain  emission  limit 
values (ELVs) from waste incineration, sinter plants and electric arc furnaces for secondary 

3  

http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/pops_h1.htm 

6 

 
 
 
                                                           
steel  production.  Parallel  to  this,  with  a  view  to  facilitating  the  Protocol’s  ratification  by 
countries  with  economies  in  transition,  the  Parties  introduced  flexibility  for  these  countries 
regarding the time frames for the application of ELVs and best available technologies (BAT). 
Finally, the Parties adopted decision 2009/4 to update guidance on BAT to control emissions 
of POPs in annex V and turn parts of it into a guidance document (ECE/EB.AIR/2009/144). 
The amendments for annex V and VII entered into force on 13/12/2010, while the 2009/1 and 
2009/2 amendments have not yet entered into force. 

The Union formally accepted the amendments on 24 June 2016, based on Council Decision 
(EU) 2016/769 of 21 April 2016 on the acceptance of the Amendments to the 1998 Protocol 
to the 1979 Convention on Long- Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic 
Pollutants. 

1.2.2. 

Stockholm Convention5 

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. 

The Annexes A, B and C to the Convention were amended at  the fourth  Conference of the 
Parties (COP-4) in 2009 to include nine new POPs. The amendments entered into force on 26 
August 2010 and add the following chemicals to Annexes A, B and/or C of the Convention: 
alpha 
chlordecone; 
hexabromobiphenyl;  hexabromodiphenyl  ether  and  heptabromodiphenyl  ether  (commercial 
octabromodiphenyl ether); lindane; pentachlorobenzene; PFOS, its salts and perfluorooactane 
sulfonyl  fluoride  (PFOSF);  and  tetrabromodiphenyl  ether  and  pentabromodiphenyl  ether 
(commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether). 

hexachlorocyclohexane; 

hexachlorocyclohexane; 

beta 

During the discussions of the fifth Conference of the Parties (COP-5) in  2011, a work plan 
(following  decision  SC-4/19)  was  put  in  place  to  limit  and  reduce  the  emissions  to  the 
environment  of  the  four  Stockholm  Convention  homologue  groups  of  polybrominated 
diphenyl  ethers  (POP-BDEs)  from  wastes  and  also  to  help  close  the  knowledge  gaps  for 
PFOS. COP-5 was also used to promote closer ties between the Stockholm Convention and 
the related policy instruments covered by the Rotterdam Convention and Basel Convention. 

Additionally  during  the  discussions  of  COP-5  it  was  agreed  to  add  Endosulfan  (SC5/3)  to 
Annex A of the Convention with specific exemptions. 

During  the  discussion  of  the  sixth  Conference  of  the  Parties  (COP-6)  in 2013,  the  decision 
was made to add the flame retardantant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) to Annex A of 
the Convention with specific exemptions for production as allowed for the parties listed in the 
register of specific exemptions and for use in expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene 
in buildings. 

4  
5  

http://www.unece.org/env/documents/2009/EB/eb/POPs/Guidance%20document%20on%20BAT.e.pdf  
http://chm.pops.int/Convention/ConventionText/tabid/2232/language/en-GB/Default.aspx  

7 

 
 
 
                                                           
to 

to  add 

the  Annexes  of 

three  further  substances 

During the discussion of the seventh Conference of the Parties (COP-7) in 2015, the decision 
was  made 
the  convention. 
Hexachlorobutadiene  and  pentachlorophenol  (PCP)  and  its  salts  and  esters  were  added  to 
Annex  A,  while  polychlorinated  napthalenes  (PCN)  were  added  to  Annexes  A  and  C.  The 
addition of PCN and its salts and esters to Annex C was due to the fact that PCNs were also 
used  in  di-electric  equipment  in  a  similar  fashion  to  PCBs,  and  thus  represent  an 
unintentional emission source. COP-7 also held  further discussions on  the possible addition 
of hexachlorobutadiene to Annex C, with agreement reached that further evidence should be 
gathered  and  reviewed  at  the  next  COP.  Discussion  was  also  held  on  the  continued  use  of 
PFOS  and  the  exemptions  currently  in  place  to  assess  which  applications  still  required 
exemptions.  

These additions  at  COP-5, COP-6 and COP-7 took  the total  number of substances  to  26 as 
regulated  under  the  Convention.  The  amendment  for  endosulfan  entered  into  force  on  27 
October 2012, while the amendment for HBCDD entered into force on 26 November 2014. 
The  three  additional  substances  that  were  agreed  to  be  added  to  the  Annexes  of  the 
Convention at COP-7 (following the details of UNEP/POPS/COP.7/15) entered into force in 
December 2016. 

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.  The  continued  use  of  DDT  has  been  the  subject  of  review  and  assessment  at 
COP-5,  COP-6  and  COP-7.  There  are  also  exemptions  and  acceptable  uses  in  place  for 
PFOS, its salts and PFOSF that have been added as part of the 2009 amendments (COP-4). 

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  also  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 
shall  be  disposed  of  in  such  a  way  that  the  POP  content  is  destroyed  or  irreversibly 
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. 

8 

 
 
In  addition  to  control  measures,  the  Stockholm  Convention  includes  several  general 
obligations.  Each  Party  is  obliged  to  develop  and  endeavour  to  implement  a  National 
Implementation Plan (NIP), facilitate or undertake the exchange of information and promote 
and  facilitate  awareness  and  public  access  to  information  on  POPs.  The  Parties  shall  also 
encourage  or  undertake  appropriate  research,  development,  monitoring  and  co-operation 
pertaining  to  POPs,  and  where  relevant,  to  their  alternatives  and  to  candidate  POPs.  They 
shall  also  regularly  report  to  the  Conference  of  the  Parties  on  the  measures  taken  to 
implement the provisions of the Stockholm Convention. 

The  Stockholm  Convention  recognises  the  particular  needs  of  developing  countries  and 
countries  with  economies  in  transition  and  therefore  specific  provisions  on  technical 
assistance and on financial resources and mechanisms are included in the general obligations. 

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) 

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 

Annex A 

Annex A 
Annex A 
Annex A 

Annex A 

Annex A 

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

6

Yes (all isomers including 
gamma HCH found in 
lindane) 

yes 
yes 

no 

yes 

yes 
yes 

no 

yes 

6  

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

9 

 
 
 
                                                           
Substance 

CAS 

Listed in Stock-
holm Convention 

Listed in the UNECE 
Protocol on POPs 

Listed in the EU POP 
Regulation 

Tetrabromodiphenyl 
ether and 
pentabromodiphenyl 
ether 
Toxaphene 

different CAS 
numbers 

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

Annex A 

8001-35-2 

Annex A 

DDT 

50-29-3 

Annex B 

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 

85535-84-8 

under review 

87-68-3 

Annex A 

all PCNs & their 
mixtures have 
different 
CAS numbers 

Annex A 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

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 

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. 

1.2.3.  Coordination  and  cooperation  among  the  Basel,  Rotterdam  and  Stockholm 

Conventions 

The  Basel,  Rotterdam  and  Stockholm  Conventions  are  multilateral  environmental 
agreements,  which  share  the  common  objective  of  protecting  human  health  and  the 
environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. These agreements can assist countries to 
manage chemicals at different stages of their life-cycle. 

Recognizing  the  potential  for  synergistic  work  under  the  three  conventions  at  the  national, 
regional  and  global  levels,  the  international  community  has  worked  over  the  past  years  on 
enhancing  cooperation  and  coordination  among  the  Basel,  Rotterdam  and  Stockholm 
Convention.  These  efforts  culminated  in  the  adoption  of  recommendations  on  enhancing 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
cooperation  and  coordination  among  the  three  conventions  by  the  three  Conferences  of  the 
Parties held in 2008 and 2009, and the holding of simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the 
Conferences  of  the  Parties  to  the  Basel,  Rotterdam  and  Stockholm  Conventions  in  Bali, 
Indonesia in February 2010, and in Geneva in May 2013 and May 2015. 

One  of  the  first  steps  of  the  synergies  process  was  the  restructuring  of  the  secretariats  in  a 
manner that strengthens organizational synergies while respecting the legal autonomy of each 
convention.  Further  steps  taken  at  successive  triple  COP  meetings  resulted  in  aligning  and 
integrating  the  work  of  the  Stockholm,  Basel  and  Rotterdam  Conventions  including  cross-
cutting  measures  for  information  exchange.  Today,  the  enhanced  coordination  and 
cooperation resulting from the synergies process is a fundamental pillar of all the work that is 
done  under  the  conventions  in  order  to  increase  policy  coherence  and  maximise  efficiency 
and resources. The synergies are mainstreamed in all relevant activities, as appropriate, rather 
than being a separate activity. The May 2015 COP meeting introduced 17 new joint activities 
building on these synergies, and also broadened the remit of the global environment facility 
(GEF) to cover financing for projects on both chemicals and waste (BRS Secretariat, 20157).  

1.3. 

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 also transferred to the Article 8 of Regulation 
(EC)  No  850/2004  on  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants.  The  Union  has  in  2007  therefore 
developed  an  Implementation  Plan  on  POPs  (SEC(2007)  341),  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 implementation plan 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; 

 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. 

In  developing  this  implementation  plan  information  and  data  has  been  taken  from  the 
following key sources: 

7  

8  

BRS Secretariat, 2015, ’10 years of synergies decisions – compilation of decisions related to enhancing 
co-operation among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions’ 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/international_conventions/index_en.htm 

11 

 
 
 
                                                           
  European  Union  policy  and  legislative  documents  used  to  govern  and 

manage the Union’s policy landscape on chemicals; 

  Member  States’  reports  submitted  to  the  European  Commission  as  per 

Article 12 of the POP Regulation; 

  Member States National Implementation Plans; 

  European Union databases on chemicals including: 

o  Chemical databases held by the European Chemicals Agency as part of 

the REACH and CLP Regulations; 

o  European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR); 

o  UNECE EMEP database for POPs release estimates; 

o  Eurostat; 
o  Pesticides database9; 

o  European Substance Information Systems (ESIS) database; 

  Scientific journal literature; 

 

Input from key experts in the field. 

Further detailed information can also be found within Member State national implementation 
plans, and triennial synthesis reports developed  by the European Commission,  which detail 
work undertaken within Europe, including information on releases and monitoring of POPs. 

9 http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/pesticides/eu-pesticides-database/public/?event=homepage&language=EN 

12 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
PART I – PARTY BASELINE 

This section presents the Union’s baseline with regard to POP chemicals regulated under the 
Stockholm Convention and the Protocol on POPs. As such it includes at first an overview on 
the  key  EU  legislation  related  to  the  implementation  of  obligations  in  the  mentioned 
international  frameworks  as  well  as  related  EU  strategies  and  programmes,  followed  by  a 
description of existing financial instruments to support the implementation as well as research 
activities. In order to get a full picture of the status quo of the implementation, a description 
will  be  provided  on  what  efforts  are  currently  being  undertaken  by  the  Union  to  raise 
awareness  and  enhance  communication.  Furthermore,  an  overall  assessment  of  POPs 
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 will be described.  

This  Part  I  ‘Party  Baseline’  presents  the  basic  information  on  the  EU  situation  and  will  be 
followed by an in-depth analysis in Part II regarding each single obligation of the Stockholm 
Convention.  This  analysis  is  followed  by  the  identification  of  actions  to  improve  the 
implementation. 

2. 

KEY UNION LEGISLATION AND POLICIES RELATED TO THE UNION’S OBLIGATIONS 
UNDER THE STOCKHOLM CONVENTION AND UNECE PROTOCOL ON POPS 

The  EU  has  implemented  a  number  of  legislative  measures  that  are  related  to  POPs 
addressing  both  the  aims  of  the  Stockholm  Convention  but  also  the  UNECE  Protocol  on 
POPs.  The  following  figure  gives  an  overview  of  the  main  chemical  and  environmental 
legislation  relating  to  POPs  and  to  which  stage  of  the  lifecycle  it  refers  to.  Details  on  the 
legislation related to POPs are described in the following sub-sections.  

13 

 
 
 
 
  
Figure 1: 

Overview on the main chemical and environmental legislation related to POPs 

14 

 
 
 
 
2.1. 

Legislative instruments 

2.1.1.  The POP Regulation 

The  main  legal  instrument  for  implementing  the  Stockholm  Convention  and  the  UNECE 
Protocol  on  POPs  is  Regulation  (EC)  No  850/2004  on  persistent  organic  pollutants  (POPs) 
(hereafter called the “POP Regulation”). This Regulation entered into force on 20 May 2004 
and as a regulation it is directly applicable in all Member States, including those which are 
not yet Parties to the Stockholm Convention or the UNECE POP Protocol.  

The POP Regulation contains provisions regarding production, placing on the market and use 
of  chemicals,  management  of  stockpiles  and  wastes  and  measures  to  reduce  releases  of 
unintentionally  produced  POPs.  Exports  of  POPs  are  regulated  under  Regulation  (EU)  No 
649/2012  concerning the export and import of hazardous chemicals.  The  exemptions  to  the 
prohibitions  under  the  POP  Regulaiton  are  limited  to  a  minimum.  Furthermore,  the  POP 
Regulation  contains  provisions  requiring  the  setting  up  of  emission  inventories  for 
unintentionally  produced  POPs,  national  and  European  Union  implementation  plans  and 
monitoring and information  exchange mechanisms. To a certain  extent the POP  Regulation 
goes  further  than  the  international  agreements  emphasising  the  aim  to  eliminate  the 
production  and  use  of  the  internationally  recognised  POPs,  notably  this  includes  the 
development of thresholds for POPs within waste, which are detailed in Annex IV and V of 
the Regulation. Where the thresholds are exceeded the waste cannot be recycled and should 
be treated in a way that the POP content is irreveribly transformed or destroyed. 

The POP Regulation has been amended several times. The concentration limits in Annex IV 
and  V  were  established  by  Regulation  (EC)  No  1195/200610  and  172/200711  and  by 
Regulation (EU) 2016/46012, respectively. Annex V was further amended by Regulation (EC) 
No  323/200713  in  order  to  allow  pre-treatment  operations  prior  to  the  permanent  storage  of 
wastes  containing  POPs.  Regulation  (EC)  No  219/200914  empowered  the  Commission  to 
establish some concentration limits in the annexes, to amend annexes whenever a substance is 
listed in the Convention or the Protocol, to modify the existing entries and to adapt annexes 
to scientific and technical progress. The decision of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel 
Convention  on  the  updated  general  technical  guidelines  for  the  environmentally  sound 
management of waste consisting of, containing or contaminated with POPs was taken up by 
Regulation (EC) No 304/2009 amending Annexes IV and V as regards the treatment of waste 
containing  POPs  in  thermal  and  metallurgical  production  processes15  The  decisions  of  the 
fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP4) to the Stockholm Convention on 4–8 
May  2009  to  list  new  substances  were  taken  up  by  the  Regulation  (EU)  No  757/201016 
amending  Annexes  I  and  III  and  by  the  Regulation  (EU)  No  756/2010  of  24  August  2010 
amending Annexes IV and V17. 

10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  

OJ L 217, 8.8.2006, p. 6. 
OJ L 55, 23.2.2007, p. 1. 
OJ L 80, 31.3.2016, p. 17. 
OJ L 85, 27.3.2007, p. 3. 
OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, p. 109. 
OJ L 96, 15.4.2009, p. 33. 
OJ L 223, 25.8.2010, p. 29. 
OJ L 223, 25.8.2010, p. 20. 

15 

 
 
                                                           
The Commission further adopted Regulation (EU) No 519/201218 amending Annexes IV and 
V to set the missing concentration limit values (the so-called lower and upper POP content) 
for PFOS and POP-BDEs, as well as amending Annexes I, IV and V to take into account the 
decisions  of  COP-5  to  list  Endosulfan,  COP-6  to  list  HBCDD,  and  COP-7  to  list 
hexachlorobutadiene,  and  PCNs.  This  also  includes  the  27th  Session  of  the  CLRTAP 
Executive  Body  to  list  hexachlorobutadiene  (HCBD),  polychlorinated  naphthalenes  (PCN) 
and short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCP). 

Concerning management of stockpiles, the Regulation provides that all remaining stockpiles 
for which no use is permitted shall be managed as waste. Stockpiles greater than 50 kg meant 
for  permitted  uses  shall  be  notified  to  the  competent  authority  and  managed  in  a  safe, 
efficient  and  environmentally  sound  manner.  Holders  of  a  stockpile  consisting  of  or 
containing  any  POPs  for  which  no  use  is  permitted  shall  manage  that  stockpile  as  waste 
generally in such a way that the POP content is destroyed or irreversibly transformed. 

With regard to wastes, producers and holders of waste are obliged to undertake measures to 
avoid contamination of waste with POP substances. Waste with POPs content higher than the 
above mentioned lower POP limits must generally be disposed of or recovered in such a way 
that the POP content is destroyed or irreversibly transformed. By way of derogation, wastes 
containing POPs below the limit values indicated in Annex V may be otherwise dealt with in 
accordance  with  a  method  listed  in  Annex  V,  part  2,  subject  to  the  conditions  outlined  in 
Article 7.4 (b)19. 

2.1.2.  EU chemicals legislation 

Other  chemicals  legislation  complements  the  POP  Regulation  in  implementing  the 
obligations of the Stockholm Convention and the POP Protocol. As Table 2 shows, the other 
chemicals  legislation  particularly  ensures  that  the  export  ban  on  POPs  is  implemented  and 
that  allowed  imports  and  exports  are  in  conformity  with  the  rules  of  the  Stockholm 
Convention, ensures that POPs are collected and irreversibly destroyed and prevents that the 
chemicals exhibiting POP characteristics are produced or marketed.  

Table 2 

EU chemicals legislation relevant for POPs 

Acronym 

Legal reference 

POPs regulated / POP reference 

REACH 

CLP 

Regulation (EC) No 
1907/2006 

Testing on PBT (persistent, bioaccumulative and 
toxic) criteria according to Annex XIII  

Regulation (EC) No 
1272/2008 

Inventory of classification and labelling of 
hazardous substances. 

Plant Protection 
Product Regulation 

Regulation (EC) No 
1107/2009 

Active substance, safener or synergist shall only be 
approved where it is not considered to be a persis-
tent organic pollutant (POP) resp. PBT substance.  

Areas of 
regulation 

Production, 
placing on the 
market & use 

Classification, 
Labelling, 
Packaging 

Placing on the 
market & use  

18  
19  

OJ L 159, 20.6.2012, p. 1. 
The  upper concentration limits are  not  valid  for permanent underground landfilling.  Regulation (EC) 
172/2007  amending  Regulation  (EC)  850/2004:  „These  limits  exclusively  apply  to  a  landfill  site  for 
hazardous  waste  and  do  not  apply  to  permanent  underground  storage  facilities  for  hazardous  wastes, 
including salt mines.” 

16 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Acronym 

Legal reference 

POPs regulated / POP reference 

Areas of 
regulation 

Active substances meeting two of the PBT criteria 
shall be candidates for substitution 

Biocidal Products 
Regulation  

Regulation (EU) 
528/2012 

Active substances meeting two of the PBT criteria 
shall be candidates for substitution 

Placing on the 
market & use 

PIC Regulation 
concerning the 
export and import of 
hazardous chemicals 

Regulation (EU) No 
649/2012 

POPs as listed in Annexes A and B of the 
Stockholm Convention are subject to export ban  

Export and import 
of dangerous 
chemicals 

PCB Directive 

Directive 96/59/EC 

Disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and 
polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT) 

Disposal 

2.1.2.1.  REACH 

Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning REACH inter alia provides provisions to ensure 
that industrial chemicals having POP characteristics are identified and prevented from being 
produced  or  imported  in  the  EU.  Furthermore  under  the  authorisation  and  restriction 
processes, the promotion of innovation, use of safer alternatives and contribution to the goal 
of achieving sustainable development of chemical use are covered.  

REACH  requires  EU  companies  which  manufacture  or  import  chemical  substances  in 
quantities of one tonne or more per year to register these substances and ensure that they can 
be  used  safely.  This  information  is  submitted  in  the  form  of  registration  dossiers  to  the 
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)20. The submission contains a technical dossier and, for 
substances  manufactured  or  imported  in  quantities  of  10  tonnes  per  annum  (tonnes  p.a.)  or 
above, a Chemical Safety Report (CSR). The chemical safety assessment detailed by the CSR 
has to cover: 

(a)  human health hazard assessment; 
(b) physicochemical hazard assessment; 
(c)  environmental hazard assessment; 
(d) persistent,  bioaccumulative  and  toxic  (PBT)  and  very  persistent  and  very 

bioaccumulative (vPvB) assessment.  

For  hazardous  substances  (such  as  those  assessed  to  be  a  PBT  or  vPvB),  an  exposure 
assessment  and  risk  characterisation  must  be  included  in  the  Chemical  Safety  Report.  For 
some of the substances identified as PBT or vPvB, an authorisation from the Commission is 
required  for particular uses. This  is  the case when a substance meeting the requirements of 
the very high concern (SVHC) criteria21 is included in Annex XIV of the Regulation and will 
then become banned once the set  sunset date has passed unless an authorization is granted. 
Only  specific  uses  for  which  a  request  for  authorization  has  been  made  following  specific 
requirements  with  regard  to  the  assessment  of  the  substance  can  be  allowed.  Prior  to 
inclusion  into  Annex  XIV  the  selected  substances  are  part  of  the  so-called  Candidate  List 

20  
21  

http://echa.europa.eu/  
http://echa.europa.eu/addressing-chemicals-of-concern/authorisation/substances-of-very-high-concern-
identification 

17 

 
 
 
                                                           
which in itself already implies a number of obligations such as e.g. the obligation to deliver 
information on the content of a substance in an article. 

REACH  further  includes  the  possibility  to  restrict  the  use,  placing  on  the  market  or 
production  of  substances  by  listing  them  in  Annex  XVII  of  REACH.  This  is  another  legal 
instrument  that  can  be  used  to  prevent  production  and  use  of  substances  having  POP 
characteristics.  

With  the  above  described  measures  REACH  gives  greater  responsibility  to  industry  to 
manage the risks from  chemicals  and to  provide  safety information  on the substances. This 
information  has  to  be  passed  down  the  chain  of  production.  The  REACH  Regulation  also 
aims to increase the knowledge of the chemicals properties and of the exposure through the 
required  provision  of  specific  documentation  and  to  improve  the  risk  management  of 
chemicals. 

2.1.2.2.  CLP 

The CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 is the European Union Regulation on Classification, 
Labelling  and  Packaging  of  chemical  substances  and  mixtures22.  The  legislation  introduces 
throughout  the  EU  a  system  for  classifying  and  labelling  chemicals,  based  on  the  United 
Nations’  Globally  Harmonised  System  (UN  GHS).  CLP  is  about  the  hazards  of  chemical 
substances and mixtures and how to inform others about them. The CLP does not contain a 
specific  hazard  class  for  PBT  and  vPvB  substances,  however  article  53(2)  calls  for  the 
promotion at the UN level for the harmonisation of the criteria for classification and labelling 
of PBT and vPvB substances. However, the classification and labelling inventory23 set up by 
the  CLP  Regulation  make  available  relevant  information  that  can  be  used  to  identify  new 
potential POP candidates and also provides classification and labelling on several POPs. 

2.1.2.3.  Regulation on Plant Protection Products 

Regulation  (EC)  No  1107/2009  concerning  the  placing  of  plant  protection  products  on  the 
market24  (PPP  Regulation)  prevents  chemicals  exhibiting  POP  characteristics  from  being 
used in plant protection products. This is achieved by the provisions according to which an 
active  substance,  safener  or  synergist  shall  only  be  approved  for  use  in  plant  protection 
products where it is not considered to be a POP or if it is not considered to be a persistent, 
bioaccumulative  and  toxic  (PBT)  substance  or  a  very  persistent  and  very  bioaccumalative 
substance (vPvB). In addition, a substance shall be approved as a candidate for substitution if 
it meets two of the PBT criteria. 

2.1.2.4.  Biocidal Products Regulation 

Regulation  (EU)  No  528/2012  concerning  the  making  available  on  the  market  and  use  of 
biocidal  products25  aims  to  promote  substitution  of  substances  that  exhibit  POP  or  PBT 
characteristics  in  biocidal  products  for  less  hazardous  ones.  The  use  of  POP  or  PBT 

22 
23 
24 
25 

OJ L 353, 31.12.2008, p. 1. 
http://echa.europa.eu/en/information-on-chemicals/cl-inventory 
OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p.1. 
OJ L 167, 27.6.2012, p. 1. 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
substances in biocidal products is only allowed if there are no alternatives available. This is 
achieved by the provision that an active substance that meets two of the PBT criteria as set 
out in Annex XIII of the REACH Regulation shall be considered a candidate for substitution 
and shall be identified as such in Annex I of the new Biocide Regulation. The inclusion of an 
active substance in Annex I that is considered as a candidate for substitution shall be renewed 
for  a  period  not  exceeding  ten  years.  As  part  of  the  evaluation  of  an  application  for  an 
authorisation  (or  a  renewal  of  an  authorisation)  of  a  biocidal  product  containing  an  active 
substance  that  is  a  candidate  for  substitution,  the  Competent  authority  shall  perform  a 
comparative assessment to evaluate whether there are other authorised biocidal products (or 
non-chemical  control  or  prevention  methods)  which  present  significantly  lower  risk  for 
human or animal health or the environment. 

2.1.2.5.  Regulation on the export and import of hazardous chemicals 

The  export  of POP  substances  or  articles  containing  POPs  is  regulated  by  Regulation  (EU) 
No  649/2012  concerning  the  export  and  import  of  hazardous  chemicals26.  This  Regulation 
implements  the  Rotterdam  Convention  on  the  Prior  Informed  Consent  (PIC)  Procedure  for 
certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade and provides for an export 
ban  of  POP  substances  listed  in  Annex  A  and  B  of  the  Stockholm  Convention  and  in 
Regulation (EC) No 850/2004. The decisions of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the 
Parties (COP4) to the Stockholm Convention held on 4–8 May 2009 to list new substances 
were implemented by Regulation (EU) No 214/2011. The fifth Conference of the Parties to 
the Stockholm Convention (April 2011) decided to list endosulfan in Annex A. That decision 
was implemented in the Union by Regulation (EU) No 73/2013, which adds endosulfan to the 
list of chemicals that are banned for export. The export of all POPs listed in Regulation (EU) 
No 649/2012 is banned, except for PFOS, which still benefits from a number of exemptions 
under the Stockholm Convention for which the export is currently still possible, but only on 
condition that the importing country consents to the import of that chemical.  

2.1.2.6.  PCB Directive (Directive 96/59/EC) 

Articles  containing  PCBs  already  in  use  are  covered  by  specific  provisions  laid  down  in 
Council Directive 96/59/EC on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated 
terphenyls (PCB/PCT)27. The directive aims for the approximation of the laws of the Member 
States  on  the  controlled  disposal  of  PCBs,  the  decontamination  or  disposal  of  equipment 
containing  PCBs  and/or  the  disposal  of  used  PCBs  in  order  to  eliminate  them  completely. 
According to the Directive, Member States had to take the necessary measures to ensure that 
used  PCBs  are  disposed  of  and  that  PCBs  and  equipment  containing  PCBs  are 
decontaminated or disposed of in an appropriate manner. 

Member States were obliged to compile inventories of equipment with PCB volumes of more 
than 5 dm³. These inventories were to be sent to the Commission by September 1999 at the 
latest.  The  equipment  and  PCBs  contained  in  the  inventories  had  to  be  decontaminated  or 
disposed  of  by  2010  at  the  latest  (deadlines  are  different  for  the  new  Member  States).  The 
inventories must supply the following data: 

26 
27 

OJ L 201, 27.7.2012, p. 60. 
OJ L 243, 24.9.1996, p. 31. 

19 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 

the names and addresses of the holders; 
the location and description of the equipment; 
the quantity of PCBs contained in the equipment; 
the date and type of treatment planned; 
the date of the declaration. 

Moreover, the Directive stipulates that any equipment which is subject to inventory must be 
labelled. Member States must prohibit the separation of PCBs from other substances for the 
purpose of reusing the PCBs and the topping-up of transformers with PCBs. 

Concerning  the  appropriate  waste  management,  Member  States  had  to  take  the  necessary 
measures to ensure that: 

  PCBs, used PCBs and equipment containing PCBs which is subject to inventory are 
transferred  to  licensed  undertakings,  at  the  same  time  ensuring  that  all  necessary 
precautions are taken to avoid the risk of fire; 

  any incineration of PCBs or used PCBs on ships is prohibited; 
  all  undertakings  engaged  in  the  decontamination  and/or  the  disposal  of  PCBs,  used 

 

PCBs and/or equipment containing PCBs obtain permits; 
transformers  containing  more  than  0.05%  by  weight  of  PCBs  are  decontaminated 
under the conditions specified by the Directive. 

In  accordance  with  the  committee  procedure  referred  to  in  Directive  75/442/EEC28,  the 
Commission: 

  had  to  fix  the  reference  methods  of  measurement  to  determine  the  PCB  content  of 

contaminated materials29; 

  could fix technical standards for the other methods of disposing of PCBs; 
  had  to  make  available  a  list  of  the  production  names  of  capacitors,  resistors  and 

induction coils containing PCBs30; 

  had to determine, if necessary, other less hazardous substitutes for PCBs. 

The Commission completed the tasks mentioned above, as appropriate. 

Within three years following the adoption of Directive 96/59/EC, Member States had to draw 
up  plans  for  the  decontamination  and/or  disposal  of  inventoried  equipment  and  the  PCBs 
contained  therein  and  plans  for  the  collection  and  subsequent  disposal  of  equipment  not 
subject to inventory. 

2.1.3.  Other environmental legislation with POP relevance 

In  addition  to  the  chemical  legislation,  environmental  legislation  especially  those  targeting 
water, waste and products also cover POP-related issues. 

28  
29  

30  

OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39. 
This task has been addressed by Commission Decision 2001/68/EC establishing two reference methods 
of measurement for PCBs pursuant to Article 10(a) of Council Directive 96/59/EC. 
In 2001 the Commission has drawn up a list and made it available to the Member States. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Table  3  summarizes  the  most  relevant  legislation  with  POP  relevance  and  indicates  which 
POPs  are  regulated.  The  table  also  includes  environmental  legislation  covering  releases  of 
unintentionally produced POPs. The legislation is presented in more detail in Part II if further 
measures for the implementation may be necessary.  

In comparison with the first Implementation Plan, 4 new legislative acts have been adopted: 
Directive  2008/98/EC  on  Waste  (Waste  Framework  Directive),  Directive  2010/75/EU  on 
Industrial Emissions (including waste incineration), Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 on the EU 
Ecolabel  and  Directive  2006/11/EC  on  pollution  caused  by  certain  dangerous  substances 
discharged into the aquatic environment.  

The  most  important  legislation  covering  the  release  of  unintentionally  produced  POPs  is 
Directive  2010/75/EU  on  industrial  emissions  (IED)31  which  since  7  January  2014  has 
repealed  and  replaced  Directive  2008/1/EC  concerning  integrated  pollution  prevention  and 
control (IPPC Directive) and Directive 2000/76/EC on Waste Incineration (amongst others).  

The purpose of the IED is to ensure a high level of protection of the environment taken as a 
whole. Industrial installations operating activities covered by Annex I of the IED are required 
to obtain an environmental permit from the authorities in the EU Member States. Emissions 
of  all  relevant  polluting  substances  (including  POPs),  which  are  likely  to  be  emitted  in 
significant  quantities,  have  to  be  regulated  in  the  permit.  The  whole  environmental 
performance of the installation is taken into account, covering e.g. emissions to air, water and 
land,  generation  of  waste,  use  of  raw  materials,  energy  efficiency,  noise,  prevention  of 
accidents,  and  restoration  of  the  site  upon  closure.  The  conditions  set  out  in  this  permit,  in 
particular  the  emission  limits,  have  to  be  based  on  the  application  of  the  Best  Available 
Techniques (BAT).  

The  definition  of  BAT  in  the  IED  generally  corresponds  with  the  one  of  the  Stockholm 
Convention.  In order to  identify  BAT, the Commission  organises  an information  exchange, 
where  BAT  is  described  and  defined  for  the  different  industrial  sectors  in  so-called  Best 
Available Techniques REFerence Documents (BREFs). Where relevant, also for POPs, BAT 
Associated  Emission  Levels  (BAT-AELs)  are  developed.  Under  the  IED,  the  BAT 
conclusions  is  the  part  of  the  BREF  that  is  formally  adopted  by  the  Commision.  The  BAT 
and BAT-AELs set out therein are to be used by the permitting authorities in setting permit 
conditions and emission limit values for permits. Emission levels set in the permits for certain 
pollutants should be within  the BAT-AELs unless  a derogation from  BAT-AELs applies to 
the installation32.  

OJ L 334, 17.12.2010, p. 17. 
A derogation may apply only where an assessment shows that the achievement of emission levels 

31  
32  
associated with the best available techniques as described in BAT conclusions would lead to disproportionately 
higher costs compared to the environmental benefits due to the geographical location or the local environmental 
conditions of the installation concerned; or the technical characteristics of the installation concerned. 

21 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Table 3 

Further environmental legislative instruments with relevance on the use 

and disposal of POPs (including unintentionally produced POPs).  

Acronym 

Legal reference 

POPs regulated / POP reference  

Areas of regulation 

EU Ecolabel 

Regulation (EC) No 
66/2010 

Criteria of product categories laid down in 
Commission decisions may cover POPs e.g. 
in textile floor covering for trace 
contamination with POP pesticides33 

A product cannot obtain an ecolabel if it 
contains a PBT/vPvB substance. 

Different product categories, 
see: 34 

RoHS Directive 

Directive 2011/65/EU 
(recast of 2002/95/EC) 

Ban of PBDE and other hazardous 
substances in electrical and electronic 
equipment. 

Production and import of 
electrical and electronic 
products  

Waste Directive  Directive 2008/98/EC 

Industrial 
Emissions 
Directive 

Directive 2010/75/EU 
which from 7 January 
2014 repealed and 
replaced Directive 
2000/76/EC on Waste 
Incineration and 
Directive 2008/1/EC 
on Industrial Pollution 
Prevention Control 

Directive 
76/464/EEC 
has been 
codified as 
2006/11/EC  

Landfill 
Directive 

WEEE Directive 

Directive 2006/11/EC 

Directive 1999/31/EC 

Directive 2002/96/EC, 
repealed with effect 
from 15 February 2014 
by Directive 
2012/19/EU 

ELV Directive 

Directive 2000/53/EC 

The classification of waste as hazardous 
waste should be based, inter alia, on the 
Union legislation on chemicals, in particular 
concerning the classification of preparations 
as hazardous, including concentration limit 
values used for that purpose.35 

Waste incineration: Emission limit values 
for air, discharges of waste water for 
dioxins and furans. 
Industrial activities: Polychlorinated 
dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated 
dibenzofurans are among the main air 
pollutants to be considered in permitting 
and persistent hydrocarbons and persistent 
and bioaccumulable organic toxic 
substances among the main water 
pollutants.  
First series of Commission Implementing 
Decisions establishing BAT conclusions for 
the different industrial sectors have been 
adopted under the IED (with more to follow 
over the coming years). 

Pollution through the discharge of the 
various dangerous substances within List I 
into the aquatic environment must be 
eliminated.  
List I contains certain individual substances 
selected mainly on the basis of their 
toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation.  

Waste  

Industrial emissions 

Pollution caused by certain 
dangerous substances 
discharged into the aquatic 
environment 

Hazardous waste for landfills needs a prior 
treatment.  

Waste 

Provisions on waste containing hazardous 
substances, e.g. PCB (PCBs/PCTs 
containing capacitors), mandatory 
segregation of PCB-containing components. 

Treatment of waste of 
electrical and electronic 
equipment 

Due to the segregation of hazardous 
components from the vehicle, the releases 
of unintentionally produced POPs from 
shredder plants are decreased.  

Collection, treatment, 
recycling and disposal of end-
of-life vehicles. 

33 
34 
35  

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:332:0001:0016:EN:PDF  
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/ecolabelled_products/product_categories_en.htm  
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/framework/framework_directive.htm  

22 

 
 
                                                           
Acronym 

Legal reference 

POPs regulated / POP reference  

Areas of regulation 

Water 
Framework 
Directive 

Directive 2000/60/EC 

Environmental 
Quality 
Standards (EQS) 

Directive 2013/39/EC 

The Water framework directive acts as the 
parent piece of legislation for all water and 
water quality related issues within the EU. 
For POPs the water framework directive 
along with the daughter directive on 
Environmental Quality Standards put in 
place the requirements to quantify and 
manage the release of POPs into the water 
environment. This includes the development 
of River Basin Management Plans to 
actively identify and manage the 
anthropogenic burdens upon waters within 
the EU. 

The EQS directive repeals the ‘Annex X’ 
list of priority and priority hazardous 
substances quoted under the water 
framework directive (2000/60/EC). Annex I 
of the EQS Directive expands upon the 
Annex X list with additional named 
pollutants, deemed as priority or priority 
hazardous substances (including POPs) for 
which maxmimum environmental 
concentrations (EQS) must not be exceeded. 
In the case of priority hazardous substances, 
discharges, emissions and losses must be 
phased out to natural background levels. 
The directive also creates a ‘watch-list’ for 
monitoring additional substances of concern 
in the natural environment. 
The directive also places a requirement for 
inventories of discharges, emissions and 
losses for priority substances which should 
inform planning and reporting under the 
river basin management plans (RBMPs) 
communicated under the water framework 
directive. 

Groundwater 
Directive 

Directive 2006/118/EC 

Groundwater quality standards and 
threshold values for most important 
pollutants, among them pesticides. 

Drinking Water 
Directive 

Council Directive 
98/83/EC 

Marine Strategy 
Framework 
Directive 

SEVESO I/II / 
III Directive 

Directive 2008/56/EC 

Directive 96/82/EC 
was repealed with 
effect from 1 June 
2015 and replaced by 
Seveso III Directive 
2012/18/EU 

Standards for the most common substances 
(so-called parameters), among them 
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and. 
pesticides (aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor and 
heptachlor epoxide). 

Synthetic compounds identified as priority 
substances under directive 2000/60/EC 
which are relevant for the marine 
environment. 

Pollution from industrial accidents. 

Protection of inland surface 
waters, transitional waters, 
coastal waters and 
groundwater. 

Protection of inland surface 
waters, transitional waters, 
coastal waters and 
groundwater. 
Dioxins and Furans, PCBs 
PAHs, hexachlorobenzene, 
hexachlorobutadiene, 
pentachlorobenzene are  
included in Annex I as PHS, 
i.e.there is an objective to 
phase out discharges, 
emissions and losses. 

Protection of groundwater 
from detrimental 
concentrations of harmful 
pollutants. 

Quality of water intended for 
human consumption 

Protection of marine waters 
under the sovereignty and 
jurisdiction of Member States 

Prevention, Preparedness and 
Response to chemical 
accidents  

Ambient air 
quality 

Directive 2004/107/EC 

Limit values for benzo[a]pyrene as a marker 
for PAH in ambient air.  

Protection of ambient air 
quality for identified polutants 

23 

 
 
 
 
2.1.4.  Legislation on food and feed and on the protection of public health  

Regulations  (EC)  No  1881/2006  and  396/2005  and  Directive  2002/32/EC  set  maximum 
residues  levels  for  POP  substances  in  food  and  feed.  Regulation  (EC)  No  1883/2006  sets 
minimum requirements on methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of levels 
of  dioxins  and  dioxin-like  PCBs  in  certain  foodstuffs  and  Regulation  (EC)  152/2009  sets 
minimum requirements on methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of levels 
of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in feed (see Table 4). In comparison with the situation when 
the first  Implementation Plan was drafted, there are substantial changes in the EU food and 
feed legislation:  These changes relate to  the conversion of the maximum levels  in  feed and 
food  for  dioxins  and  dioxin-like  PCBs,  previously  expressed  in  Toxic  Equivalent  Factors 
(TEF) 1998, into maximum levels expressed in TEF 2005. Furthermore maximum levels for 
non dioxin like PCBs (the so called indicator PCBs) have been established in feed and food. 
The  POP  Regulation  requires  the  setting  up  of  emission  inventories  for  unintentionally 
produced  POPs,  some  of  which  may  enter  the  food  chain  via  atmospheric  deposition  and 
bioaccumulation. More detail can be found in section 2.1.1.  
The  European  Food  Safety  Authority  (EFSA)  produced  a  report  in  May  201536  to  evaluate 
the  methodologies  used  internationally  in  deriving  health  based  safety  values  for  dioxins, 
furans  and  dioxin-like  PCBs  within  food.  This  study  aimed  to  better  understand  the 
methodologies used by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 
US EPA, and Scientific Committee on Food (SCF). The study notes that, while the JECFA 
and  SCF  base  assessments  on  animal  data,  the  USEPA  make  use  of  human  data.  Further 
diffferences  in  modelling  approach  for  toxicology  and  accepted  no  observed  adverse  effect 
level (NOAEL) between SCF/JECFA and US-EPA resulted in US-EPA values being 3 orders 
of  magnitude  lower  than  the  SCF/JECFA  values.  EFSA  have  stated  that  these  differences 
warrant  a  comprehensive  risk  assessment  to  further  understand  the  relationship  between 
animal and human toxicology data.  

Table 4 

Food & Feed related legislation with relevance to POPs 

Acronym 

Legal reference 

POPs regulated / POP reference  

Maximum levels 
for certain 
contaminants in 
foodstuffs 

Regulation (EC) No 
1881/2006 

37

Regulation (EC) No 
1883/2006
 shall be 
repealed by 
Regulation (EU) No 
252/201238 

- Dioxins (sum of polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins (PCDDs) and 
polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like PCBs and non-
dioxin-like PCBs (indicator PCBs) 
- benzo(a)pyrene and the sum of of benzo(a)pyrene, benz(a)anthracene, 
benzo(b)fluoranthene and chrysene as a marker of carcinogenic PAH in 
certain foodstuffs 

Methods of sampling and analysis for the control of levels of dioxins and 
dioxin-like PCBs in food for regulatory purposes 

Pesticide Residues 
in Food 

Undesirable 
substances in 

Regulation (EC) No 
396/2005 
Directive 2002/32/EC  Aldrin, Dieldrin, Camphechlor (toxaphene), Chlordane, DDT, Endosulfan, 
Endrin, Heptachlor, Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Hexachlorocyclohexane 

Setting Maximum Residue Levels for POP Pesticides in food products  

36  

37  
38  

EFSA,  2015,  ‘Scientific  statement  on  the  health-based  guidance  values  for  dioxins  and  dioxin-like  PCBs’, 
doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4124. http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/4124.pdf 
OJ L 364, 20.12.2006, p.32. 
OJ L 84, 23.3.2012, p. 1. 

24 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Acronym 
animal feed 

Legal reference 

POPs regulated / POP reference  
(HCH, incl. Lindane), Dioxins (sum of polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins 
(PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated 
biphenyls (PCBs)..  

Regulation (EC) 
152/200939 

Methods of sampling and analysis for checking the  levels of dioxins and 
dioxin-like PCBs in feed for regulatory purposes 

2.1.5. 

Information  exchange  between  Commission  and  Member  States  on  POPs  in  food 
and consumer products  

The information exchange among the Member States authorities and the Commission on the 
presence of POPs in food and consumer products is ensured by the rapid alert systems. There 
are currently two EU rapid alert systems and both are publicly available. The legal basis for 
their establishment provides Regulation EC/178/2002, Directive 2001/95/EC and Regulation 
765/2008.  
The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)40: was put in place to provide food and 
feed control authorities with an effective tool to exchange information about measures taken 
responding to serious risks detected in relation to food or feed. This exchange of information 
helps Member States to act more rapidly and in a coordinated manner in response to a health 
threat  caused  by  food  or  feed.  Notifications  cover  e.g.  the  contamination  of  food  and  feed 
with dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs or with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.  
The Rapid Alert System for non-food dangerous Products (RAPEX)41: RAPEX facilitates the 
rapid  exchange  of  information  between  Member  States  and  the  Commission  on  measures 
taken  to  prevent  or  restrict  the  marketing  or  use  of  products  (non-feed/non-food)  posing  a 
serious risk to the health and safety of consumers. Measures ordered by national authorities 
and measures taken voluntarily by producers and distributors are reported by RAPEX. 

2.1.6.  Food monitoring within the European Union 

Routine  monitoring  of  food  and  feed  is  an  important  aspect  of  early  detection  for 
contamination of food and feed by POPs. Under Regulation EC 882/2004 a European Union 
Reference  Laboratory  (EURL)  was  established  in  Freiburg,  Germany42  tasked  with 
developing analytical standards for dioxins and furans and PCBs within food and feed. EURL 
is  further  complemented  by  national  laboratories  within  the  Member  States,  who  have  the 
role of carrying out analysis for routine monitoring. In order to ensure comparability between 
EURL  and  national  reference  laboratories,  proficiency  tests  are  conducted  twice  annually. 
These tests involve the use of the same sample, which is issued for analysis by all national 
laboratories. The results are then collated and assessed with any marked deviation from the 
average  result  requiring  process  amendment  and  further  testing  for  any  specific  national 
reference  laboratory.  Representatives  from  the  national  reference  laboratories  and  EURL 
meet twice annually to review and discuss any specific topics of interest for analysis. 

39  
40  
41  
42  

OJ L 314, 1.12.2009, p. 66. 
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/rapidalert/index_en.htm 
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/index_en.htm 
EURL laboratory http://www.crl-dioxin-freiburg.eu/ 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
2.1.7.  Emission monitoring legislation 
The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Regulation43 aims to enhance 
public  access  to  environmental  information.  The  E-PRTR  replaced  the  European  Pollutant 
Emission Register (EPER) in 2007 and includes additional pollutants and economic activities.  
E-PRTR covers 91 pollutants compared to 50 in EPER, and 65 economic activities compared 
to  56  in  EPER.  The  E-PRTR  also  implements  stricter  threshold  levels  for  a  number  of 
pollutants  (including  POPs)  (see  also  sections  3.3.1  on  emission  monitoring  and  2.2.6  on 
monitoring efforts of the EU) compared to previous EPER inventories.  

The  European  Commission  launched  an  initative  early  in  2016  to  aid  access  to  monitoring 
data,  which  includes  information  on  POPs,  called  the  Information  Platform  for  Chemical 
Monitoring data (IPCheM)44. This website resource is managed by the Joint Research Centre 
in  collaboration  with  a  number  of  international  and  national  bodies.  It  draws  together 
monitoring  data-sets  in  the  form  of  ‘modules’,  which  are  available  publicly.  IPCheM  will 
provide  a  valuable  resource  to  researchers  and  allow  cross-reference  of  different  data-sets 
quickly and easily. 

2.1.9.  Public access to environmental information  
The  Directive  2003/4/EC  on  public  access  to  environmental  information45  guarantees  the 
right of access to environmental information held by or for public authorities. This right is for 
any  applicant  (private  individuals,  organisations  etc.)  and  has  to  be  granted  without  any 
justification. With regards to  emissions, no request  can be  refused. Thus, this directive is  a 
powerful instrument to gather emission data, also on POPs and can be used supplementary to 
the above mentioned on E-PRTR. 

2.2. 

Strategies, policies and programmes 

2.2.1. 

Sustainable development  

In 2001, the European Union adopted the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS) to 
provide  a  long-term  vision  combining  economic  dynamism,  social  cohesion  and  high 
environmental standards46.  In 2009, the European  Commission communication COM(2009) 
400 final47 reviewed the EU SDS to respond to the most recent economic and financial crisis 
from  the  perspective  of  a  long-term  sustainable  development  with  the  goal  to  further 
mainstream  the  EU  SDS  into  the  European  policy  fields.  From  the  seven  key  challenges 
proposed,  two  contain  POPs  related  issues  though  they  are  not  explicitly  mentioned,  i.e. 
sustainable consumption and production as well as Public health. 

The review reaffirms the position of the European Council about sustainable development as 
a  fundamental  EU  objective  under  the  Treaty  of  Lisbon.  This  follow-up  of  the  Lisbon 
Strategy was adopted in June 2010 by the heads and governments of the EU Member States. 

43  
44  
45  

46  

47  

OJ L 33, 4.2.2006, p. 1. 
http://ipchem.jrc.ec.europa.eu/#home-page 
Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 28 January 2003 on public access 
to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/EEC, OJ L 41, 28.1.2003, p. 26 
See  communication  of  the  Commission  COM(2001)  264  final  and  the  conclusions  from  the 
Gothenburg European Council.  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0400:FIN:EN:PDF 

26 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Concerning  sustainable  development,  the  European  Union  had  a  key  role  during  the  UN 
negoatiations  on  the  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development,  including  the  sustainable 
development  goals  (SDGs), which was  adopted by the General  Assembly on 25 September 
2015. There are 17 goals which are to be achieved by 203048 and which include responsible 
consumption  and  production;  good  health  and  well  being;  industry,  innovation  and 
infrastructure;  life  below  water  and  life  on  land.  The  new  European  Consensus  for 
Development  frames  the  implementation  of  the  2030  Agenda  in  partnership  with  all 
developing countries, taking due account of the framework provided by the Lisbon Treaty. In 
particular,  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  undertake  to  promote  resource  efficiency  and 
sustainable consumption and production, including the sustainable management of chemicals 
and  waste,  with  a  view  to  decouple  economic  growth  from  environmental  degradation  and 
enable the transition to a circular economy. 

The Stockholm Convention and POP Regulation are intended to protect human health and the 
environment  from  those  substances  identified  as  POPs.  Part  of  this  work  includes  aspects 
around  innovation  and  sustainability  to  ensure  that  one  POP  substance  is  not  replaced  by 
another  POP.  In  the  Union  this  is  further  controlled  by  the  REACH  Regulation  under  the 
authorisation and restriction processes. 

2.2.1.1.  Substitution of substances for intentional use 

A fundamental component of sustainable development and elimination of POPs from goods 
intentionally  placed  on  the  market  is  the  substitution  of  POPs  substances  by  alternatives 
which do not have the characteristsics detailed under Annex D of the Stockholm Convention. 
Within  Europe  the  REACH  Regulation  aims  to  identify  substances  which  are  persistent, 
bioaccumulating and/or toxic (in addition to those that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to 
reproduction  or  substances  which  give  rise  to  an  equivalent  level  of  concern),  termed 
‘substances  of  very  high  concern’49.  A  key  aim  of  the  REACH  Authorisation  process  is  to 
ensure that SVHCs are progresively replaced with suitable alternatives. Action to restrict the 
use of certain PBT substance, and require the use of alternatives, has also been taken through 
the REACH restriction process. 
As  part  of  the  7th  EAP,  the  European  Commission  funded  a  pilot  project  to  look  at 
substitution with regard to brominated flame-retardants. The Enfiro project50 was intended to 
help  develop  alternatives to  brominated flame-retardants  (including substances identified as 
POPs), as well documenting lessons learnt in order to help others successfully transition away 
from POPs based substances to safer alternatives.  

Alongside the Enfiro project the European Commission has aimed to promote collaboration 
in the field of substitution. The Executive Agency for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises 
(EASME) (part of the programme to  assist  small and medium  sized enterprises (SMEs) for 
innovation (COSME)); has developed the Partnership Opportunities Database (POD) to help 
SMEs  within  the  EU  make  contact  with  partner  organisations  to  look  at  the  issue  of 
substitution,  which  includes  the  issue  of  substitution  for  SVHCs  substances  within 
commercial  production  and  goods.  A  number  of  other  valuable  resources  are  also  open  to 

48  
49  

50  

UN Sustainability goals, http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ 
ECHA, 
concern/authorisation/substances-of-very-high-concern-identification 
Enfiro project : http://www.enfiro.eu/ 

substances  of  very  high  concern:  http://echa.europa.eu/uk/addressing-chemicals-of-

27 

 
 
 
                                                           
industry  including  the  information  provided  by  the  ECHA  website51,  Subsport52,  and 
Medswitch53 amongst others. 

2.2.2.  Environment Action Programme 

The  Union’s  principal  strategy  for  environmental  policy  is  the  Environment  Action 
Programme  (EAP),  which  is  also  relevant  for  this  implementation  plan.  The  sixth 
Environment Action Programme (6th EAP) was active during the 2002-2012 period, and sets 
out  the  framework  for  environmental  policy-making,  which  promotes  full  integration  of 
environmental  protection  requirements  in  the  Union  for  sustainable  development,  and 
establishes strategic approaches to meet the environmental goals and objectives. 
In particular the 6th EAP priority area‘Environment and health’ aimed to reduce the hazards 
of  environmental  pollutants  such  as  pesticides,  endocrine  disruptors,  dioxins  and  PCBs  in 
Europe and seeked for a high level of quality of life and well-being for citizens, aspirating to 
reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment.  

In  June  2013,  political  agreement  was  reached  on  a  new  Environment  Action  Programme 
(EAP), the 7th EAP. The 7th EAP sets out the priority objectives for EU environment policy to 
2020,  set  out  in  an  ambitious  longer-term  vision  for  an  inclusive,  green  and  competitive 
European  economy  that  safeguards  the  environment.  The  programme  identifies  three  key 
objectives54: 

 

 

 

to protect, conserve and enhance the Union’s natural capital; 

to turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green, and competitive low-carbon economy; 

to safeguard the Union's citizens from environment-related pressures and risks to health 
and wellbeing.  

The priority areas can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/newprg/intro.htm. 
The  7th  EAP  sets  out  a  framework  to  support  the  achievement  of  nine  priority  objectives 
through  development  and  better  implementation  of  EU  environment  law,  state  of  the  art 
science,  securing  the  necessary  investments  in  support  of  environment  and  climate  change 
policy, and improving the way that environmental concerns and requirements are reflected in 
other  policies.  The  Programme  aims  to  boost  efforts  to  help  EU  cities  become  more 
sustainable,  and  improve  the  EU's  capacity  to  meet  regional  and  global  environment  and 
climate challenges. 
Priority  objective  3  of  the  7th  EAP  "To  safeguard  the  Union’s  citizens  from  environment-
related  pressures  and  risks  to  health  and  well-being",  specifically  aims  to  tackle  hazardous 
chemicals, including nanomaterials, and chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system. 
This will in particular focus on the issues that arise from chemicals in combination, as part of 
a  broader,  strategic  approach  for  a  non-toxic  environment.  This  area  of  focus  will  include 
work  to  assess  the  combination  effects  of  substances  and  effective  management  through 
relevant EU legislation. 

51  
52  
53  
54  

ECHA website: http://echa.europa.eu/regulations/substituting-hazardous-chemicals 
Subsport Website: http://www.subsport.eu/ 
MedSwitch website: http://www.switchmed.eu/en 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/newprg/ 

28 

 
 
 
                                                           
2.2.3. 

Strategies for control of pesticides and chemical substances 

In  July  2006,  the  Commission  adopted  a  Communication  on  Sustainable  Use  of  Pesticides 
(COM  (2006)  372  final)55  to  prevent  any  undesirable  effects  and  risks  to  humans  and  the 
environment  by  minimising  exposure  as  much  as  possible  and  by  encouraging  the  research 
and development of less polluting alternatives. One of the measures to be integrated through 
the application of already existing instruments is to provide financial and technical assistance 
(capacity building) in numerous programmes such as the Strategic Approach to International 
Chemicals Management (SAICM). 

The  Union  Strategy  for  Dioxins,  Furans  and  Polychlorinated  Biphenyls  adopted  in  2001 
(COM(2001)  593)56  has  the  goal  to  assess  the  current  state  of  the  environment  and  the 
ecosystem and to reduce exposure from dioxins and PCBs to humans and the environment. In 
July  2007,  the  Communication  of  the  Commission  COM(2007)  396  final57  provided  the 
second  progress  report  on  the  main  achievements  with  regard  to  the  implementation  of  the 
strategy  during  the  period  between  2004  and  2006,  elucidating  the  several  environmental 
measures  on  POPs  which  have  been  adopted  in  2004  and  the  new  maximum  levels  for 
contaminants in food and feed, which have been updated in 2006.  

In October 2010, the Commission adopted the third progress report on the Dioxin strategy for 
the  period  2007  to  2009  (COM(2010)  562  final)58.  The  report  concluded  that  the  overall 
objective  of  the  Strategy,  i.e.  to  develop  an  integrated  approach  in  order  to  reduce  the 
presence  of  dioxins,  furans  and  PCBs  in  the  environment  as  well  as  in  feed  and  food,  has 
been achieved to a large extent, bearing in mind the reduction of industrial emissions of these 
pollutants  by  about  80%  over  the  past  two  decades.  The  report  further  concluded  that 
additional sources should be targeted by national or local measures.  

In December 2013, the Commission put forward Recommendation 2013/711/EU59 for further 
reduction  of  dioxins  and  furans,  and  dioxin-like  PCBs  within  food  groups.  This  included  a 
requirement  for  increased  monitoring  of  these  substances  within  free  range  eggs,  organic 
eggs, lamb and sheep livers and sea food (particularly crabs). The recommendation also sets 
acceptable levels for the presence of dioxins and furans, and dioxin-like PCBs, within food. 

Further  progress  is  expected  within  the  framework  of  the  European  Union  Implementation 
Plan on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the relevant National Implementation Plans (NIPs) 
elaborated by Member States.  

2.2.4.  Environment and Health Action Plan 

The Environment and Health Action Plan (EHAP) was launched in June 2004 to coordinate 
health, environment and research areas and to develop a system for integrated information on 
environment  and  health  and  to  assess  the  environmental  impact  on  human  health  more 
efficiently.  In  June  2007,  a  mid-term  report  was  published  in  a  Communication  of  the 

55  
56  
57  
58  
59  

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ppps/pdf/com_2006_0372.pdf 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52010DC0593:EN:NOT  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0396:FIN:EN:PDF 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:0562:FIN:EN:PDF 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32013H0711 

29 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Commission (COM(2007) 314 final60). It highlighted the growing links between environment 
policy and health policy. It showed, for example, that an important development in relation to 
the  Strategy  on  Dioxins  and  PCBs  was  the  adoption  of  Regulation  (EC)  No.  850/2004  on 
POPs. The progress report on the implementation of the EHAP of March 2010 (SEC(2010) 
387)61  presented  the  progress  of  activities  after  the  mid-term  review,  assessed  the  results 
achieved since 2004 and suggested the follow-up for the Action Plan post 2010.  

2.2.5.  Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) 

Many  environmental  problems  transcend  national  boundaries  and  can  only  be  efficiently 
handled  through  international  co-operation.  The  European  Union  is  a  contracting  party  in 
more  than  40  international  environmental  agreements62,  among  them  the  Stockholm 
Convention, the Basel Convention, the Rotterdam Convention and the Minamata Convention. 

Within the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), a number of useful 
documents that address the question of how to improve communication on chemicals in products and 
articles  including  POPs  have  been  developed.  The  Chemicals  in  Products  Programme  (CiP 
Programme) was initiated by the EU in 2009 and welcomed by the SAICM Governing body, ICCM4, 
in  September  2015.  The  finalised  Programme  and  the  accompanying  guidance  can  be  found  on 
UNEP's web page63. 

2.2.6.  Monitoring efforts of the EU 

Monitoring efforts in the EU covers monitoring of emission loads into the environment and 
monitoring of environmental concentrations. 

The European Monitoring  and Evaluation  Programme (EMEP) is  a scientifically  based and 
policies driven programme for international cooperation under the Convention on Long-range 
Transboundary  Air  Pollution  (CLRTAP).  The  EMEP  provides  scientific  information  about 
emission inventories and emission projections, atmospheric monitoring and modelling as well 
as  an  integrated  assessment  to  help  solve  transboundary  air  pollution  problems.  This  set  of 
information  is  an  important  basis  for  developing  further  emission  control  strategies  and 
implementing the Convention and its Protocols. 

Several  measures  relating  to  the  monitoring  of  POPs’  emissions  have  been  taken  by  the 
Member States in order to identify and characterize sources and releases of these substances. 
Many  of  these  measures  are  included  in  the  NIPs  and  have  benefited  from  the  numerous 
national  policy  frameworks.  Besides  the  national  emission  inventories  for  the  release  of 
unintentionally produced POPs into the air, water and soil, the EMEP emission inventory and 
the  E-PRTR  data  base  are  further  available  inventories  of  releases.  Article  4  of  the  Water 
Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) also requires the development of inventories of 
discharges  and  losses  for  priority  and  priority  hazardous  substances  (which  includes  some 
POPs).  This  information  is  intended  to  inform  planning  and  reporting  for  river  basin 
management plans (RBMPs); which were due for publication at the end of 2015. As of June 

60  
61  
62  
63  

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0314:FIN:EN:PDF  
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/10/st08/st08201.en10.pdf 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/international_issues/pdf/agreements_en.pdf 
http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/UNEPsWork/ChemicalsinProductsproject/tabid/56141/ 
Default.aspx. 

30 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
2016,  ten  Member  States  have  adopted  the  updated  river  basin  management  plans,  with  a 
further two adopting part of the updated RBMPs64. 

As  regards  the  monitoring  of  environmental  concentrations,  there  are  several  regional 
monitoring programmes established as part of regional conventions or initiatives that covers 
part  of  the  EU  and  includes  some  of  the  POPs.  The  Arctic  Monitoring  and  Assessment 
Programme  (AMAP)  analyses  fluxes,  pathways  and  environmental  levels  of  POPs  and 
presents  an  assessment  of  the  Arctic  environment  contamination65.  Other  examples  are  the 
Trilateral  Monitoring  and  Assessment  Programme  of  the  Waddensea  (TMAP),  the 
Monitoring  Network  in  the  Alpine  Region  for  Persistent  and  other  Organic  Pollutants 
(MONARPOP) as well as sea conventions (such as e.g. HELCOM, OSPAR and MED POL). 

The  mission  of  the  European  Environment  Agency  (EEA)  is  to  provide  sound  and 
independent  information  on  the  environment,  with  the  goal  to  ensure  that  decision-makers 
and the general public are kept informed about European environmental data, knowledge and 
assessments. The Agency collects data on POP emissions and where available data on POP 
concentrations in the environment and analyses their trends66,67. Some of the Agency’s data 
on POPs originate from the monitoring of Priority Substances in water bodies conducted by 
Member  States  under  the  Water  Framework  Directive.  In  addition,  Member  States  have 
contributed  data  on  some  substances  to  a  working  database  specifically  developed  for  the 
Commission's 2011 review of the Priority Substances list. 

2.3. 

Financial instruments 

Using  different  funding  instruments,  the  European  Union  provides  a  significant  amount  of 
funding  to  environmental  projects  and  programmes,  both  within  the  EU  as  well  as  in 
neighbouring countries  and in  developing countries. There  are several  financial instruments 
and programmes that can be relevant also for POP related projects.  

2.3.1.  Funding instruments for the EU 

The  LIFE  programme  is  the  financial  instrument  for  supporting  environmental  and  nature 
conservation projects and promoting policy priorities in the EU as well as in some candidate, 
acceding  and  neighbouring  countries.  The  European  Commission  proposed  replacing  most 
existing  environmental  funding,  including  the  former  LIFE+  categories,  with  a  single  fund 
focused  on  supporting  development, 
implementation,  monitoring,  evaluation  and 
communication  of  Union  environmental  policy  and  legislation.  This  new  phase  was  called 
LIFE+ and entered into force the 9th of June 200768. It ran for the period 2007-2013 with a 
budget  of €2.143 billion, while funding was provided via three key areas:  LIFE+ Nature & 
Biodiversity,  LIFE+  Environmental  Policy  &  Governance,  and  LIFE+  Information  & 
Communication,  where  at  least  78  percent  of  the  budgetary  resources  was  used  for  action 
grants to projects.  

64  
65  
66  

67  
68  

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/participation/map_mc/map.htm 
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/92-9167-058-8/page004.html  
http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/eea32-persistent-organic-pollutant-pop-emissions-
1/assessment 
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/NYM2/page005.html 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/lifeplus.htm  

31 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
LIFE+  projects  promoted  synergies  between  different  priorities  under  the  6th  Environment 
Action  Programme.  Two  projects  in  relation  with  POPs  were  funded  by  the  LIFE+ 
programme:  one  to  evaluate  the  extent  of  exposure  of  the  general  population,  especially 
women of reproductive age69, and the second to evaluate emission exposure of PAHs in the 
population70. The LIFE+ programme was designed to complement other funding programmes 
for the environment which are described as follows.   

There are numerous other funds of the EU with different target groups that do not specifically 
refer to POPs, but which support the implementation of the EU environmental legislation or 
the  supply  of  technical  solutions  (the  Competitiveness  and  Innovation  Framework 
Programme71, for example, supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) innovation 
activities (including eco-innovation), while the NGO operating grants72 inter alia promote the 
active  participation  of  NGOs  in  the  development  and  implementation  of  environmental 
policy).  
On  the  20th  of  December  2013  the  LIFE  2014-2020  Regulation  (EU)  No  1293/2013  was 
published in the Official Journal (L 347, p. 185). The Regulation establishes the Environment 
and  Climate  Action  sub-programmes  of  the  LIFE  Programme  for  the  next  funding  period, 
2014–2020. The budget for the period is set at €3.4 billion. On the 19th of March 2014, the 
LIFE  multiannual  work  programme  for  2014-2017  was  adopted  by  Commission 
Implementing Decision (2014/203/EU). 

The LIFE multiannual work programme for 2014-2017 sets the framework for the next four 
years for the management of the new LIFE Programme 2014-2020. It contains an indicative 
budget,  explains  the  selection  methodology  for  projects  and  for  operating  grants  and 
establishes outcome indicators for the two LIFE sub-programmes – for Environment and for 
Climate Action. The total budget for funding projects during the period covered amounts to 
€1.1  billion  under  the  sub-programme  for  Environment  and  €0.36  billion  under  the  sub-
programme for Climate Action. 

2.3.2.  Funding for neighbouring and partner countries 

The  European  Neighbourhood  and  Partnership  Instrument  (ENPI)  is  designed  to  target 
sustainable  development  and  approximation  to  EU  policies  and  standards  –  which  includes 
the implementation of the POP Regulation as well – in neighbouring third Countries as well 
as through a strategic partnership with the Russian Federation.73 This programme replaces the 
former programmes MEDA, TACIS and EIDHR mentioned in the first Implementation Plan. 
For  the  period  2007-2013,  nearly  €12  billion  in  EU  funding  are  available  to  support  these 
partners’  reforms.  The  ENPI  has  15  cross-border  cooperation  (CBC)  programmes  which 
receive  a  funding  of  €1.18  billion  for  the  same  period.  The  Instrument  for  Pre-Accession 
Assistance  (IPA)74  which  replaces  several  programmes  (e.g.  the  PHARE  programme)  and 
financial  instruments  for  candidate  countries  (Iceland,  Turkey,  Serbia,  Montenegro  and  the 
former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia)  or  potential  candidates  (Albania,  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina, Kosovo) also provides nearly €12 billion. Most African, Caribbean and Pacific 

69  
70  
71  
72  
73  
74  

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=3433 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=3756 
http://ec.europa.eu/cip/index_en.htm 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ngos/index_en.htm 
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/funding_en.htm  
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/agriculture/enlargement/e50020_en.htm  

32 

 
 
 
                                                           
States benefit from development support under the Cotonou Convention finaced through the 
European Development Fund (€23 billion for the period 2007 – 2013) while South Africa and 
other developing countries, notably in Asia and Latin America benefit from the Development 
Cooperation Instrument (over €17 billion for 2007 – 2013). 

Within  the  DCI  is  a  substantial  specific  programme  for  environmental  support,  open  to  all 
partners  except  actual  and  potential  candidates,  the  “Thematic  programme  on  environment 
and  sustainable  management  of  natural  resources,  including  energy”  (Thematic  Programme 
for Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (ENRTP), worth about 
€1.1 billion for the period 2007-2013)75. This programme has provided support to the work of 
Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention and has also funded projects on the ground.76 

2.3.3.  Multilateral programmes funded by the EU  

The promotion of measures to address worldwide environmental problems is a key objective 
of  the  EU  policy.  The  Commission  thus  provides  funding  to  international  and  multilateral 
programmes. 

The current  instrument  is  the thematic programme on Global  Public Goods and Challenges 
(GPGC),  which  covers  the  period  2014-2020  and  replaces  previous  sectoral  programmes 
funded  by  the  European  Union  including  the  Environment  and  Sustainable  Management  of 
Natural Resources including Energy Thematic Programme (ENRTP). Some examples funded 
within the ENRTP:  

  The  further  elaboration  of  the  dioxin  and  furan  toolkit:  €100,000  in  2007,  to 
better  adapt  the  toolkit  guidance  to  the  needs  of  developing  countries  by 
including the type of industrial installations and levels of pollution found in those 
countries.  

  The evaluation of the Convention’s effectiveness: €400,000 has been allocated in 
2009 for completing data on the levels of POPs in the air, and in breast milk for 
Africa,  Latin  America  and  the  Caribbean  to  establish  an  adequate  baseline  for 
further evaluations.  

  Support  to  the  Secretariat  of  Stockholm  convention  of  €480.000  in  2010  to 
support Parties to implement their obligations under the Stockholm Convention, 
i.e.  developing  countries  in  the  following  regions:  Africa,  Asia,  Latin  America 
and the Caribbean, and Middle East and countries with economies in transition in 
CEE.  

  Support  to  the  Secretariat  of  Stockholm  convention  of  €1.450.000  in  2011  to 
support  their  2012-2013  programme  of  work,  including  the  technical  assistance 
programme,  the  global  monitoring  plan  for  effectiveness  evaluation,  the 
programme on unintentionally produced POPs, the programme on endosulfan, the 
programme  on  new  POPS  and  candidate  POPs  and  support  for  participation  of 
developing countries at COP-6. 

  Further  ENRTP  support  includes  €4.5  million  to  FAO  for  the  cleaning  up  of 

obsolete pesticides in the Africa Stockpiles Programme. 

75  
76  

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/dci/environment_en.htm  
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pops/pdf/convention_stockholm_en.pdf  

33 

 
 
 
                                                           
  Through ENRTP the development of the IOMC toolbox (phase I - €3 million and 
phase II - €2 million) and OECD work on chemicals assessment (€800.000) was 
also supported. 

The  initial  programming  for  the  period  2014-2017  of  the  GPGC  Environment  and  Climate 
envelope provided financial support to the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm 
Conventions  to  implement  the  programme  of  work  as  agreed  by  the  Conferences  of  the 
Parties, which also included the provision of technical assistance to developing countries and 
countries  with  economies  in  transition.  Further  support  was  provided  to  the  following 
initiatives: 

 

 

the  Quick  Start  Programme  Trust  Fund  of  the  Strategic  Approach  to  International 
Chemicals  Management  (SAICM)77,  which  aims  at  supporting 
the  sound 
management of chemical and waste in order to minimise significant adverse impacts 
on the environmnet and human health; 

the Special Programme to support the institutional strengthening at the national level 
for  the  implementation  of  the  Basel,  Rotterdam  and  Stockholm  Conventions,  the 
Minamata  Convention  and  the  Strategic  Approach  to  International  Chemicals 
Management. 

2.4. 

Research and Development and the Framework Programmes 

Research and development is essential for the support of policies such as, inter alia, consumer 
protection or the protection of the environment. The Research Framework Programme (FP) is 
the main instrument for funding research and development in Europe.  

The Sixth Research Framework Programme (FP6) ran between 2003 and 2007 with a budget 
of  €17.5  billion.  Within  FP6,  37  projects  out  of  the  66  projects  funded78  addressed  some 
aspects  of  chemical  safety.  However,  a  smaller  number  of  projects  focused  on  exposure  to 
and  potential  health  impacts  of  POPs.  Table  8  (in  section  7  of  this  document)  shows  the 
research projects within the FP6; besides nine large-scale projects in FP679, the table focuses 
on projects with starting dates in 2007 and later.80  

The  Seventh  Framework  Programme  (FP7)  which  has  been  recently  replaced  by  Horizon 
2020,  ran  for  the  period  2007-2013  with  a  total  budget  of  over  € 50.5  billion  from  which 
€ 1.89  billion  was  attributedto  the  relevant  thematic  areas  of  ‘Environment  (including 
Climate Change)’, €1.94 billion to ‘Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology’ and 

77  
78  
79  

80  

http://www.saicm.org/index.php?ql=h&content=home)  
http://ec.europa.eu/research/environment/pdf/european_research_on_environment_and_health_fp6.pdf 
NORMAN  Network  of  reference  laboratories  and  related  organisations  for  monitoring  of  emerging 
environmental  pollutants;  OSIRIS  -  Optimized  strategies  for  risk  assessment  of  industrial  chemicals 
through  integration  of  non-test  and  test  information;  NEWGENERIS  -  Newborns  and  genotoxic 
exposure risks; DEVNERTOX - Toxic threats to the developing nervous system; PIONEER – Puberty 
onset  –  influence  of  nutritional,  environmental  and  endogenous  regulators;  ATHON  -  Assessing  the 
toxicity and hazard of non-dioxin-like PCBs present in food; CASCADE – Chemicals as contaminants 
in the food chain; PHIME  – Public health impact of long-term, low-level mixed element exposure in 
susceptible  population  strata;  BENERIS  –  Benefit-risk  assessment  for  food:  an  iterative  value-of 
information approach.  
The first ECIP summarizes the research projects of 6FP that were granted until beginning of 2007.  

34 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
€ 6.1  billion  to  ‘Health’.  These  thematic  areas  particularly  supported  research  on  projects 
related  to  POPs  (see  Table  7).  The  programmes  ‘Ideas’  (€7.5  billion  over  7  years)  and 
‘People’ (€4.7 billion over 7  years) of the  FP7 also  funded some projects  with  reference to 
POPs.  The  thematic  areas  and  programmes  are  indicated  in  Table  7  in  section  7  of  this 
document (second column). The primary aim of funding the 'Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, 
and Biotechnology' research theme under the FP7 was to build a European Knowledge Based 
Bio-Economy, KBBE being the abbreviation for this thematic area. 

Thirtyseven projects with POP relevance have been funded under the FP7 receiving around 
€143 million from the EU. Projects with POP reference have especially been funded within 
the  framework  of  the  thematic  area  ‘Environment’  –  22  projects–  as  it  included  the 
environment and health sub-activity. This sub-activity funded research to support EU policy 
initiatives  such  as  the  European  Environment  and  Health  Action  Plan  2004-2010,  the 
Community Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters, and the Stockholm Convention on persistent 
organic  pollutants  (POPs).  The  projects  funded  deal  with,  inter  alia,  harmonising  human 
(bio)monitoring,  in  Europe,  and  improving  the  understanding  of  environmental  and  human 
exposure  to  chemicals  such  as  PCBs  and  perfluorinated  compounds81  and  their  potential 
health effects.  

Within  the  thematic  strategy  ‘Food,  Agriculture  and  Fisheries,  and  Biotechnology’  / 
‘Knowledge Based Bio-Economy’, nine large POP-projects were funded, focussing on food 
safety  aspects  such  as  sampling  strategies  and  detection  methods  for  specific  foods  and  on 
quality  and  safety  assurance  of  feed.  Furthermore  under  this  thematic  area,  projects  are 
funded seeking alternative solutions to chemical pesticides.  

In  2007,  the  Commission  also  saw  the  need  to  examine  development  of  affordable 
alternatives to DDT to control malaria, e.g. by exploiting available biological knowledge on 
the mosquito vector. On the topic of “affordable alternatives for DDT”, no research project 
was granted within FP7. As for identification of substances that can be used as alternatives to 
POP,  there  is  one  research  project  on  substitution  options  for  specific  brominated  flame 
retardant.  

Horizon 2020 has taken over from FP7 with a new body of research planned for the period 
between 2014 – 2020. This is intended to have an overall budget of about €80 billion euros. 
Key overall themes for Horizon 2020 will include: 

 

the programme to  assist small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) for innovation 
(COSME); 

  a programme relating to consumer protection and products; 

 

the third health programme; 

  a research programme for coal and steel; 

 

the justice programme relating to civil and commercial matters; and 

  a programme for the promotion of agriculture products. 

Research  relating  to  POPs  will  feature  in  a  number  of  these  thematic  areas  with  key  work 
looking  at  monitoring  of  POPs  in  the  natural  environment82,  work  to  assist  with  the  de-

81  
82  

http://ec.europa.eu/research/environment/pdf/fp7_catalogue_eh.pdf.  
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/enlarg/med/horizon_2020_en.htm 

35 

 
 
                                                           
pollution of the mediterranean83, and the management of ‘POPs’ substances within consumer 
supply chains. 

2.4.1.  European Research Institutions including the JRC 

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) has been established as part of the European Commission in 
1958. As the Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre's mission is to 
provide  EU  policies  with  independent,  evidence-based  scientific  and  technical  support 
throughout  the  whole  policy  cycle.  Working  in  close  cooperation  with  policy  Directorates-
General,  the  JRC  addresses  key  societal  challenges  while  stimulating  innovation  through 
developing  new  methods,  tools  and  standards,  and  sharing  its  know-how  with  the  Member 
States, the scientific community and international partners. The JRC holds an annual budget 
of  around  €330  million  for  direct  support  to  EU  institutions  within  the  FP7  which  is 
distributed in seven institutes. Some of these have relevant projects with POPs.  

The JRC, for example, develops and provides testing methods and reference material also for 
POP  substances.  The  JRC  performs  monitoring  of  POPs,  supports  the  development  and 
standardization  of  analytical  protocols  in  the  frame  of  the  European  Committee  for 
Standardization and within the Water Framework Directive and supports the implementation 
of the Stockholm Convention at the EU level. The JRC provides access to several web-based 
information  tools,  for  example,  EASIS  (Endocrine  Active  Substances  Information  System) 
which  includes  results  from  different  scientific  studies  on  chemicals  related  to  endocrine 
activity  (https://easis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/)  as  well  as  IPCHEM  (Information  Platform  for 
Chemical Monitoring), which provides access to chemical occurrence data in various media 
(e.g. 
products) 
(https://ipchem.jrc.ec.europa.eu/). 

environment, 

food/feed, 

consumer 

humans, 

indoor 

and 

air 

The  JRC  also  elaborates  the  Best  Available  Techniques  Reference  Documents  (BREFs) 
based on the IPPC Directive initially and now based on the IED.  In the period 1997 – 2008 
32 BREFs8485 were drawn up under the IPPC Directive and will have to be updated under the 
IED with a view to adopting all BAT conclusions by 2020. In addition, a limited number of 
new BREFs have to be developed covering the activities that have been added to the scope of 
the  IED  as  compared  to  the  IPPC  Directive.  Under  the  IED,  the  BAT  conclusions  of  the 
BREF will be adopted as Commission Implementing Decisions86. Several of the BREFs also 
contain information on POPs and related BAT as well as the corresponding emission levels 
associated with the application of BAT (BAT-AELs). 

Moreover, the JRC performs multimedia monitoring of POPs at EU and global level, based 
on  the  monitoring  requirements  in  the  Stockholm  Convention.  In  addition,  it  provides 
guidance and experimental support to the "Toolkit Expert Group" in terms of the estimation 
of  worldwide  releases  of  unintentionally  produced  POPs.  The  JRC  also  developes  global 

83  
84  
85  

86  

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/enlarg/med/pdf/horizon2020/mid-term%20review%20EN.pdf 
The BREFs can be downloaded from the website of the European IPPC Bureau, http://eippcb.jrc.es/  
An additional document, the Management of Tailings and Waste-Rock in Mining Activities BREF, was 
developed under the framework of the Commission's Communication COM(2000) 664 on the 'Safe 
Operation of Mining Activities'. 
Commission Implementing Decision 2012/119/EU of 10 February 2012 laying down rules concerning 
guidance  on  the  collection  of  data  and  on  the  drawing  up  of  BAT  reference  documents  and  on  their 
quality assurance referred to in Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council 
on industrial emissions, OJ L 63/1, 2.3.2012 

36 

 
 
 
                                                           
emissions inventories  for greenhouse gases (GHGs), air pollutants (APs) and toxic pollutants 
such  as  mercury.  Recently  included  in  this  JRC  database  are  polycyclic  aromatic 
hydrocarbons 
and 
indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene),  dioxins&furans,  hexachlorobenzene  and  polychlorinated  biphenyls 
that  are  unintentionally  emitted  from  power  generation,  residential  and  transport  sectors; 
these emissions are estimated for all world countries for 1970-2012 period; global gridmaps 
of 0.1x0.1 degree resolution are also available. 

benzo[b]fluoranthene, 

benzo[k]fluoranthene 

(benzo[a]pyrene, 

Furthermore,  the  JRC  is  involved  in  several  research  activities  that  include  monitoring 
programmes  and  case  studies  for  inland  and  marine  waters,  ambient  air,  soil  including 
contaminated  sites,  sediments,  sewage  sludge,  compost,  food  and  biota,  as  well  as  multi-
media modelling of POPs.  

2.4.2. 

Supporting co-operation, co-ordination and networking  

Modern  research  in  a  global  environment  necessitates  co-operation  at  different  levels.  The 
fragmentation  of  Europe's  efforts  cannot  be  overcome  without  determined  actions  at 
European level. Taking up this challenge, the European Commission, Member States and the 
European  Parliament,  the  scientific  community  and  industry  are  committed  to  work  jointly 
towards the creation of a "European Research Area" (ERA) where innovation and trade could 
flourish for the benefit of the whole European Union. This effort was launched by a European 
Commission Green Paper in 2007 followed in 2008, by a new political partnership between 
the  Member  States  and  the  Commission  called  the  "Ljubljana  Process",  which  aimed  to 
overcome fragmentation and to build a strong ERA. 

Additionally as part of the Horizon 2020 planning, the EU created The European Network for 
Observing our Changing Planet (ERA-PLANET) in January 2016, which includes a network 
of  38  partner  organisations  from  14  EU  Member  States,  one  European  Economic  Area 
country and one associated country aiming at strengthening the European Research Area in 
the domain of Earth Observation in coherence with the European participation to Group on 
Earth Observation (GEO) and the Copernicus. The partners will reinforce the interface with 
user communities, whose needs the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) 
intends  to  address.  It  will  provide  more  accurate,  comprehensive  and  authoritative 
information to policy and decision-makers in four distinct topics of the ERA-PLANET that 
reflect the key societal benefit areas reflected in both GEO and Copernicus: Smart cities and 
Resilient societies; Resource efficiency and Environmental management; Global changes and 
Environmental treaties; Polar areas and Natural resources87. 

The  domains  will  address,  among  others:  chemical  pollution  by  persistent  contaminants, 
assessment  of  global  change  patterns,  impact  of  long-range  transport  of  air  pollutants  and 
their atmospheric deposition, challenging issues for cities and society such as urban growth, 
air  quality,  health  and  contaminated  sites  as  well  as  resource  efficiency  and  depletion.  The 
current  ERA-Planet  project  strives to  strengthen  the European leadership  within the current 
GEO 2015-2025 Work Plan. 

87  

ERA-Planet: http://eraplanet.meteo.noa.gr 

37 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
2.4.3.  Future research and innovation 

The Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), which is based 
in the Czech Republic, organised a global meeting for 50 world-leading researchers active in 
POPs research to address the future research needs and mark the ten years anniversary of the 
Stockholm  Convention  (22.-24.5.2011,  Brno,  Czech  Republic).  The  workshop  identified  in 
10  points  the  current  knowledge  gaps  and  urgent  research  needs  that  require  a  coordinated 
global  action  and  formulated  them  into  a  joint  scientific  declaration.  The  outcome  was 
Journal 
published 
(http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/es202751f).  

Environmental 

Technology 

Science 

and 

the 

in 

The ongoing discussion on the fate of newly listed POPs present in articles of everyday use 
and  on  the  associated  challenges  with  recycling  and  disposal  of  such  articles  will  certainly 
result in identification of additional research needs. Such research could also make use of the 
documents that address  how industry can improve information  on chemicals  in  articles that 
have been developed under the Chemicals in Products Project (CiP) (see section 2.2.5) 

Horizon  2020  and  in  particular  Societal  Challenge  1  “Health,  Demographic  Change  and 
Wellbeing”,  Societal  Challenge  2  “Food  Security,  Sustainable  Agriculture  and  Forestry, 
Marine, Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy” and Societal Challenge 5 
“Climate  Action,  Environment,  Resource  Efficiency  and  Raw  Materials”  provide  new 
opportunities  for  Research  and  Innovation  to  develop  new  solutions  to  prevent  and  detect 
POPs  contamination  and  toxicity  to  the  environment  and  human  health,  including  marine 
wastes, pesticides in agriculture and food products. 

As part of Horizon 2020, the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (EHBMI) has been 
created.  This  is  a  new  medium  term  European  initiative  whose  full  implementation  under 
Horizon 2020 will take place between 2016-2021, with an expected start in December 2016. 
The  objective  is  to  create  a  European  joint  programme  for  monitoring  and  scientific 
assessment of human exposures to chemicals and potential health impacts in Europe, building 
on  previous  activities  undertaken  at  EU  and  national  levels  with  a  special  focus  on  linking 
research to evidence based policy decision making.  

The aim of this  interdisciplinary initiative is  to assess the exposure of European  citizens to 
chemicals of concern through human biomonitoring (HBM), to link this information to data 
on  exposure  sources  and  epidemiological  surveys  and  to  promote  research  on  the  exposure 
response relationships in humans.  

In addition, it should coordinate HBM activities at national and EU level, promote capacity 
building and the spread  of best  practice, provide a platform through which harmonised and 
validated information and data collected at national level can be accessed and compared and 
support research and innovation (improving underlying methods and procedures, biomarkers 
etc).  Data  generated  will  be  included  in  the  Information  Platform  for  Chemical  Monitoring 
Data (IPChem platform) developed by the EU Joint Research Centre88.  

To  date,  the  preparatory  phase  conducted  in  2015  has  identified  nine  priority  groups  of 
chemicals  that  would  be  examined  in  detail  via  a  provisional  work  plan  for  2016;  this 
includes two sets of chemicals found in the Stockholm Convention - POP-BDEs and PFOS. 

88  

IPChem aims to support a coordinated approach to collecting, storing and accessing monitoring data on 
chemicals and chemical mixtures in humans and in the environment: 
http://ipchem.jrc.ec.europa.eu/#home-page 

38 

 
 
                                                           
2.5. 

Information Exchange, Public information, awareness and education 

The  EU  institutions  are  committed  to  ensuring  transparency  and  the  involvement  of 
stakeholders and the general public. This is stipulated in the Regulation 1049/2001 on public 
access  to  EU  documents  and  transparency  in  the  decision-making  processes  and  in  the 
communication from the Commission 2002/704 towards a reinforced culture of consultation 
and  dialogue.  The  public  access  to  environmental  information  is  specifically  laid  down  in 
Directive 2003/4/EC.  

The main instruments for transparency and information access are the Europa website and a 
specific website dedicated to POPs89. In addition the European Commission hosts databases 
such as Eur-Lex, statistic databases of Eurostat, the E-PRTR90, the EU pesticide database91, 
and  databases  of  EU  institutions  on  specific  topics  such  as  the  European  Chemical 
Substances  Information  System92.  The  Directorate  General  for  Environment  maintains  the 
POP-specific website containing information on Union legislation and POP-related research 
projects. Moreover, the European Environment Agency (EEA) publishes a substantial amount 
of information relevant to POPs93. 

In  addition  the  general  public  or  any  interested  stakeholder  can  have  access  to  certain 
information on the presence of SVHC substances94 in articles in the context of the REACH 
Regulation.  A  request  can  be  sent  to  the  supplier  of  an  article  who  has  to  provide  a  reply 
within 45 days95. 

Within SAICM, the EU has actively promoted the development of the Chemicals in Products 
Programme, which is a voluntary initiative designed to assist all stakeholders throughout the 
product life cycle who are seeking procedures for the exchange of information on chemicals 
in  products.  Stakeholders  include  businesses,  governments,  intergovernmental  agencies, 
recyclers, waste management actors, non-governmental organisations and consumer groups. 
The  programme  document96  explains  the  objectives  of  the  Programme’s  information 
exchange  system  and  describes  the  roles  and  suggested  responsibilities  of  stakeholders  in 
respect  of  the  exchange  of  chemicals  in  products  information  throughout  the  product  life 
cycle.  

The Guidance for stakeholders on exchanging information on chemicals in products has been 
created to support the Chemicals in Products Programme. It is intended to guide those who 
are designing  a chemicals-in-products  information system or those seeking to participate in 
an  existing  system.  It  is  also  aimed  at  guiding  stakeholders  who  require  assistance  in 
exchanging  information  on  their  chemicals  in  products  by  describing  the  steps  that  are 
commonly  taken  in  scoping,  designing  and  building  information  exchange  systems  on 
chemicals in products.  

89  
90  
91  
92  
93  
94  
95  
96  

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pops/index_en.htm  
http://prtr.ec.europa.eu/  
http://ec.europa.eu/sanco_pesticides/public/index.cfm  
http://ecb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/esis/  
http://glossary.en.eea.europa.eu/terminology/sitesearch?term=persistent+organic+pollutants  
According to Article 57 of the REACH Regulation; see also section 0. 
According to Article 33 of the REACH Regulation. 
SAICM, 2015, ‘The Chemicals in Products Programme’, 
http://www.unep.org/chemicalsandwaste/Portals/9/CiP/Documents/Chemical%20in%20Products%20P
rogramme.pdf 

39 

 
 
 
                                                           
Consultations  with  stakeholders  are  an  integral  part  of  the  Union’s  environment  policy  and 
provide the opportunity for authorities, civil society and individual citizens to provide input. 
Accordingly, the draft Implementation Plans are also subject to an open consultation process.  

In keeping with the EU’s principle of subsidiarity, public information, awareness raising and 
education  on  POPs  fall  within  the  remit  of  the  Member  States,  while  the  POP  Regulation 
urges  the  Member  States  to  provide  awareness  programmes  and  public  information.  A 
summary of the activities at Member State level can be found in the second synthesis report,97 
with the third synthesis report expected later in 2016.  

The Commission and Member States exchange information  at  regular Competent  Authority 
meetings  where  national  representatives  for  POP 
topics  are: 
implementation  of  the  Convention  and  the  POP  Regulation,  nomination  of  chemicals  that 
exhibit  POP  caracteristics  to  the  Stockholm  Convention,  exchange  of  information  on 
occurrence  and  elimination  of  POPs  and  data  gathering  via  reporting  obligations  under  the 
POP Regulation. 

issues  meet.  Core 

Stockholm Convention Regional Centres 

2.5.1. 
The Stockholm Convention has established a network of 16 regional centres globally98 with a 
mandate for knowledge transfer and awareness raising for the issues surrounding POPs. The 
network has an obligation to support information exchange on a global basis with individual 
centres  working  both  at  a  level  within  their  own  regional  geography  but  also  to  provide 
support to other areas of the planet where needed. Within the EU two such centres exist, one 
based  in  the  Czech  Republic  (RECETOX)  and  one  based  in  Spain  (The  Regional  Activity 
Centre  for  Sustainable  Consumption  and  Production  (SCP-RAC)).  Additionally  under  the 
Basel  Convention  a  regional  centre  with  similar  obligations  is  also  based  within  the  Czech 
Republic. 

The  two  Stockholm  Convention  regional  centres  located  in  the  EU  have  obligations  to 
support knowledge exchange and raise awareness; they also work to ensure that duplication 
of effort is avoided99. This means that those two regional centres have different core interests 
and  focus  as  well  as  promoting  knowledge  exchange  and  awareness  raising.  Details  of  the 
future  work  plans  2016  –  2019  for  both  centres  are  detailed  on  the  Stockholm  Convention 
website under the details for the individual centres100. 

RECETOX  has  supported  knowledge  exchange  through  a  series  of  ‘international  summer 
schools’ open to experts and general interest groups, with the latest event held in 2015101. A 
core  focus  of  the  centre  is  monitoring  of  POPs  within  the  natural  environment.  This  has 
included the development of the Global ENvironmental ASsessment and Evaluation System 

97  

98  

99  
100  
101  

BIO IS (2011): Technical Support on Reporting Obligations and Update of the Community Implemen-
tation Plan under POP Regulation. ENV.D.3/SER/2010/0068r. Synthesis report. June 2011. 
Stockholm Convention Regional Centres: 
http://chm.pops.int/Partners/RegionalCentres/Overview/tabid/425/Default.aspx 
Personal Communication, Recetox, 2016. 
http://chm.pops.int/Partners/RegionalCentres/Overview/tabid/425/Default.aspx 
http://www.recetox.muni.cz/index-en.php?pg=events--11th-summer-school-on-toxic-compounds-in-
the-environment-2015 

40 

 
 
 
                                                           
(GENASIS)102  web-portal,  which  provides  a  repository  of  environmental  monitoring  data 
from across Europe.  

SCP-RAC acts as the Stockholm Convention regional centre for the Mediterranean covering 
all  of  the  southern  European  Member  States,  but  also  countries  in  northern  Africa  and 
countries at the far east of the Mediterranean area bordering with the Middle East. The core 
focus of the SCP-RAC centre is sustainability and the elimination of POPs from the supply 
chain.  This  includes  review of both  production activities as well as the wider supply  chain. 
SCP-RAC have supported this process with provision of information for substituition detailed 
on the subsport website103 and input to the ‘SwitchMed’104 programme.  

3. 

OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE POPS ISSUE IN THE EU 

At  European  Union  level,  significant  progress  towards  the  elimination  of  POPs  has  been 
achieved.  Production  and  use  of  all  POP  substances  is  prohibited  with  some  minor 
exemptions that are decreasing. 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. 

The  following  sections  briefly  introduce  the  situation  in  the  EU  for  the  different  POP 
substances. 

3.1. 

POPs regulated before 2009 (“old POPs”) 

The term “old POPs” covers the substances listed in the Stockholm Convention or the POP 
Protocol and regulated by the POP Regulation at  EU level before 2008, i.e. before the new 
POP substances were listed in the Stockholm Convention or the POP Protocol in 2009, 2011, 
2013 and 2015 (cf. section 3.2). The data on old POPs presented in the following sections are 
based on the second synthesis report105 and draft version of the third synthesis report covering 
2007-2009  and  2010 – 2013 respectively; which includes all annual reports and the 2007-
2009 and 2010 - 2013 triennial reports of the Members States. 

3.1.1.  Production 

The old POPs are no longer produced in the EU.  

The specific exemption of the use of DDT in dicofol production has been withdrawn from the 
POP Regulation. This notes that dicofol itself has been found to meet the Annex D criteria for 
consideration  as  a  POP  under  the  Stockholm  Convention  (UNEP/POPs/POPRC.10/3).   The 
Commission  decided  on  the  non-inclusion  of  dicofol  in  Annex  I  to  Council  Directive 
91/414/EEC and on the withdrawal of authorisations for plant protection products containing 
that substance (2008/764/EC)106 in 2008. According to the Commission Decision, all existing 
authorizations for dicofol in plant protection products had to be withdrawn before 30 March 
2009.  National  registration  of  dicofol  was  no  longer  possible  after  March  2009.  Any 

102  

103  
104  
105  
106  

for  POPs  monitoring 

portal 
GENASIS  web 
en.php?pg=structure--genasis-information-system 
Subsport website http://www.subsport.eu/ 
SwitchMed website http://www.switchmed.eu/en 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pops/pdf/syntesis_report2.pdf  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:262:0040:0041:EN:PDF  

data: 

http://www.recetox.muni.cz/index-

41 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
transition  period  granted  by  the  Member  States  expired  by  30  March  2010.  Up  to  the  year 
2008,  dicofol  has  been  produced  by  Montecinca  SA.  at  Monzón,  Spain.  The  yearly 
production amounted to approx. 1500 tonnes. Production was discontinued in 2009, when the 
registration for Spain expired. Until 2009, dicofol107 was furthermore formulated and used in 
Italy108.  

3.1.2.  Use and placing on the market 

The use of the old POPs listed in Annexes A and B has been progressively phased-out in the 
EU.  The  specific  exemption  for  use  of  lindane  as  public  health  and  veterinary  topical 
insecticide  has  expired  in  the  EU  by  31.12.2007.  Remaining  uses  of  old  POPs  are  only  in 
articles that were produced and placed on the market before the entry into force of the POP 
Regulation  and  as  standards  for  research  purposes.  Both  remaining  uses  are  covered  by 
general  exemptions  granted  in  the  Stockholm  Convention  and  the  POP  Regulation.  Some 
illegal  placing  on  the  market  of  medicinal  products  containing  lindane  and  fireworks 
containing hexachlorobenzene has been reported by some Member States in the period 2008-
2010  and  again  in  2010-2013.  The  enforcing  authorities  of  the  Member  States  have 
intervened to stop these illegal practices and ensured a proper disposal of the products.  

3.1.3. 

Import and export 

Waste  containing  POPs  (e.g.  obsolete  pesticides  or  contaminated  equipments)  is  being 
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 are being undertaken in accordance with the provisions 
of the Stockholm Convention and they contribute to the overall reduction of POPs in the EU 
and globally.  

Some  illegal  imports  of  POPs  embedded  in  products  occurred  in  the  period  2007-2009. 
Lindane  was  imported  as  part  of  a  pharmaceutical  product  and  hexachlorobenzene  was 
imported  as  part  of  fireworks,  which  also  occurred  during  the  2010-2013  period.  As 
mentioned  in  the  sub-section  3.1.2,  the  enforcing  authorities  took  appropriate  measures  to 
prevent placing on the market of those products and ordered their elimination.  

There is very little export of POPs outside the EU. In the period 2007-2009, and 2010-2013, 
few kilograms of lindane have been exported from one Member State out of the EU under the 
exemption for standards for research purposes.  

3.1.4. 

Stockpiles and waste 

In  a  few  Member  States  there  are  still  stockpiles  of  obsolete  pesticides  which  contain  POP 
substances (or are most likely to) and for which production, use and placing on the market are 
now strictly forbidden under the POP Regulation. This stockpiles amount to less than 50.000 
tonnes, estimated to contain between 2.000 and 9.000 tonnes of POPs. Some stockpiles exist 
where the POP substances are embedded in formulations (this was reported for lindane and 

107  
108     http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/TaskForce/popsxg/2010/Exploration%20of%20management%20options%

Dicofol meets the Annex D criteria of SC 

20for%20Dicofol%20final.pdf 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Heptachlor).  Reported  stockpiles  are  subject  to  corresponding  management  measures. 
Additionally  issues  have  been  identified  with  contaminated  land  at  former  sites  of 
manufacture  which  in  turn  can  generate  waste  which  requires  management  during 
remediation works; this may be an issue in particular for sites where manufacture of lindane 
previously  took  place.  Another  example  described  by  Austria  relates  to  a  site  that  was 
manufacturing  chlorinated  solvents  and  acetylene  in  Southern  Austria.  Wastes  from  the 
production  line,  which  included  HCB,  were  deposited  in  the  grounds  with  slaked  lime.  In 
2001 the site was declared a contamination site of high priority, with the contaminated soil 
incinerated at a nearby cement kilm (at temperatures believed to be around 800 to 1000 °C). 
The careful management and irreversible destruction of POP containing wastes are managed 
as per the requirements of Annex IV and V of the POP Regulation.  

PCB disposal by end of 2010  

The Stockholm Convention has set an objective to eliminate the use of PCBs in equipment by 
2025 and to make determined efforts to achieve environmentally sound waste management of 
liquids and equipment contaminated with PCBs by 2028. 

At  European  level  the  aims  of  the Convention  are  incorporated  into  Directive  96/59/EC  on 
the disposal of PCBs and PCTs (cf. section 2.1.2). This places a requirement on all Member 
States  to  develop  registers  of  equipment  containing  more  than  5  dm3  of  PCBs  and 
communicate  the  registers  to  the  European  Commission.  Furthermore  the  PCB  Directive 
required the Member States to take action 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 PCB Directive, inventories of PCB-containing equipment, as well as 
action plans for their disposal and collection were compiled by all Member States. 

In  December  2011,  the  Commission  launched  a  survey  to  assess  what  progress  had  been 
made against this target, and requested the Member States to provide information about PCB 
wastes.  Additionally  in  2014  an  ex-post  evaluation  of  the  PCB  Directive109  also  assessed 
what  progress  had  been  made  towards  the  2010  target.  Both  the  2011  survey  and  2014 
evaluation  identified  that  good  progress  had  been  made  towards  the  identification  of  PCB-
containing equipment and disposal of PCB wastes within Europe, with some Member States 
close  to  meeting  the  2010  target,  particularly  for  the  EU15  Member  States.  However  most 
Member States had not met the target of decontamtion or disposal of liquids and equipment 
contaminated with PCB on registers by 31.12.2010.  

A number of reasons have been cited for difficulties in achieving this target in both the 2011 
survey  and  2014  ex-post  evaluation.  In  particular  the  survey  highlighted  issues  with 
identification of PCB-containing equipment with a lack of reliable and comparable data in the 
EU. Reporting has been in some cases incomplete and in some cases, the number of pieces of 
equipment  instead  of  the  PCB  content  (expressed  in  kg  or  tonnes)  were  reported.  Some 
Member States  did  not  distinguish  between  equipment containing more than 500 ppm  PCB 
and  equipment  containing  more  than  50  ppm  PCB,  as  is  listed  in  the  Directive.  Therefore 
analysis is required which can be costly. This is a position which can be further complicated 
where  di-electric  equipment  containing  heat  transfer  fluids  that  may  contain  PCBs  are 
‘topped  up’  to  replace  lost  fluids  with  non-PCB-based  oils.  This  does  not  remove  the 
contamination but only dilutes it. 

109 European Commission, 2014: Ex-post evaluation of certain waste stream directives. 

43 

 
 
                                                           
The  ex-post  evaluation  also  noted  that,  for  newer  Member  States  e.g.  Bulgaria  and  Croatia 
not benefiting from transition provisions in accession treaties, meeting the 2010 deadline was 
extremely challenging. However the ex-post evaluation also goes on to state that work is still 
ongoing  towards  the  overall  aims  of  of  the  PCB  Directive,  and  the  target  of  disposal  and 
decontamination  of  PCB-containing  equipment  can  be  expected  to  be  achieved  by  at  least 
90% of EU Member States in the coming years. 

The POPs  triennial synthesis report for the period 2010-2013, which is  based on data from 
submissions by Member States under Article 12 of the POP Regulation, highlighted that work 
to  identify,  remove  and  dispose  of  PCB-contaminated  liquids  was  still  ongoing  after  2010. 
However  again  where  different  approaches  to  quantifying  materials  have  been  used,  it  is 
difficult  to  comment  on  total  European  Union  quantities  that  are  still  existing  in  use  or 
stockpiles requiring disposal.  

POPs regulated from 2009 (“new POPs”) 

3.2. 
The new POPs are the substances that were listed in the Stockholm Convention at the 4th, 5th, 
6th  and  7th  Conference  of  the  Parties  (COP)  to  the  Stockholm  Convention  held  in  May 
2009110, in April 2011, in May 2013, and in May 2015 respectively, and in the POP Protocol 
at the 27th meeting of the Executive Body of LRTAP Convention held in December 2009111 
and  that  were  not  listed  in  any  of  these  instruments  before.  Thus,  the  new  POPs  are  tetra-, 
penta-, 
POP-BDEs), 
hexabromobiphenyl (HBB), isomers of hexachlorohexane including lindane (alpha, beta and 
gamma),  chlordecone,  pentachlorobenzene  (PeCB),  PFOS  (including  salts)  and  PFOSF, 
endosulfan,  short-chained  chlorinated  paraffins  (SCCPs),  hexachlorobutadiene  (HCBD), 
hexabromocyclododecane  (HBCDD)  and  polychlorinated  naphthalenes  (PCNs).  These 
substances have been included in the POP Regulation. Additionally at COP-7 the Stockholm 
Convention added pentachlorophenol (PCP) its salts and esters, which has not yet been added 
to the POP Regulation. 

(Polybrominated 

diphenylethers; 

hepta-BDE 

hexa-, 

and 

Prior  to  their  listing  the  new  POPs  were  subject  to  prohibition  or  severe  restrictions  in  the 
EU.  With  the  new  amendments  of  the  POP  Regulation,  certain  restrictions  go  further  than 
previously was the case in order to comply with the new international commitments. 

In this context it needs to be highlighted that HBCDD, POP-BDEs and PFOS in contrast to 
the other new POPs will continue to challenge the management of certain waste streams due 
to the long life-span of the major product groups containing them (e.g. vehicles, electronics), 
and due to the fact that they are contained in products that are still in use (ESWI 2011112).  

The following table gives a first overview on the situation concerning the new POPs. Please, 
note  that  the  figures  from  ESWI  are  estimates.  Further  information  on  the  individual 
substances is given in the sections below. 

110  

111  

112  

α-, β-, γ-HCH, chlordecone, HBB, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, and hepta- BDE, PeCB, PFOS (including salts) 
and PFOSF 
SCCPs  (short  chain  chlorinated  paraffins),  HCBD  (hexachlorobutadien)  and  PCN  (polychlorinated 
naphthalenes); http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/pops_h1.htm  
ESWI (2011): Study on waste related issues of newly listed POPs and candidate POPs. Service request 
under the framework contract No ENV.G.4/FRA/2007/0066. Final report of 13 April 2011 

44 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Substance 

Purpose 

Production 

Use /Stockpiles in Products 

Import 

Export 

Waste 

Emissions 

Table 5 

Overview on the new POPs (ESWI 2011) 

Chlordecone* 

Pesticide 

Hexacyclohex
ane – 
including 
lindane** 

Pesticide 

Endosulfan 

Pesticide 

Historical production 
began in the USA in 
the early 1950s. No 
EU manufacture but 
was marketed in the 
EU until 1993113. No 
current production 
expected  

Technical HCH 
(containing alpha and 
beta isomers) began 
production in the mid-
1940s. Vijgen et al 
estimate that 300,000 
tonnes of HCH 
including lindane was 
made and used in 
Europe between 1950-
2000114. 

Historic production in 
Europe amounted to 
10.000 to 50.000 
tonnes per year 
Production stopped 
latest in 2007 

No current use is reported 

Banned 

Banned 

No information 
available. 

No information 
available. 

No current use is reported. 

Banned 

Banned 

Potential 
significant 
contaminated 
land issue. For 
every 1 tonne 
of lindane 
produced up to 
10 tonnes of 
toxic waste 
containing 
HCH isomers 
was produced.  

No information 
available. 

No current use is reported. 

Banned115 

Banned  

No information 
available. 

No information 
available. 

Hexabromobip
henyl* 

Industrial 
Chemical 

Historical production 
within the USA from 
early to late 1970s. No 

No current use is reported. 

Banned 

Banned 

No information 
available. 

No information 
available. 

113  
114  

115  

Stockholm Convention Risk Management Evaluation (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.3/20/Add.2) 
Vijgen et al.. (2011). HCH as new Stockholm Convention POPs – a global perspective on the management of Lindane and its waste isomers. Env Sci Pollut Res. 18, 
152-162. 
http://ihcp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/our_databases/edexim 

45 

 
 
 
                                                           
Substance 

Purpose 

Production 
production in Europe, 
but was marketed in 
Europe. No current 
production 
expected.116 

Use /Stockpiles in Products 

Import 

Export 

Waste 

Emissions 

Tetrabromo-
diphenyl ether 
and penta-
bromodiphenyl 
ether 

Hexabromo-
diphenyl ether 
and hepta-
bromodiphenyl 
ether 

Perfluorooctan
e sulfonic acid 
(PFOS), its 
salts and per-
fluorooctane 
sulfonyl 
fluoride  

Industrial 
Chemical 

Production in the EU 
ceased in 1997 

Historical use in applications with a high 
lifetime, such as automotive and upholstery 
application that are still in use.  
Estimated amount of C-PentaBDE in automotive 
applications in 2010: 258,3 t 
Accumulated amount of C-PentaBDE in 
upholstery applications: 321 t. 
Estimated amount of C-PentaBDE in upholstery 
applications in 2010: 96.95 t 

No amount of 
C-PentaBDE in 
imported 
finished articles 

Estimated C-
PentaBDE 
exported in 
ELVs in 2010: 
4,1 t 

Industrial 
Chemical 

Production within the 
EU stopped in 1996/98 

Historical use in Acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene 
(ABS) polymers (95%) 
Estimated amount of C-OcteBDE in EEE 
applications in 2010: 258,3 t 

No amount of 
HexaBDE in 
imported 
finished articles 

Industrial 
Chemical 

Within the EU 
exemptions for 
specific uses 

Estimated current uses: the metal plating industry 
(6,500 kg/y), hydraulic fluids (730 kg/y), 
photographic industry (562 kg/y used +~1,280 kg 
from historical storage), semiconductor industry 
(9.3 kg/y), fire fighting foams (90t in stocks) 
Total sources 163 t/y and 1,730 t in product117 
(mainly from carpets) 

No information 
available, 
except for the 
photo industry: 
finished articles 
containing 
PFOS account 
for 150 kg/y 

(Illegal) E-
waste possibly 
contaminated 
with C-Octa-
BDE; amount 
of C-OctaBDE 
not quantifiable 
No information 
available, 
except for the 
photo industry: 
finished articles 
containing 
PFOS account 
for 250 kg/y   

C-PentaBDE in 
automotive 
waste:  
~243.3 t in 
2010 
C-PentaBDE in 
upholstery 
applications: 
91.3 t in 2010 

C-PentaBDE in 
automotive 
emissions:  
~15 t in 2010 
C-PentaBDE in 
upholstery 
emissions: ~6t 
in 2010 

128 t of C-
OctaBDE in 
2010 

c-OctaBDE 
emissions : ~3t 
in 2010 

163t PFOS in 
2010 

PFOS 
emissions: >1t 
in 2010 

Hexabromocyc
lododecane 

Industrial 
Chemical 

Production and use 
within Europe is 
subject to REACH 
Authorisation. 13 
companies were 

As of January 2016 only two applications are 
granted continued use: as a flame-retardant for 
expanded polystyrene boards and as a flame-
retardant in expanded polysyrene beads. The 
Authorisation granted is due to be reviewed in 

No current data 
post-REACH 
Authorisation 

No current data 
post-REACH 
Authorisation 

No information 
available. 

41kg 
per/annum to 
air and 35kg to 
water during 
production and 

116  
117  

Stockholm Convention Risk Management Evaluation (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.3/20/Add.3) 
Represents the existing stock of the substance in product in use.  

46 

 
 
                                                           
Substance 

Purpose 

Industrial 
Chemical; 
Intermediate 
in pesticide 
production; 
By -product 

Industrial 
Chemical 

Pentachlorobe
nzene (PeCB) 

SCCPs – short 
chain 
chlorinated 
paraffins 

Production 
granted Authorisation 
in 2016 for two 
specific 
applications.118 

Use /Stockpiles in Products 
August 2017. Data on usage rates post-January 
2016 unknown. 
Data from 2014119 suggested production rates of 
5,000 – 7,500 tonnes per annum. 

No intentional 
production or use 

Sources in Europe accounts for about 2,632 kg/y 
(dominated by the power production from coal) 

Import 

Export 

Waste 

Emissions 
530kg to 
air/560kg to 
water from use 
phase116. 

No information available120.  
In the POPRC risk profile for 
PeCB121 no trade or stockpiles 
have been reported. 

307,8kg PeCB 
in 2010 

PeCB 
emissions: 
~2.324t in 2010 

Use and placing on the 
market for some 
applications restricted 
since 2002 

Total sources ~ 2.151t and in used products 
22.132 t in 2010 

No information 
available. 

No information 
available. 

2.082t SCCPs 
in 2010 

HCBD – 
hexachloro-
butadiene 

Industrial 
Chemical 
By -product 

No use and production 
in EU; unintentional 
production as by-
product 

Total sources 506 kg in 2010  
Estimated amount of HCBD from the chlorine 
industry in 2010: ~500 kg 
Accumulated amount of HCBD from sewage 
sludge: ~6 kg 

No information 
available. 

No information 
available. 

500kg HCBD 
in 2010 

PCN - 
polychlorinate
d naphthalenes 

Industrial 
Chemical 
By -product 

No use and production 
in EU; unintentional 
production as by-
product 

Historical use mainly in the electrical industry 

No information 
available. 

No information 
available. 

3.240,74 kg 
PCN in 2010 

* The limited use of chlordecone and hexabromobiphenyl within Europe means the potential risk for release to environment is equally low. Further discussion is not provided within this section. 

**  The manufacture and use of hexachlorohexane including Lindane was significant in Europe. However the greatist issue now posed by this substance relates to contaminated land. Further discussion of HCH and 
lindane is provided in section 3.4.2 

118  
119  
120  
121  

ECHA news update: http://echa.europa.eu/view-article/-/journal_content/title/authorisations-granted-for-two-uses-of-hbcdd 
VECAP annual report: http://www.vecap.info/publications-2/ 
http://ihcp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/our_databases/edexim  
UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.7/9/Add.2, document No. 4, November 2007 

47 

SCCPs 
emissions: ~69t 
in 2010 

HCBD 
emission from 
the plastic 
industry to 
waste water in 
2008: 24 kg;  
no further 
information 
available 

PCN 
emissions: 
~12kg in 2010 

 
 
 
                                                           
3.2.1.  Endosulfan 

Endosulfan is an insecticide that has been used since the 1950s to control crop pests, tsetse 
flies and ecto parasites of cattle and as a wood preservative. Its production in the EU stopped 
in  2006/2007.  Export  was  allowed  to  continue  until  banned  by  Regulation  (EU)  649/2012. 
Germany was the second-largest endosulfan producer after India (approximately 4,000 tonnes 
per  year)  while  historic  production  in  Europe  amounted  to  10,000  to  50,000  tonnes  per 
year122. 

In  the  EU,  the  use  of  endosulfan  in  plant  protection  products  was  prohibited  in  2005. 
However,  by  way  of  derogation  from  the  provisions  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  1107/2009 
concerning  the  placing  of  plant  protection  products  on  the  market  under  special 
circumstances a Member State may authorise for a period not exceeding 120 days the placing 
of plant protection products containing endosulfan on the market for a limited and controlled 
use. Some Member States have made use of this for e.g. the use as an insecticide for hazelnut 
(harmful  organism  –  Curculio  nucum),  the  use  as  rodenticide  for  rape,  orchards,  stalky 
cereals crops (harmful organisms – Microtus arvalis) or the use in plant protection products 
and in antifouling products. 

As  a  consequence  of  listing  of  Endosulfan  in  Annex  A  of  the  Stockholm  Convention,  its 
production,  placing  on  the  market  and  use  has  been  banned  by  adding  it  to  the  appropriate 
Annex of the POP Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 850/2004). Further information such as 
relating to endosulfan stockpiles in the EU Member States is not available. 

3.2.2.  Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether  

Tetrabromodiphenyl  ether  (TetraBDE)  and  pentabromodiphenyl  ether  (PentaBDE)  were  the 
main components of commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether (C-PentaBDE) an additive flame 
retardant.  Since  1997,  TetraBDE  and  PentaBDE  have  no  longer  been  produced  in  the  EU 
(ESWI 2011) but they continued to be used for some time in certain articles. 

The  use  and  placing  on  the  market  of  C-PentaBDE  was  banned  in  the  EU  in  2004  by 
Directive 2003/11/EC123. Since June 2009, these restrictions for C-PentaBDE were included 
in REACH Annex XVII on restrictions on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of 
certain  dangerous  substances,  preparations  and  articles  by  the  Regulation  552/2009124.  The 
RoHS Directive 2011/65/EC125 inter alia restricts the use of Polybrominated Diphenylethers 
(POP-BDEs)  in  electrical  and  electronic  equipment  (EEE).  The  maximum  concentration 
values in new EEE is 0.1 % by weight (1,000 ppm) in homogeneous material and applies to 

122  

123  

124  

125  

Risk  profile  and  risk  management  plan  by  the  POP  RC  (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/10/Add.2  and 
UNEP/POPS/POPRC.6/13/Add.1) 
Directive 2003/11/EC of the European Parliament And Of The Council of 6 February 2003 amending 
for  the  24th  time  Council  Directive  76/769/EEC  relating  to  restrictions  on  the  marketing  and  use  of 
certain  dangerous  substances  and  preparations  (pentabromodiphenyl  ether,  octabromodiphenyl  ether) 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:042:0045:0046:EN:PDF  
Commission Regulation (EC) No 552/2009 of 22 June 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 
of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  the  Registration,  Evaluation,  Authorisation  and 
Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards Annex XVII;  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:164:0007:0031:EN:PDF  
Directive  2011/65/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  And  Of  The  Council  of  8  June  2011  on  the 
restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment 
(recast)  

48 

 
 
 
                                                           
 
the sum of PBDE congeners. Tetra- and Penta-BDEs, the main components of C-PentaBDE, 
are now regulated by the POP Regulation which bans their production, placing on the market 
and use.  

Derogation  is  granted  for  production,  placing  on  the  market  and  use  of  electrical  and 
electronic equipment within the scope of RoHS Directive, i.e. the EEE must comply with the 
maximum concentration values. A further derogation is granted for the production, placing on 
the  market  and  use  of  articles  and  preparations  containing  concentrations  below  0,1  %  of 
TetraBDE or PentaBDE by weight when produced partially or fully from recycled materials 
or materials from waste prepared for re-use. 

Further,  relevant  legal  documents  on  EU-level  addressing  PBDE  is  the  Water  Framework 
Directive  2000/60/EC126  and  the  PRTR  Regulation  (EC)  No  2006/166127.  An  annually 
averaged  EQS  for  inland  surface  waters  has  been  established  for  the  sum  of  PBDE 
congeners128 of 0.0005 g/L and 0.0002 g/L for other surface waters. 

The most common use of C-PentaBDE in Europe was in flexible polyurethane foam (95%) 
that was mainly used for upholstery and automotive applications, thus applications with long 
expected  lifetimes  (see  footnote  104).  For  these  two  sectors  the  overall  discharge  of  C-
PentaBDE in Europe was estimated by ESWI 2011 to be 355 t/y with an overall distribution 
of the discharge of ~6 % (21 t/y) as emissions and ~94 % (334 t/y) for waste.  

Two  samples  of  automotive  shredder  residue  (ASR)  taken  from  the  2014  Composition, 
Recycling  and  Recovery  Trial  for  End  of  Life  Vehicles  in  the  Republic  of  Ireland  were 
analysed  for  a  range  of  metals  and  POPs129.  The  study  determined  that  POP-BDEs  were 
present  ranging from  103 to  197  g/kg (sum of tetra-, penta-, hexa- and hepta- congeners). 
The  sample  contained  shredder  waste  from  ELVs  with  an  average  age  of  15  years,  with  a 
range of between 10 and 26 years old.The contribution to the waste is ~105 t/y for TetraBDE 
and ~200 t/y for PentaBDE. 
As for automotive applications, assuming a lifetime of 12 years and a phase out in 2000130, 
the  majority  of  C-PentaBDE  in  automotive  applications  should  already  have  entered  the 
waste  stream131.  However,  there  maybe  some  variability  across  Europe,  for  example,  in 
Bulgaria over 57% of cars are over 15  years old. ESWI (2011) estimated the amount of C-
PentaBDE present in automotive applications in the EU at 28 t in 2015. As for waste, ESWI 
estimated that of the 243.3 t of C-PentaBDE present in automotive waste in 2010, ~98.5 t was 

126  

127  

128  
129  

130  

131  

Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a 
framework for Community action in the field of water policy 
Regulation  (EC)  No  166/2006  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  18  January  2006 
concerning  the  establishment  of  a  European  Pollutant  Release  and  Transfer  Register  and  amending 
Council Directives 91/689/EEC and 96/61/EC 
Sum of 28 (tri), 47 (tetra), 99 (penta), 100 (penta), 153 (hexa) and 154 (hexa) 
ELV Environmental Services CLG (ELVES, 2016) Analysis of Automotive Shredder Residue from the 
Composition,  Recycling  and  Recovery  Trial  for  End  of  Life  Vehicles  in  the  Republic  of  Ireland 
(http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/attachments/analysis_of_asr_from_the_irish_elv_compos
ition_trial_feb_2016.pdf) 
According  to  information  from  the  European  Automobile  Manufacturers  Association  (ACEA),  the 
automotive industry voluntarily phased out C-PentaBDE latest from 2000 even though the legislative 
ban came into force only in 2004. 
Other  assumptions  could  be  made  that  could  lead  to  different  estimations:  According  to  information 
from a car recycler, the average age of ELVs in the Netherlands is 16 years. Assuming a corresponding 
lifetime  and  a  phase  out  in  2004,  the  majority  of  C-PentaBDE  in  automotive  applications  would  be 
disposed of around latest 2020. 

49 

 
 
                                                           
landfilled,  incinerated  without  energy  recovery,  ~17  t  was  incinerated  with  energy 
recoveryand ~ 29.0 t was recycled.  

Additional information provided by Germany to support the SC suggested that the stockpile 
of vehicles manufactured prior to 2000 will decline gradually with a significant proportion of 
the waste from  end-of-life vehicles being incinerated. The reuse of car parts in  Germany is 
thought  to  be  minimal  and  no  recycling  facilities  were  identified  where  potentially  POP 
containing  material  can  enter  into  newly  formed  products.  Estimates  of  the  mass  flow  of 
POP-BDEs  in  the  waste  stream  from  the  automotive  industry  in  2010  were  1096  kg  for 
TetraBDE  and  2108.8  kg  for  PentaBDE.  Emissions  resulting  from  this  mass  flow  were 
estimated to be 69 kg and 127.3 kg for TetraBDE and PentaBDE, respectively. 

The accumulated amount of C-PentaBDE in upholstery applications for 2014 is estimated at 
0 t, however in 2010 it was estimated to have been 321 t. The ESWI (2011) report stated that 
the upholstery sector contributed about 97 t/y, with approximately 91.3 t of C-PentaBDE in 
upholstery applications estimated to have been treated in the EU in 2010. The C-PentaBDE 
entering  the  waste  stream  in  2010  was  landfilled  (~61.3  t),  incinerated  without  energy 
recovery (~18.4 t) and incinerated with energy recovery (~11.6 t). With an assumed lifetime 
of 10 years all C-PentaBDE in upholstery applications should have already entered thewaste 
stream (by 2014). 

Additional  information  provided  by  Germany  to  support  the  SC  confirmed  that  2004  was 
considered the latest time that POP-BDEs would have been used in products. The mass flow 
of  POP-BDEs  in  EEE  in  the  wastestream  in  2010  were  estimated  to  be  1.41  t,  2.22  t  and 
13.35 t for PentaBDE, HexaBDE and HeptaBDE, respectively. 

As regards the relevant exports, no further information is available. 

3.2.3.  Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether 

Hexabromodiphenyl  ether  (HexaBDE)  and  heptabromodiphenyl  ether  (HeptaBDE)  are  the 
the  commercial  octabromodipehyl  ether  mixture  (C-OctaBDE). 
main  congeners  of 
Production of these substances has ceased within the EU in 1996/98. 

The  main  historical  use  of  C-OctaBDE  was  as  a  flame  retardant  in  Acrylonitrilebutadiene-
styrene (ABS) polymers with a concentration between 10-18 % by weight (95% of its use in 
the EU compared to 70% globally). ABS in turn was mainly used for housing of Electrical 
and  Electronic  Equipment  (EEE),  typically  office  equipment  and  business  machines. 
Throughout  the  90’s  C-OctaBDE  in  ABS  was  increasingly  replaced  by  alternative  flame 
retardants such as Tetrabromobisphenol A. There was also a shift from ABS (1990s) towards 
PC/ABS and HIPS for outer casings.  

Additional  information  provided  by  Germany  to  support  the  SC  provided  estimates  of  the 
mass  flow  of  POP-BDEs  in  the  waste  stream  from  the  automotive  industry  in  2010.  These 
were 479 kg for HeptaBDE and 1208 kg for HexaBDE. Emissions resulting from this mass 
flow were estimated to be 23.2 kg and 32 kg for HeptaBDE and HexaBDE, respectively. 

Like  C-PentaBDE,  the  use  of  C-OctaBDE  was  banned  in  the  EU  in  2004  by  the  Directive 
2003/11/EC  and  in  June  2009  by  inclusion  in  Annex  XVII  of  the  REACH  Regulation 
(Regulation  552/2009).  Furthermore,  the  placing  on  the  market  of  electrical  and  electronic 
equipment containing C-OctaBDE is also regulated under the RoHS Directive (2011/65/EU). 
Hexa- and Hepta-BDEs including in C-OctaBDE are now regulated by the POP Regulation 

50 

 
 
 
which  bans  their  production,  placing  on  the  market  and  use.  Derogation  is  granted  for 
production, placing on the market  and use of electrical and electronic equipment within the 
scope of RoHS Directive, i.e. the EEE must comply with the maximum concentration values. 
A further derogation is granted for the production, placing on the market and use of articles 
and  preparations  containing  concentrations  below  0,1  %  of  HexaBDE  or  HeptaBDE  by 
weight  when  produced  partially  or  fully  from  recycled  materials  or  materials  from  waste 
prepared for re-use. 

The annual amount of C-OctaBDE mainly from  electronics entering the environment in the 
EU  was  estimated  by  ESWI  (2011)  to  be  approximately  131  t  in  2010,  of  which  128  t  are 
contained  in  end-of-life  equipment  (corresponding  to  ~8  t/y  of  PentaBDE,  ~8  t/y  of 
HexaBDE  and  ~45  t/y  of  HeptaBDE)  and  3  t  are  emitted  directly  from  the  products 
According  to  one  scenario  included  in  the  ESWI  study,  out  of  these  128  t  of  C-PentaBDE 
wastes, 66 t were incinerated, 40 t were landfilled and 23 t recycled. Alternatively a different 
scenario  based  on  the  assumption  that  C-OctaBDE-contaminated  plastics  from  the  waste 
electronics  fraction  are  incinerated  as  specified  by  the  WEEE  Directive  (2002/96/EC), 
resulted in 128 t (the contaminated plastic waste fraction) being incinerated (ESWI 2011). 

According to the ESWI study, it is estimated that all C-OctaBDE contained in EEE will have 
been disposed of by the end of 2012. 

A  significant  amount  of  used  and  end-of-life  electrical  and  electronic  equipment  (EEE)  is 
being  illegally  exported  outside the EU, most of it being  declared as still functioning  EEE. 
For instance, a recent study published by the German UBA and German Federal Ministry for 
Environment,  Nature  Conservation  and  Nuclear  Safety132  indicates  that  in  2008  between 
93,000 t and 216,000 t were exported from the port of Hamburg (Germany) to non-European 
destinations. Other studies carried out in Ghana and Nigeria – two of the main destinations of 
these exports where approximately 85% of the EEE imports originate from the EU – suggest 
that a significant portion of these products are either repaired locally and reused as second-
hand-products  (70%)  or  directly  recycled  by  informal  scrap  metal  workers  (30%).  In  both 
cases, end-of-life management is largely unregulated and frequently makes use of open fires 
to  liberate  copper  from  wire  insulation  or  to  reduce  plastic  waste  volumes,  generating 
significant amounts of POPs (Prakash & Manhart 2010133, Manhart et al. 2011134, Schluep et 
al. 2011135). 

In the EU, there are indications that only few full scale e-waste recycling facilities separate 
plastics  containing  PBDE  as  required  by  EU  legislation.  For  instance,  one  facility  with 
automatic separation step for WEEE plastic containing halogens (including BFRs) is known 

132  

133  

134  

135  

Sander, K.; Schilling, S. (2010): Transboundary shipment of waste electrical / electronic equipment / 
electronic scrap – Optimization of material flows and control.   
http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-
medien/mysql_medien.php?anfrage=Kennummer&Suchwort=3933   
Prakash,  S.;  Manhart,  A.:  Socio-economic  assessment  and  feasibility  study  on  sustainable  e-waste 
management in Ghana. Öko-Institut e.V., Freiburg, 2010. 
Manhart, A.; Osibanjo, O.; Aderinto, A.; Prakash, S.: Informal e-waste management in Lagos, Nigeria 
–  socio-economic  impacts  and  feasibility  of  international  recycling  co-operations.  Lagos  &  Freiburg, 
2011. 
Schluep, M.; Manhart, A.; Osibanjo, O.; Rochat, D.; Isarin, N.; Müller, E.: Where are WEee in Africa? 
Findings from the Basel Convention E-Waste Africa Programme. Geneva, 2011. 

51 

 
 
                                                           
in  Switzerland  (UNEP  2011)136.  Therefore,  there  are  some  doubts  whether  the  capacity  of 
European  WEEE  recycling  plants  for  separation  of  PBDE  (BFR)  containing  plastic  from 
other  plastic  are  currently  sufficiently  developed  to  separate  a  major  part  of  PBDE/BFR 
containing plastic waste stream. 

Furthermore,  thermoplastics  (i.e.  mainly  outer  casings)  separated  from  waste  EEE  is  also 
being exported to non-European countries on a regular basis, where it is used as recyclate for 
the plastics industry, which might in some cases lead to cross-contamination of products and 
thus unintentional POPs-production through improper end-of-life treatment of these products 
(Manhart 2012137).  

Also,  screening  of  plastic  products  in  China  has  revealed  that  even  sensitive  uses  like 
children  toys  (Chen  2009)138  along  with  household  goods  (Chen  2010)139  can  be 
contaminated with PBDE and other BFRs. The PBDE concentrations in the toys were below 
the  threshold  limit  (1000  ppm)  required  by  the  European  Commission’s  Restriction  of 
Hazardous  Substances  (RoHS)  and  Waste  Electrical  and  Electronic  Equipment  (WEEE) 
directives in all of the toys, except for one hard plastic toy with a total PBDE concentration of 
5.3 mg/g. Human exposure from the presence of POP-BDEs in household products from the 
Pearl River Delta region of South China was estimated to be low when compared to exposure 
via the inhalation of indoor air. 

These data suggest that the flow of plastics recovered from WEEE and containing PBDE is 
not currently being properly controlled in European recycling operations.  

3.2.4.  Perfluorooctane  sulfonic  acid  (PFOS),  its  salts  and  perfluorooctane  sulfonyl 

fluoride 

Perfluorooctane  sulfonate  is  a  fully  fluorinated  anion,  which  is  commonly  used  as  a  salt  or 
incorporated into larger polymers.  

The use of PFOS, its salts and other derivatives has been restricted in the EU since 2008 by 
Directive 2006/122/EC140. These restrictions were later taken up in REACH Annex XVII by 
Regulation (EC) 552/2009. Now, the production, placing on the market and use of PFOS, its 
salts and other derivatives is regulated under the POP Regulation. Exemptions granted by the 
POP  Regulation  are  significantly  less  numerous  than  in  the  Stockholm  Convention,  as 

136 

137  
138 

139  

140  

In the “Technical Review of the Implications of Recycling Commercial Pentabromodiphenyl Ether and 
Commercial Octabromodiphenyl Ether” for the POP Reviewing Committee (UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/2 
and UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/INF/6) such information has been compiled including information on 
facilities operated. 
Personal Communication, 24.2.2012 with Andreas Manhart – EEE expert. 
Chen S.-J., Ma Y.-J., Wang J., Chen D, Luo, X.-J. Mai, B.-X. (2009). Brominated Flame Retardants in 
Children's Toys: Concentration, Composition, and Children's Exposure and Risk Assessment. Environ 
Sci Technol 43(11): 4200- 4206 
Chen, S.-J., Ma, Y.-J., Wang, J., Tian, M., Luo, X.-J., Chen, D. Mai, B.-X. (2010). Measurement and 
human exposure assessment of brominated flame retardants in household products from South China. 
Journal of Hazardous Materials 176(1-3): 979-984 
Directive 2006/122/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 amending 
for  the  30th  time  Council  Directive  76/769/EEC  on  the  approximation  of  the  laws,  regulations  and 
administrative  provisions  of  the  Member  States  relating  to  restrictions  on  the  marketing  and  use  of 
certain dangerous substances and preparations (perfluorooctane sulfonates); 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:372:0032:0034:EN:PDF  

52 

 
 
 
                                                           
 
alternatives  are  available  for  many  of  those  uses.  The  derogation  for  PFOS  was  given  for 
production and placing on the market for the following uses until 26 August 2015 (a) wetting 
agents for use in controlled electroplating systems; (b) photoresists or anti-reflective coatings 
for photolithography processes; (c) photographic coatings applied to films, papers, or printing 
plates;  (d)  mist  suppressants  for  non-decorative  hard  chromium  (VI)  plating  in  closed  loop 
systems; (e) hydraulic fluids for aviation. 

The  production  of  PFOS  in  the  EU  was  phased  out  between  2000  and  2004  although 
exemptions  were  provided  for  in  the  POP  Regulation  which    resulted  in  limited  on-going 
production in Germany and Italy. At its seventh meeting in May 2015 the COP (decision SC-
7/1) noted that there were no longer any parties registered for the specific exemptions for the 
production and use of PFOS, its salts and PFOSF for carpets, leather and apparel, textiles and 
upholstery,  paper  and  packaging,  coatings  and  coating  additives  and  rubber  and  plastics, 
Under  the  Stockholm  Convention  specific  exemptions  with  registered  parties  remain  for 
photo masks in the semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) industries, Metal plating 
(hard metal plating), Metal plating (decorative plating), Electric and electronic parts for some 
colour printers and colour copy machines, and   Insecticides  for control  of red fire ants and 
termites. 

Estimates of uses within the EU for 2010 includes the metal plating industry (6,500 kg/y), use 
in  hydraulic  fluids  in  the  aviation  industry  (730  kg/y),  the  photographic  industry  (562  kg/y 
used + ~1,280 kg from historical storage) and semiconductor industry (9.3 kg/y). PFOS has 
also  been  present  in  fire  fighting  foams  (90  t  in  stocks)although  these  stocks  should  have 
been destroyed by 27 June 2011. There are also historical stockpiles of PFOS from use in the 
photographic  industry  (1,280  kg)  (ESWI  2011).  In  the  past  PFOS  was  used  as  a  surface-
active  agent  in  different  applications  and  products,  in  coatings  and  coating  additives,  in 
carpets  and  textiles,  in  rubber  and  plastics,  in  upholstery  and  in  the  leather  industry.  Such 
products  with  an  expected  long  lifetimeare  likely  to  eventually  enter  the  waste  stream  i.e. 
carpets or (leather) upholstery.  

The carpet sector dominates the major waste streams accounting for ~93% of the total PFOS 
generated  from  all  sectors.  The  waste  stream  generated  from  use  of  fire  fighting  foams 
accounts  for    ~4  %  although  all  stocks  should  have  been  disposed  of  by  2011.  Leather 
production and the metal plating industry each account for ~1 % % of the PFOS waste stream 
with  the remainder  generated by the photographic industry  and hydraulic fluids  used in  the 
aviation industry(ESWI 2011)141.  

The  majority  of  PFOS  waste  is  currently  disposed  of  to  landfills  for  non-hazardous  waste 
(63%) followed by non-hazardous incineration (31%). It is estimated that only 1.31 % of all 
PFOS  containing  waste  is  currently  reused  or  recycled.  The  remaining  PFOS  containing 
waste is destroyed in hazardous waste incineration plants (ESWI 2011).  

3.2.5.  Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB)  

Pentachlorobenzene  (PeCB)  was  listed  as  new  POP  in  Annex  A  and  C  of  the  Stockholm 
Convention  in  May  2009.  It  is  now  regulated  by  the  POP  Regulation  which  bans  its 
production, placing on the market and use.  

141  

All figures in this section are estimations made by ESWI 2011 

53 

 
 
 
                                                           
Therefore,  it  is  not  being  intentionally  produced  or  used  anymore  within  the  EU.  Historic 
intentional  uses  within  Europe  comprised  the  application  together  with  polychlorinated 
biphenyls  (PCBs)  in  electrical  equipment,  as  flame-retardant  and  as  intermediate  in  the 
production of the pesticide quintozene. ESWI (2011) estimated that the current most relevant 
source  of  PeCB  production  and  emission  are  incineration  and  combustion  processes  of 
different  wastes/materials including coal142. Emissions of PeCB to the environment (mainly 
air and to a lesser degree soil) were estimated from ESWI to approximately 2,324 kg/y with 
the  main  contribution  resulting  from  power  production  from  coal  (ca.  83%)  followed  by 
domestic burning of solid fuels, wood and mixed wastes (8%).  

Within the E-PRTR data-set only a limited number of sites across Europe report the emission 
of pentachlorobenzene to air for the period 2007 – 2012; no emissions of pentachlorobenzene 
were  reported  for  2013  (published  May  2015).  In  all  but  two  of  the  reported  cases  the 
emissions have been linked to manufacture of iron and steel, particularly the manufacture of 
pig iron. The other reported minor sources were a waste water treatment works, and a plant 
for the processing of vegetable and animal matter.  

The reported releases to air for pentachlorobenzene in the iron and steel manufacture sector 
range from 0.3 to 1.8 tonnes per annum, based on three metal facilities reporting per annum 
for 2008 to 2010, and two in 2011. 

PeCB  release  to  water  reported  in  E-PRTR  (2007  -  2013)  illustrates  a  small  number  of 
sources  with  waste  water  treatment  works,  petroleum  refineries,  and  hazardous  waste 
treatment  reported  in  almost  every  year  (oil  and  gas  refineries  were  not  reported  in  2013). 
However  the  inventory  for  the  2007-2013  period  is  dominated  by  one  facility  within  the 
organic  chemicals  manufacture  sector  which  reported  releases  of  PeCB  to  air  of  640  kg  in 
2009.  From the E-PRTR information it could not be decided whether this release stemmed 
from current production or from deposits of the site. However, the associated water release of 
88 kg of HCH  from  the same site indicate that larger releases stem  from deposits  and thus 
most  probably  the  PeCB  releases  also  stem  from  deposits.  It  is  known  that  organochlorine 
production  of  certain  solvents  (tetrachlorometane,  tetrachloroethene  and  trichloroethene) 
have generated and often deposited tonnes of HCB/PeCB waste (UNEP 2010)143.  

The  E-PRTR  data  shows  that  these  solvents  are also  being  released  from  the  same  factory, 
which  further  supports  the  hypotheses  that  the  reported  case  is  a  release  of  PeCB  from  a 
HCB/PeCB  deposit  from  former  tetrachlorometane,  tetrachloroethene  and  trichloroethene 
production.  

The importance to inventory and to assess HCB/PeCB waste deposits was emphasised in the 
POPs inventory session at Dioxin 2011 in Bruessels (Weber et al. 2011b)144. These releases 
constitute most of the EU PRTR 2009 water releases and more than 50% of total PRTR 2009 
PeCB  releases.  Furthermore,  a  recent  review  on  the  future  relevance  of  POPs  deposits 
highlighted the necessity to assess the impact of flooding risks of such sites in particular in 
the context of increased flooding in recent years and in future occurring in Europe triggered 

142 

143  

144  

If waste incinerators and coal boilers would have the estimated emission of ESWI (2011) estimate they 
would have to report to PRTR. This inconsistency should be clarified. 
Stockholm Convention (2010): Information document for the 6th POP Reviewing Committee meeting 
(UNEP/POPs/POPRC/6/INF/21). 
Weber R, Watson A, Malkov M, Costner P, Vijgen J (2011) Unintentionally produced 
hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene POPs waste from solvent production – the need to 
establish emission factors and inventories. Organohalogen Compounds 73. 

54 

 
 
                                                           
by  climate  change  (Weber  et  al.  2011)145  .This  is  also  underpinned  by  a  case  from  Czech 
Republic  where  the  releases  of  HCB  and  PeCB  have  and  are  contaminating  the  river  Elbe 
sediments (Heinisch et al. 2006)146. For this site the releases have not been included yet in the 
PRTR system. The possible high impact of PeCB release from organochorine production and 
deposits  (in  particular  specific  solvents)  was  also  highlighted  by  a  recent  POP  Reviewing 
Committee Document (UNEP 2010)  

As a comparison to the reported release from organic chemicals manufacture, the emissions 
from  waste  water  treatment  works  across  the  EU  contributed  between  1.5  and  120  kg  of 
PeCB  per  year  with  an  average  of  40kg  per  annum  for  the  period  2007-2013.  Petroleum 
refineries  contributed  between  2  and  120  kg  per  annum  with  an  average  of  42  kg  for  the 
timeframe 2007-2012 within the E-PRTR data. 

3.2.6. 

SCCPs – short chain chlorinated paraffins 

Short  chain  chlorinated  paraffins  (SCCPs)  are  already  regulated  in  the  EU  since  2002  by  a 
restriction of the use of SCCPs for metal working fluids and fat liquoring as substances or as 
constituents  of  other  substances  or  preparations  in  concentrations  higher  than  1%147.  This 
restriction  was  taken  up  in  REACH  Annex  XVII.  Furthermore,  SCCPs  (Alkanes,  C10-13, 
chloro) were included in the candidate list for REACH Annex XIV because of their PBT and 
vPvB properties. Following the inclusion of SCCPs in the POPs Protocol SCCPs were listed 
in Annex I of the POP Regulation (Commission Regulation (EC) No 519/2012148). 

Since July 2012, the production, use and placing on the market of SCCP is forbidden by the 
POP Regulation. Uses for SCCPs have included application in paints, adhesives and sealants, 
plastics  and  rubber,  flame  retardants  as  well  as  textiles  and  polymeric  materials  (e.g.  PCB 
substitute in gaskets).  

There are on-going derogations contained in the POP Regulation, which include the on-going 
production, placing on the market and use of substances or preparations containing SCCPs in 
concentrations  lower  than  1%  by  weight.  There  are  also  derogations  allowing  the  use  of 
SCCPs as fire retardants in rubber used in conveyor belts in the mining industry and in dam 
seleants.  In  order  to  make  use  of  these  derogations  Member  States  have  to  report  to  the 
Commission by no later than 2015 (and every four years thereafter) progress to eliminate the 
use of SCCPs. The listing of SCCPs was amended in 2015 by Commission Regulation (EU) 
2015/2030149, in order to further restrict their use. 

The rubber industry (conveyor belt, gaskets, hoses) was the main application of SCCP (1,254 
t/y) followed by the sealants and adhesives sector (459 t/y) and by the paints and varnishes 
sector (337 t/y). The textile industry covered only a small fraction of the overall used amount 
of SCCP (31 t/y).  

145  

146  

147  

148  
149  

Weber  R,  Watson  A,  Forter  M,  Oliaei  F.  (2011)  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants  and  Landfills  –  A 
Review of Past Experiences and Future Challenges. Waste Management & Research 29 (1) 107-121. 
Heinisch  E,  Kettrup  A,  Bergheim  W,  Wenzel  S.  (2007)  Persistent  chlorinated  hydrocarbons,  source-
oriented  monitoring  in  aquatic  media.  6.  Strikingly  high  contaminated  sites.  Fresenius  Environ  Bull 
16(10): 1248-1273. 
Directive 2002/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 amending for the 
twentieth  time  Council  Directive  76/769/EEC  relating  to  restrictions  on  the  marketing  and  use  of 
certain dangerous substances and preparations (short-chain chlorinated paraffins) 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:159:0001:0004:en:PDF 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32015R2030&rid=1 

55 

 
 
 
                                                           
The relevant waste flows have been established for all of the sections and the corresponding 
figure represents that the highest share of non-hazardous waste comes from landfilling (66%) 
followed by incineration with about 20%.  

Also leather which has been impregnated with SCCP in the past can enter the waste stream 
due to its long lifetime.  

The total SCCP containing waste amount (without sewage sludge) sums up to about 44 kt/y.  

The relative distribution of environmental emissions from investigated sectors in the EU is as 
follows:  The  most  important  source  of  emissions  is  volatile  and  particulate  releases  from 
sealants and adhesives (42 % or 36 t/y) followed by rubber (31 % or 25 t/y) as well as from 
paints and varnishes (21 % or 17.4 t/y) and textiles (5% or 4.1 t/y) (ESWI 2011). 

3.2.7.  HCBD – hexachlorobutadiene 

HCBD is listed as priority hazardous substance in the Water Framework Directive, for which 
discharge,  emission  or  loss  must  cease  or  be  phased  out.  Nevertheless,  the  inclusion  of 
HCBD  in  the  POPs  Protocol  has  triggered  the  obligation  to  take  up  HCBD  in  the  POP 
Regulation which is however still to be implemented.  

The  intentional  use  and  production  of  HCBD  has  not  occurred  in  Europe  for  many  years 
(UNECE  2007).  HCBD  is  mainly  formed  as  an  unintentional  by-product  during  several 
industrial processes (as a solvent for rubber and other polymers, in heat transfer fluids, as a 
transformer liquid  or hydraulic fluid). However  available information  about  these industrial 
processes is scarce.  

Nowadays,  the  most  important  source  of  HCBD  is  due  to  the  manufacture  of  chlorinated 
solvents through chlorolysis of tri- and tetrachloroethene, tetrachloroethylene and tetrachloro-
methane. The estimated amount of HCBD produced during this process varies between ~0.7 
kg/year up to possible ~500 kg/year (ESWI 2011).  

Urban  waste-water  treatment  plants  are  a  second  main  source  of  HCBD  (E-PRTR  2007  - 
2013).  HCBD  in  waste  water  treatment  works  accumulate  in  the  sewage  sludge.  A  total 
amount  of  HCBD  which  ends  up  in  the  sewage  sludge  in  all  28  EU  Member  States  is 
estimated to be approximately 6 kg/year. It must be noted here that this estimation is based on 
sewage  sludge  contamination  data  from  China  since  no  data  from  European  facilities  were 
identified (ESWI 2011). 

Unintentional production and releases from the plastic (PVC) industry may be relevant, but 
specific data is not available yet.  

HCBD is and has been produced as by-product of certain chlorinated solvent production and 
is among the prime pollutants of “Hexachlorobenzene” wastes deposited in 10,000 tons scale 
from such productions in the past. Therefore such waste deposits can be considered to be the 
largest stock of HCBD (ESWI 2011).  

3.2.8.  PCN – polychlorinated naphthalenes 

PCN was added to the POP Regulation by Regulation (EC) 519/2012 which coincides with 
addition of PCN to the UNECE POPs Protocol. Wastes containing PCN are characterised as 
hazardous waste under Annex VIII entry A3180 of the Basel Convention. Furthermore as of 

56 

 
 
 
 
2014 Regulation (EC) 1342/2014 amending annexes IV and V of the POP Regulation sets in 
place  critical  thresholds  for  PCN  to  identify  those  wastes  characterised  as  being  POPs-
contaminated and requiring destruction that irreversibly destroyes PCN.   

PCNs  are  a  group  of  substances  based  on  the  naphthalene  ring  system  and  they  are 
structurally similar to the PCBs. PCNs are no longer commercially produced in the EU. They 
were produced in the past as mixtures of several congeners and with different product names 
e.g.  Halowax,  Nibren  Waxes,  Seekay  Waxes  and  Cerifal  Materials  (UNECE  2007)150.  The 
main use of PCNs was in the electrical industry as separators in storage batteries, capacitor 
impregnates,  as  binders  for  electrical  grade  ceramics  and  sintered  metals,  and  in  cable 
covering  compositions.  They  have  also  been  used  for  impregnation  of  wood,  paper  and 
textiles to attain water proofness, flame resistance and protection against insects, moulds and 
fungi.  Furthermore,  they  were  used  as  additives  in  gear  and  cutting  oils,  in  lacquers  and 
underwater paints and as raw material for dyes151.  

PCN are currently formed mainly unintentionally during various thermal processes (UNECE 
2007). As PCNs exhibit similar formation  properties as PCDD/Fs, unintentional  production 
during incineration processes as municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI), hospital waste 
incineration, domestic burning, or different metal processing steps such as secondary copper 
production, secondary aluminium production, magnesium production as well as iron sintering 
and  electrical  arc  furnace  processes  for  iron  production  are  of  relevance.  Moreover,  the 
accumulation in sewage sludge from diffuse sources is a relevant pathway (ESWI 2011).  

The total waste amount is estimated about 3,200 kg of PCN (ESWI 2011). The main waste 
stream  found  its  way  into  the  recycling  and  recovery  channel  (about  90%).  Emissions  of 
polychlorinated naphthalenes to the environment amount to approximately 12 kg/year. 

3.2.9.  Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) 

HBCDD is a brominated flame retardant which has to date been extensively used across the 
EU  within  expandable  polystryrene  (EPS)  and  extruded  polystyrene  (XPS)  insulation 
boarding  used  within  roof  and  cavity  wall  insulation.  HBCDD  also  has  a  more  limited 
application  (around  1%  of  total  HBCDD  use)  as  a  flame  retardant  for  use  in  high  impact 
polystryrene (HIPS) used for mouldings and housings of  electrical  goods such as  computer 
monitors and CRT based televisions. 

Following the Stockholm Convention review process for candidate substances, HBCDD was 
added  to  Annex  A  of  the  Convention  in  2013  following  the  fifth  conference  of  the  parties 
(COP5)  with  full  entry  into  force  in  November  2014.  HBCDD  has  been  listed  in  the  POP 
Regulation by Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/293152. 

The manufacture and use of chemical  goods within Europe is controlled under the REACH 
Regulation. HBCDD had already been identified as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) 

150  

151  

152  

UNECE (2007): Exploration of management options for Polychlorinated Naphthalenes (PCN) Paper 
for the 6th meeting of the UNECE CLRTAP Task Force on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Vienna, 4-6 
June 2007. 
http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/TaskForce/popsxg/2007/6thmeeting/Exploration%20of%20manageme
nt%20options%20for%20PCN%20final.doc.pdf  
Jakobosson, E.; Asplund, L. (2000): Polychlorinated Naphthalenes (PCNs), The Handbook of Environ-
mental Chemistry Vol. 3 Part K, New Types of Persistant Halogenated Compounds, Chapter 5, 2000. 
OJ L 55, 2.3.2016, p. 4. 

57 

 
 
 
                                                           
at  the  time  of  its  addition  to  the  Stockholm  Convention,  and  has  been  subject  to  the 
authorisation process, meaning permissions for specific applications were required for future 
use  in  the  Union.  In  January  2016  authorisation  was  given  to  thirteen  companies  for  two 
specific applications for use as a flame retardant in expanded polystyrene boarding and use as 
a  flame  retardant  in  the  manufacture  of  expanded  polystyrene  beads  (Commission 
Implementing Decision C(2015) 9812 final)153. The review period for these Authorisations is 
two years and the authorisation may be assessed again in August 2017. The sunset date for 
HBCDD was August 2015.  

3.3. 

Unintentionally produced POPs 

Releases of unintentionally produced POPs (UPOPs) remain an important POP source in the 
EU. Where regulation  and policy have identified and reduced the emissions from  industrial 
sources  over  the  past  two  decades,  diffuse  sources  linked  to  for  example  domestic 
combustion or open burning of waste become increasingly important UPOPs sources.  

However such sources can be more difficult to monitor and tackle.  Reduction and phase out 
of these emissions is complex, indeed impossible in the case of most thermal sources and of 
emissions from open burning. Furthermore, the sources of unintentionally produced POPs are 
rather  disperse  and  thus  measures  cannot  be  as  targeted  as  for  intentionally  produced  and 
used POPs.  

Member  States  extensively  reported  monitoring  data  for  the  release  of  unintentionally 
produced  POPs  into  the  air,  water  and  soil  using  three  methodologies:  Stockholm 
Convention’s  emission  inventories,  E-PRTR's  and  EMEP's.  A  remarkable  amount  of  infor-
mation  is  available  on  air  and  water  emissions,  in  particular  from  the  E-PRTR  and  EMEP 
databases that are standardised, user-friendly and are readily available in electronic form for 
analysis.  Yet,  however,  there  have  only  been  few  cases  of  reported  data  related  to  the 
Stockholm Convention methodology. One possible reason for this lack of reported data may 
relate to the difficulty in accurately acconting for activity data in diffuse sources e.g. quantity 
of  waste  burnt  on  open  fires  for  an  entire  nation.  The  Stockholm  Convention  has  aimed  to 
assist inventory compilers through the provision of guidance material such as the dioxins and 
furans toolkit154. 

3.3.1.  Estimation and monitoring of emissions 

the  Stockholm  Convention  or 

The regulated emissions to air, water and soil of the unintentionally produced POPs listed in 
the  POP  Protocol 
Annex C  of 
(hexachlorobenzene,  pentachlorobenzene,  polychlorinated  biphenyls,  polychlorinadetd 
dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are registered in 
the  European  Pollutant  Release  and  Transfer  Register  (E-PRTR).  Furthermore,  EMEP  is 
monitoring and modelling UPOPs levels in air for the EMEP region and is compiling the air 

in  Annex  III  of 

153  

154  

ECHA  news  update:  http://echa.europa.eu/view-article/-/journal_content/title/authorisations-granted-
for-two-uses-of-hbcdd 
UNEP,  2005,  ‘Standardized  Toolkit  for  Identification  and  Quantification  of  Dioxin  and  Furan 
Releases’ 

58 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
inventories  (EMEP  2011).155  This  inventory  data  for  the  air  vector  is  made  publically 
available through the webdab database: http://www.ceip.at/ 

The establishment of the E-PRTR database is based on the European Pollutant Release and 
Transfer Register Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 (see section 2.1.7). The E-PRTR database156 
contains  reported  data  from  approximately  28,500  facilities  from  the  EU-28  and  Iceland, 
Liechtenstein,  Norway,  Serbia  and  Switzerland  in  65  economic  activities  for  91  pollutants, 
including  the  unintentionally  produced  POPs  that  are  covered  under  the  Stockholm 
Convention and the POP Protocol from 2007 to 2013 (see Table 7). 

Table 6 

Emissions of unintentionally produced POPs according to E-PRTR 

(PCDD + PCDF as TEQ) 

POP substance 

Year 

Air 

Water  

Soil 

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-
dioxins (PCDD) and 
Polychlorinated dibenzofurans 
(PCDF) 

Main sources 

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) 

Main sources 

Pentachlorobenzene 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2007 
2008 
2009 
2010 
2011 
2012 
2013 

2007 
2008 
2009 
2010 
2011 
2012 
2013 

1,2 kg I-TEQ 

11.7 g I-TEQ 

213,0 g I-TEQ 

1,6 kg I-TEQ 

23,4 g I-TEQ 

2,0 g I-TEQ 

0,8 kg I-TEQ  

240,9 g I-TEQ* 

No data available 

1,4 kg I-TEQ 

297,7g I-TEQ 

No data available 

0,6 kg I-TEQ 

31,7g I-TEQ 

No data available 

2,6 kg I-TEQ 

74,9 g I-TEQ 

No data available 

2,4 kg I-TEQ* 

52,8 g I-TEQ 

No data available 

Production and processing 
of metals 

Production and 
processing of metals 

Production and 
processing of metals 

86,0 kg 
259,0 kg 
42,3 kg 
20,5 kg 
125,4 kg 
No data available 
42.2 kg 

120,0 kg 
93,0 kg 
63,9 kg 
72.5 kg 
78.9 kg 
88.3 kg 
25.1 kg 

Chemical industry waste 
and wastewater 
management 

Waste and wastewater 
management 

No data available 
1,8 kg 
348,0 kg 
569,0 kg 
508,0 kg 
1,5 kg 
No data available 

16,5 kg 
36,1 kg 
661,0 kg 
387,0 kg 
24,0 kg 
222,5 kg 
90,3 kg 

No data available 
No data available 
No data available 
No data available 
No data available 
No data available 
No data available 

- 

No data available 
No data available  
No data available 
No data available 
No data available 
No data available 
No data available 

155  

156  

Gusev  A.,  Dutchak  S.,  Rozovskaya  O.,  Shatalov  V.,  Sokovykh  V.,  Vulykh  N.  Aas  W.,  Breivik  K. 
Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Environment. EMEP Status Report 3/2011; June 2011. 
http://prtr.ec.europa.eu/pgAbout.aspx  

59 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
POP substance 

Year 

Air 

Water  

Soil 

Main sources 

Production and processing 
of metals 

Chemical Industry, 
Waste and waste water 
management, Energy 
sector 

Polychlorinated Biphenyls 
(PCBs) 

Main sources 

Polycyclic aromatic carbons 
(PAHs) 

2007 
2008 
2009 
2010 
2011 
2012 
2013 

2007 
2008 
2009 
2010 
2011 
2012 
2013 

190,0 kg 
159,0 kg 
552,0 kg 
547,0 kg 
513.0 kg 
63,9 kg 
87,9 kg 

36,8 kg 
185,5 kg 
222,3 kg 
76,6 kg 
69,0 kg 
90,7 kg 
31,7 kg 

Production and processing 
of metals, mineral 
industry 

Waste and waste water 
management (urban 
waste-water treatment 
plants) 

182,2 t 
135,3 t 
69,7 t 
99,0 t 
86,4 t 
60.5 t 
56,7 t 

8,6 t 
6,2 t 
4,7 t 
3,9 t 
4,0 t 
5,4 t 
2,9 t 

Main sources 

Production and processing 
of metals 

Production and 
processing of metals 

*data based on review and removal of any significant outliers 

- 

24,4 kg 
29,5 kg 
516,0 kg 
20,0 kg 
16,3 kg 
4,1 kg 
0.5 kg 
Waste and waste water 
management, Animal 
and vegetable products 
from the food and 
beverage sector 

101,3 kg 
17,4 kg 
130,3 kg 
98,3 kg 
32,4 kg 
No data available 
No data available 
Waste and waste water 
management, 
production and 
processing of metals 

E-PRTR  data  are  not  suitable  for  establishing  trends  since  reporting  data  can  vary  between 
different years depending on which plants report, recognising that the E-PRTR makes use of 
reporting thresholds which means the number of facilities that are required to report can also 
vary year on year. Even for those facilities above the reporting threshold the datasets held by 
the E-PRTR are also rather incomplete at least for several UPOPs. This can be seen e.g. for 
PeCB with just 8 facilities reporting or for HCB where just 6 facilities reported. Part of the 
reason  for  this  incomplete  picture  may  relate  to  the  level  of  understanding  for  UPOPs 
substances within the operators that complete the returns for the E-PRTR. This is particularly 
important for operators when assessing whether a source exists or not, and to aid with making 
sense of the values derived for real world emissions. 

For  a  number  of  the  UPOPs  released  to  given  vectors  (air,  water,  land)  and  years  a  small 
number of sites  with  unusally high reported emissions can have a significant  impact  on the 
overall annually reported data. In some cases the data reported suggests potential errors such 
as unit errors. For example one site in the 2013 E-PRTR data-set reports an emission of 114 
tonnes of dioxins and furans to air which is clearly incorrect. On other occasions the reporting 
of data could be due to problems at the plant or genuine reasons for why an emission might 
be high. For example one facility with a high release of PeCB to water of 640 kg reported in 
2009 had,, for all other years in the E-PRTR database (2007-2013), PeCB emissions from this 
facility below the reporting threshold (1 kg). Comparison to other inventories such as those 

60 

 
 
 
reported  to  the  European  Commission  for  Article  12  of  the  POP  Regulation  suggests  this 
value is high but not outside the bounds of possibility. However, it is unclear whether in this 
case the reported value is genuine or an error.  

Furthermore  the  E-PRTR  makes  use  of  reporting  thresholds  below  which  operators  are  not 
required to submit data. However it is less clear when examining data for UPOPs why some 
facilities  provide  data  where  others  do  not.  For  example  looking  at  2009  data  where  two 
metal  manufacture  facilities  report  emissions  of  PeCB  amounting  to  100  and  200  kg 
respectively, while other facilities did not report any PeCB emissions at all, which assuming 
the  reported  data  is  correct  would  mean  that  all  other  metal  manufacturer  facilities  have 
emissions of PeCB less than 1kg per annum.  

The examples alluded to highlight why examining time trends within the E-PRTR dataset are 
currently difficult and need a detailed systematic assessment of reporting facilities.  

According to the official and unofficial emission data considered by EMEP, total emissions 
of PCDD/Fs within the EMEP domain decreased by 60% in the period from 1990 to 2012. 
PCDD/F  emissions  within  the  Northern  Hemisphere  (EMEP  region,  the  USA  and  Canada) 
declined by 50% during the same period (Figure 7).  

Based  upon  the  UNECE  data  for  2012  on  air  emissions  covering  PCDD/F,  maximum 
emission  reduction  within  the  period  took  place  in  the  Netherlands  (97%),  the  Czech 
Republic (96%), France (95%), Romania (95%), Germany (91%), and Belgium (90%). 

As  regards  the  emission  estimate  data  it  should  be  noted  that  despite  the  improvements 
achieved  in  the  past  years  uncertainties  in  the  emission  estimations  remain  to  be  relatively 
high,  particularly  in  relation  to  emission  factors  and  activity  rates.  A  review  of  the  POPs 
emission  inventories  submitted  under  the  UNECE  in  2012157  highlighted  that  a  number  of 
inventories  had  key  source  gaps,  particularly  for  HCB  and  PCB.  The  same  review  also 
identified issues with transparency with a range of emission factors in use for similar sources 
which highlighted differences between data reported by different Member States. 

the  comparison  of  measured  and  modelled  data 

for  dioxins  and 
In  addition, 
hexachlorobenzene revealed that modelled data underestimated measured  air concentrations 
by  a  factor  of  5  and  more  (EMEP  2011).  According  to  EMEP,  the  underestimation  can  be 
related  to  the  incompleteness  of  available  emission  data,  underestimation  of  the  role  of 
secondary emission sources, differences in congener profiles and general underestimation of 
emissions.  Thorough  analysis  of  contemporary  and  historical  emissions  is  thus  needed  to 
refine the assessments of pollution levels.  

The  exposure  of  the  population  to  unintentionally  produced  POPs  is  addressed  by  the  food 
and  feed  regulations  (see  section  2.1.4)  and  by  the  Directive  2004/107/EC  on  ambient  air 
pollutants (see section 2.1.4). 

3.3.2.  Addressing industrial sources 

The  core  instrument  covering  the  environmental  performance  of  industrial  installations 
(covering  emissions  to  air,  water  and  land  and  generation  of  waste)  is  the  Industrial 
Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU (IED). The emission limit values, parameters or equivalent 

157  

Whiting, 2012, ‘Inventory Review 2012 - Review of POP emission inventories’, report by the Centre 
for Emission Inventories and Projections (CEIP) 

61 

 
 
 
                                                           
technical measures to be set in the permits of the installations covered have to be based on the 
Best  Available  Techniques  (BAT).  The  BAT  are  described  and  defined  at  EU  level  in  the 
Best  Available  Techniques  REFerence  Documents  (BREFs  documents)  which  can  be 
downloaded from the website of the European IPPC Bureau158. The BAT conclusions are the 
part of the BREF laying down the conclusions on best available techniques, their description, 
information to assess their applicability, the emission levels associated with the best available 
techniques,  associated  monitoring,  associated  consumption  levels  and,  where  appropriate, 
relevant  site  remediation  measures.  This  is  the  document  that  is  formally  adopted  by  the 
Commission under the IED.  In the area of POPs, relevant BAT conclusions recently adopted 
include those for: 

Iron and steel production; 

 
  Cement, lime and magnesium oxide production;Refining of mineral oil and gas; 
  Pulp and paper production; 
  Tanning of hides and skins. 

The  BAT  conclusions  for  non-ferrous  metals,  which  are  also  relevant,  have  already  been 
adopted;  and  the  BAT  conclusions  for  large  combustion  plants  should  follow  shortly  (see 
Commission Implementation Decision EU 2016/1032 on the Industrial Emissions Directive). 
Other  relevant  sectors,  for  which  BREFs  have  been  adopted  previously  under  the  IPPC 
Directive include ferrous metals, waste incineration smitheries and foundries and. As for the 
status of these documents (as of June 2015): 

  Ferrous metal processing: Review has been on hold, but restarted in 2016. As part of 
the process a call for initial responses was published with a deadline of April 2016. 

  Waste incineration: Review started in January 2015. 
  Smitheries and foundries: Not currently under review. BREF document is from 2005. 

The  BAT  conclusions  are  to  be  the  reference  for  the  permitting  authorities  in  setting 
conditions for installations covered by the IED. In this context, emission limit values have to 
be  set  by  the  competent  authorities  for  all  relevant  pollutants  that  can  be  emitted  from  the 
installations. The technical working groups involved in the information exchange leading to 
the drafting or revision of the BREFs and the Commission co-ordinating the process will for 
each of the sectors concerned assess which pollutants are to be dealt with in the BREF and 
BAT  conclusions  contained  therein  and  will  endeavour  to  exchange  information  on  the 
techniques  to  prevent  or  reduce  emissions  of  those  pollutants,  including  their  performance 
and costs. However, the information exchange is a voluntary process, so it will depend on the 
information  that  is  provided  by  the  stakeholders  or  can  be  gathered  by  the  European  IPPC 
Bureau.  It  may  not  always  be  the  case  that  all  'relevant'  pollutants  in  the  context  of  an 
individually  permitted  installation  will  be  covered  by  the  BREFs  and  it  will  be  up  to  the 
competent authorities concerned to determine the additional pollutants for which an emission 
limit value may need to be set at the installation level. 

All  waste  incineration  and  co-incineration  facilities  are  covered  by  Chapter  IV  of  the  IED 
which  includes  special  provisions  for  waste  incineration  and  co-incineration  plants159.  The 
IEDsets limit values for emissions of PCDD/F to air (0.1 ng /Nm3) and water (0.3 ng/l).  

158  
159  

http://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ 
Since  7  January  2014  Directive  2010/75/EU  on  industrial  emissions  repealed  and  replaced  the 
Directive 2000/76/EC on incineration of waste.  

62 

 
 
 
                                                           
In 2010, CEN has adopted part 4 of the standard EN 1948 for the determination of the mass 
concentration  of  PCDDs/PCDFs  and  dioxin-like  PCBs  from  stationary  source  emissions 
(covering sampling and analysis of dioxin-like PCBs). 

Combustion  plants  (other  than  those  incinerating  waste)  with  a  rated  thermal  input  of  less 
than 50 MW are not covered by the IED. The IED includes a review clause in Article 73(2) 
according  to  which  the  Commission  shall  review  the  need  to  control  emissions  from  these 
installations  and  shall  report  the  results  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council 
accompanied by a legislative proposal, if appropriate. The review has already been performed 
and the Commission has submitted a new Directive on the limitation of emissions of certain 
pollutants  into  the  air  from  medium  combustion  plants,  the  directive  was  adopted  on  25 
November  2015160.  The  proposed  directive  targets  combustion  plants  with  a  rated  thermal 
input greater than 1MW and less than 50MW. It aims to reduce emissions of SO2, NOx and 
particulate matter but does not covers POPs. 

3.3.3.  Addressing domestic sources 

Domestic sources are also important for the release of unintentional POPs. The Commission 
has  issued  a  study  on  “Information  Exchange  on  Reduction  of  Dioxin  Emissions  from 
Domestic  Sources”161.  The  key  messages  regarding  labelling  were:  “Eco-labelling  schemes 
for solid fuel fired domestic appliances are established or planned in 10 Member States. The 
focus is on energy efficiency, low CO and dust (PM) emissions. Effects on dioxin and furan 
emisisons are only indirect (reduced fuel consumption via increased energy efficiency).” The 
Commission published the results of the study in a brochure in order “to stimulate awareness 
raising, exchange of good practice as well as to encourage development of new solutions and 
measures”162. 

In this  respect,  currently under the EuP  Directive a preparatory study on “Solid Fuel  Small 
Combustion  Installations”  (Lot  15)  has  been  undertaken.  The  study  concluded  that  no 
measures with regards dioxins and furans will be taken.  

Recently  it  has  been  described  (Grochowalsky  (2010))  that  use  of  copper  catalysts  that  are 
marketed in some European countries for cleaning domestic ovens increases the dioxin and 
furan emission from a domestic source by several orders of magnitude. Even assuming that 
only a small percent of the population would use such a catalyst, the release from this already 
relevant source could considerably increase. Therefore, the desirability of such practice might 
need to be examined. 

3.4. 

Information on the state of knowledge on stockpiles and contaminated sites 

Since the production of most POPs ended some years ago, only a minor part is still in use in 
the  anthroposphere.  However,  exposure  of  humans  and  the  environment  can  continue  from 
landfills,  dumps,  stockpiles  or  contaminated  sites  where  a  large  part  of  the  POPs 

160  

161  

162  

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:a66f7f82-77a9-11e3-b889-
01aa75ed71a1.0023.04/DOC_1&format=PDF 
BIPRO  (2009):  Information  Exchange  on  Reduction  of  Dioxin  Emissions  from  Domestic  Sources. 
REFERENCE: 070307/2007/481007/MAR/C4. FINAL REPORT. 09 April 2009.  
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/dioxin/pdf/report09.pdf  
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/dioxin/pdf/brochure09.pdf  

63 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
environmental  burden  has  been  deposited  or  stored  (Weber  et  al.  2008163,  Weber  et  al. 
2011164).  Therefore  the  identification  and  assessment  of  POPs  contaminated  sites,  deposits, 
their on-going presence in products such as sealants and paints along with an assessment of 
their current impact is a crucial part of assessing POPs exposure risk and management needs.  

The  European  Environmental  Agency  estimated  that  potentially  polluting  activities  have 
occurred  at  nearly  3  million  sites  and  stressed  that  investigation  is  needed  to  establish, 
whether remediation is required (European Environment Agency 2007), while some Member 
States have now developed registers of contaminated land sites to manage the issue, notably 
the  Netherlands  and  Finland.  In  this  overview  report  it  was  however  not  mentioned  how 
many of these sites have POPs as a main contaminant.  

Monitoring  under  the  Water  Framework  Directive,  particularly  if  done  in  biota  and/or 
sediment, should increasingly contribute to knowledge of the contamination of water bodies 
with several of the POPs and thus support the targeting of remediation. 

3.4.1.  PCB contaminated sites and deposits 

A  number  of  the  POPs  considered  under  the  Stockholm  Convention  are  associated  with 
consumer goods which will enter the waste stream at the end of their useful lives. As a result, 
there has been a significant flow of POPs into landfills across Europe. Weber et al. (2011)165 
suggested that such practise results in an on-going source of POPs to the wider environment 
(particularly groundwater and rivers) via leaching and flooding. The authors suggest that the 
legacy of previous industrial production coupled with (historically) poor waste management 
and  landfill  management  has  resulted  in  an  important  and  long-term  source  of  POPs  to  the 
environment. 

Measurement data for PCBs in  ambient  air has  suggested that urban  areas represent an on-
going source of POPs to the environment. Diefenbacher et al (2016)166 carried out a passive 
air sampling campaign in Zurich in 2011 and 2013 reporting concentrations of a range of six 
indicator PCB congeners ranging from 54 to 3160 pgm-3. A correlation between ambient air 
concentrations and the number of buildings built between 1955 and 1975 was suggested by 
the authors to demonstrate that PCB containing building materials such as sealants represent 
on-going important primary sources. 
Jartun et al. (2009)167 undertook a study involving the analysis of PCBs in old paint samples 
from  Bergen,  Norway  and  reported  concentrations  of  PCBs  up  to  3.4  g/kg.  Estimates  of 
historical use of PCBs in Norway suggested that out of the 1140 tonnes used in applications, 
approximately 5% (7.8 tonnes) were used in paint applications. PCB samples collected from 

163  

164  

165  

166  

167  

Weber R, Tysklind M., Gaus C. et al. (2008) Dioxin- and POP-contaminated sites—contemporary and 
future relevance and challenges. Env Sci Pollut Res 15, 363-393. 
Weber R, Watson A, Forter M, Oliaei F. Persistent Organic Pollutants and Landfills - A Review of Past 
Experiences and Future Challenges. Waste Management & Research 29 (1) 107-121 (2011). 
Weber, R., Watson, A., Forter, M. and Oliaei, F. (2011) Persistent organic pollutants and landfills  – a 
review of past experiences and future challenges. Waste Management and Research, 29, 107–121 
Diefenbacher,  P.S.,  Gerecke,  A.C.  Bogdal,  C.  and  Hungerbühler,  K.  (2016)  Spatial  Distribution  of 
Atmospheric  PCBs  in  Zurich,  Switzerland:  Do  Joint  Sealants  Still  Matter?  Environmental  Science 
Technology, 50, 232−239 
Jartun,  M.,  Ottesen  R.T.,  Steinnes,  and  Volden  T.  (2009)  Painted  surfaces  –  Important  sources  of 
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination to the urban and marine environment. Environmental 
Pollution, 157, 295-302 

64 

 
 
 
                                                           
a concrete bridge previously coated with PCB-containing paint were separated into outer- and 
inner samples indicating that PCBs are still present in high concentrations despite renovation.  
In several European rivers, the maximum level set for dioxin-like PCBs in food168 was found 
to  have  been  exceeded  in  fish  (e.g.  BUWAL  2010169,  NIP  Germany170).  In  a  study  in 
Switzerland  –  considering  this  European  maximum  levels  for  dioxin-like  PCBs  –  such  fish 
contamination  could  be  tracked  back  to  PCB  point  sources  (e.g.  landfill  containing 
condensers  or  metal  smelting  industry  having  used  and/or  processed  PCB  containing 
equipment) (Zennegg et al. 2010171). Due to the experiences with PCB contaminated sites and 
their impact on fish in surface waters the Swiss environmental agency (BUWAL) is currently 
establishing a manual for competent authorities to track potentially PCB contaminated sites 
(Tremp  2011172).  No  similar  mapping  approach  to  track  directly  the  point  sources  for  PCB 
contamination has been discovered in the assessment of NIPs of EU Member States and other 
EU agency reports. The only other example identified is a comprehensive mapping of PCB 
contaminated  sites  established  for  France  by  a  NGO173.  Wimmerová  et  al.  (2015)174 
investigated  the  relationship  between  blood  serum  PCB  concentrations  and  distance  for 
residents living around a former major PCB production site in Slovakia. The authors reported 
that elevated serum concentrations could be linked to the production site at distances of up to 
70km  which demonstrates the importance of historical  contamination  hot-spots as on-going 
sources of contamination. 
A review carried out by Weber et al. (2014)175 of data on the transfer of PCBs and PCDD/Fs 
from soil to meat products highlighted that regulatory limits can be exceeded even under free 
range grazing conditions. While most of the meat and milk samples on the European market 
meet  regulatory  limits,  the  study  discussed  a  number  of  cases  where  meat  from  free  range 
production entering the food-chain has exceeded regulatory limits. Whilst there have been a 
number  of  incidents  in  the  past  when  contaminated  feed  has  entered  the  food  production 
chain  resulting  in  exceedance  of  regulatory  levels  (e.g.  Malisch  and  Kotz,  2014)176    the 
source  of  the  contamination  was  known  and  could  be  traced.  However,  the  source  of 
contamination  of  foodstuffs  from  free  range  production  is  more  challenging  as  the  supply 
chain is more complex. A survey of German meat samples collected between 2009 and 2012 

168  

169  

170  
171  

172  
173  
174  

175  

176  

(EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in 
foodstuffs 
BUWAL  Schweizer  Bundesamt  für  Umwelt  (2010)  Polychlorierte  Biphenyle  (PCB)  in  Schweizer 
Gewässern. Abschlussbericht 26.04.2010.  
Federal Republic of Germany (2006) National Implementation Plan. Berlin, 03 April 2006. 
Zennegg M, Schmid P, Tremp J. PCB fish contamination in Swiss rivers  – tracing the point sources. 
Organohalogen Compounds, 72, 362-365 (2010).   
Tremp J. (BUWAL; Schweizer Bundesamt für Umwelt), Personal communication 20.06. 2011 
http://www.robindesbois.org/PCB/PCB_hors_serie/ATLAS_PCB.html 
Wimmerová,  S.,  Watson,  A.,  Drobná,  B.,  Šovčíková,  E.,  Weber,  R.,  Lancz,  K.,  Patayová,  H., 
Richterová,  D.,  Koštiaková,  V.,  Jurečková,  D.,  Závacký,  P.,  Strémy,  M.,  A.  Jusko,  T.A.,  Murínová. 
L.P., Hertz-Picciotto, I. and Trnovec, T. (2015). The  spatial distribution of  human exposure to PCBs 
around  a  former  production  site  in  Slovakia.  Environmental  Science  and  Pollution  Research,  22, 
14405–14415. 
Weber,  R.,  Albrecht,  M.,  Ballschmiter,  K.,  Berger,  J.,  Bruns-Weller,  E.,  Kamphues,  J.,  Körner,  W., 
Malisch,  R.,  Nöltner,  T.,  Schenkel,  H.,  Severin,  K.,  Vossler,  C.  and  Wahl,  K.  (2014)  Safe  food 
production  from  free  range  beef  –  minimizing  TEQ-levels  in  meat  by  tracking  PCB  sources. 
Organohalogen Compounds, 76, 815-818. 
Malisch,  R.  and  Kotz,  A.  (2014)  Dioxins  and  PCBs  in  feed  and  food  —  Review  from  European 
perspective. Science of The Total Environment, 491–492, 2–10 

65 

 
 
                                                           
revealed  that  animals  grazing  on  flood  plains  impacted  by  historical  industrial  chemical 
production could result in exceedance of regulatory limits. Weber et al. (2014) also discussed 
a  number  of  other  possible  sources  of  contamination  that  may  result  in  meat  products 
becoming  contaminated.  These  included  ingestion  of  dredged  sediments,  application  of 
sewage sludge, use of contaminated paints on silos and rubber belts used for feeding calves. 
These findings suggest that identification and monitoring of potential contamination sources 
would form an important part of European food surveillance. 

3.4.2.  HCH contaminated sites and waste deposits  

Technical HCH (comprised chiefly of the α and β isomers) was used as a pesticide within the 
European Union as an alternative to DDT from the 1940s onward177. However concerns over 
the safety of HCH meant that it was gradually replaced by lindane which contains 99% wt/wt 
of  the  -isomer  of  HCH.  The  International  HCH  and  Pesticides  Association  (IHPA) 
(2006a)178,179  note  that  the  inefficient  manufacturing  processes  for  lindane  meant  that  for 
every  one  tonne  of  commercial  lindane  produced  up  to  ten  tonnes  of  hazardous  waste 
containing  the  α  and  β  isomers  was  also  produced,  requiring  final  treatment  or  disposal. 
Vijgen  et  al.  2011180  provides  an  estimate  of  300,000  tonnes  of  lindane  used  within  the 
European Union between 1950 and 2000, which would equate to 1.8 to 3 million tonnes of 
HCH-contaminated wastes which required safe disposal. 

The identification of contaminated sites of former manufacture or waste disposal represents a 
signficiant  challenge.  Wycisk  et  al  (2013)181  provides  a  case  study  detailing  such  a  site  in 
Bitterfeld, Germany. The site at Bitterfeld in the Eastern part of Germany was formerly used 
for  the  manufacture  of  a  number  of  chloro-organic  substances  including  lindane  and  DDT, 
which were produced there between 1951 and 1982. Waste materials containing the isomers 
α and β HCH were disposed of on site as part of the production process. Wycisk et al detail a 
sampling and analysis campaign over a ten year period which indicates contamination of both 
soil and ground water within Bitterfeld requiring remediation over an area of approximately 
40 km2. Analysis reported in the Wycisk et al paper also quotes a sampling and analysis study 
for fish in the nearby Mulde and Elbe rivers, where elevated levels of HCH were detected in 
biological samples.    

Two  further  European  case  studies  are  quoted  by  the  IHPA  2006  a,b  on  HCH  in  the 
Netherlands  and  Spain  (Basque  country).  These  cases  have  proven  that  often  the  original 
waste  problem  has  additionally  resulted  in  a  huge  soil  problem.  For  example,  the  original 
amount  of  5500  tons  of  HCH  waste  in  the  Netherlands  has  created  a  regional  soil 
contamination of nearly 400 000 m3. Similar experiences can be stated from Basque Country 

177  

178  

179  

180  

181  

Whiting et al, 2012, ‘A further update of the UK source inventories for emissions to air, land and water 
of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs, PCBs and HCB, incorporating multimedia emission inventories for nine 
new POPs under the Stockholm Convention’, Report for Defra, UK CB0429. 
International HCH and Pesticide Association (2006a) The legacy of lindane HCH isomer production. 
Mainreport; http://ew.eea.europa.eu/Agriculture/Agreports/obsolete_pesticides/lindane_production.pdf/ 
International HCH and Pesticide Association (2006b) The legacy of lindane HCH isomer production. 
Annexes; http://ew.eea.europa.eu/Agriculture/Agreports/obsolete_pesticides/lindane_annexes.pdf/ 
Vijgen  et  al.  (2011).  HCH  as  new  Stockholm  Convention  POPs  –  a  global  perspective  on  the 
management of Lindane and its waste isomers. Env Sci Pollut Res. 18, 152-162.  
Wycisk et al, 2013, ‘Integrated methodology for assessing the HCH groundwater pollution at the multi-
source  contaminated  mega-site  Bitterfeld/Wolfen’,  Environmental  Science  and  Pollution  Research 
(2013) 20:1907–1917 

66 

 
 
 
                                                           
where  nearly  90000  tons  of  HCH  waste  has  led  to  a  soil  pollution  of  500.000  to  1  Million 
tons of soil contaminated with HCH. 

A recent review on  global perspective on the management of lindane and its waste isomers 
(Vijgen  et  al.  2011)  identifies  the  following  EU  Member  States  with  former  lindane 
production:  Austria,  Czech  Republic,  France,  Germany,  Hungary,  Poland,  Romania, 
Slovakia,  Spain,  The  Netherlands,  and  the  UK.  Additionally  in  Europe  Macedonia  and 
Switzerland have produced lindane. 

3.4.3.  Other POPs Pesticides 

Sites  contaminated  with  POP  pesticides  are  particularly  a  challenge  in  East  European 
countries  and  are  associated  with  POP-pesticide  stockpiles  and  former  sites  where  POP 
pesticides have been stored. These sites pose critical exposure risk for local population (IHPA 
2011)182 and can contribute to contamination of food in EU.  

3.4.4.  Contaminated sites from unintentionally formed POPs (PCDD, PCDF, PCB, HCB, 

PeCB, PAHs)  

At country level Sweden has comprehensively assessed PCDD/PCDF contaminated sites and 
started with remediation and securing activities.  

In  respect  to  PeCB  and  HCB,  an  UNEP  report  from  the  POP  Reviewing  Committee  also 
highlights  the  relevance  of  deposited  HCB/PeCB  wastes  from  organochlorine  productions 
which amounted to 10,000 tonnes for individual factories (UNEP 2010)..Within the EU, only 
one such case has been documented, including the resulting releases to water (Heinisch et al. 
2006)183. The largest known emissions of PeCB in water reported under the PRTR relate to 
basic  organochemical  production  (largest  release  640  kg2009),  and  mineral  oil  and  gas 
refineries  (largest  release  121  kg,  2010).  The  other  key  point  of  release,  urban  wastewater 
treatment works, is more likely to be attributed to a range of minor sources as contamination 
in the waste flows, ratherthan to production itself. 

Further relevant contaminated sites concern the former disposal of residues from chloralkali 
plants  highly  contaminated  with  PCDD/F,  PCN,  PAH  and  Barium.  One  case  revealed  the 
significance of such contaminations184. This case was subsequently remediated185. 

3.4.5.  PBDE contaminated sites 

POP-BDEs  contaminated  sites  or  hot  spots  have  mainly  been  reported  from  primitive 
treatment  of  electronic  waste  (Wong  et  al.  2007)186  and  from  the  release  of  PBDE  from 

182  
183  

184  

185  

www.ihpa.info 
Heinisch  E,  Kettrup  A,  Bergheim  W,  Wenzel  S.  (2007)  Persistent  chlorinated  hydrocarbons,  source-
oriented  monitoring  in  aquatic  media.  6.  Strikingly  high  contaminated  sites.  Fresenius  Environ  Bull 
16(10): 1248-1273. 
Lutz, G.; Otto, W.; Schoenberger, H.; Neue  Altlast  – hochgradig mit polychlorierten Dibenzofuranen 
belastete  Rueckstaende  aus  der  Chlorerzeugung  gelangten 
in  die  Umwelt, 
Muellmagazin 4(3), pp 55-60. 
Otto, W. et al.; Case study on remediation of a  German city contaminated by a chloralkali plant and 
PCP production, Organohalogen Compounds 68, pp 880-885. 

jahrzehntelang 

67 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
landfills (Weber et al. 2011)187. The assessed landfills were located in the US, Canada, Japan 
and  South  Africa.  PBDE  have  been  detected  in  the  leachates  or  ground  water  in  all  the 
landfills  under  investigation.  There  are  also  studies  that  have  been  made  in  European 
countries and in which PBDE has been analysed in landfill leachates (COHIBA 2011)188.  

For PBDE production sites or areas where PBDE have been used, e.g. in the plastic industry, 
no  reports  on  contaminated  sites  have  been  found  in  the  public  domain.  A  systematic 
assessment  of  environmental  contamination  in  the  life  cycle  of  PBDE  is  missing  in  this 
respect.  

Canada, under the National Chemicals Management Plan, provided additional information to 
the SC on the potential of landfill leachate to provide an ongoing source of POP-BDEs to the 
environment. A survey was carried out at 10-12 Canadian municipal solid waste landfills to 
determine  leachate  PBDE  concentrations  and  the  potential  for  removal  with  remedial 
treatment. The survey revealed a 100% detection rate for POP-BDEs in leachate with median 
concentrations of 93 ng/L, 28 ng/L and 9 ng/L for Tetra-BDEs, Penta-BDEs and Hexa-BDEs, 
respectively. The survey also  assessed treatment  efficiencies for the removal  of POP-BDEs 
from leachate and reported an 85% removal rate. Based on an approximate total volume of 
landfill  leachate  collected  in  2011,  the  cumulative  annual  loadings  to  the  Canadian 
environment were estimated to be 0.3kg, 0.1kg and 0.03kg for tetra-, penta- and hexa-BDE, 
respectively. 

3.4.6.  PFOS contaminated sites 

The  landfilling  of  waste  originating  from  the  production  and  use  of  PFOS  and  other 
perfluorinated compounds has generated large contaminated sites (Bantz 2011189, Kroefges et 
al.  2007190,  Oliaei  et  al.  2011191,  Weber  et  al.  2011187).  Therefore,  the  need  of  a  compre-
hensive assessment of PFOS contaminated sites along the life cycle of PFOS is reflected also 
in the recommendations of the COP5192. 

A systematic assessment on PFOS contaminated sites has not yet been reported by any of the 
Member States. However, some ad hoc work has started in Europe in recent years. 

In one instance, drinking water was polluted for more than 4 million people (Kroefges et al. 
2007). The PFOS/PFOA source was contaminated sludge imported to Germany as hazardous 
waste which then was relabelled by the importing company and sold to farmers which treated 

186  

187  

188  
189  

190  

191  

192  

Wong MH et al. (2007) Export of toxic chemicals  – A review of the case of uncontrolled electronic-
waste recycling. Environmental Pollution 149, 131-140. 
Weber  R,  Watson  A,  Forter  M,  Oliaei  F.  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants  and  Landfills  –  A  Review  of 
Past Experiences and Future Challenges. Waste Management & Research 29 (1) 107-121 (2011). 
http://www.cohiba-project.net/.  
Bantz  I,  Valentin  I,  Weber  R  (2011)  Monitoring  of  PFOS  and  PFC  Pollution  in  Düsseldorf/Germany.  11th 
International HCH and Pesticide Forum, Baku, Azerbaijan 7-9. September 2011.  
Kröfges P et al. (2007) PFOS/PFOA  Contaminated Megasites in Germany Polluting the Drinkingwater Supply of 
Millions of People. Organohalogen Compd. 69, 877–880 (2007). 
Oliaei,  F.,  Kriens,  K..  Kessler,  K.  (2006)  investigation  of  perfluorochemical  (PFC)  contamination  in  Minnesota 
phase one. Report to Senate Environment Committee February 2006. 
UNEP  (2011)  Work  programmes  on  new  persistent  organic  pollutants.  5th  Conference  of  Parties,  Geneva  21-25 
April 2011 (UNEP./POPS/COP.5/15). 

68 

 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                     
the agricultural  fields with  it thereby  contaminating many areas.  From there, perfluorinated 
compounds leached into rivers and the drinking water reservoir (Skutlarek et al. 2006).193 

Other  PFOS  contaminated  sites  have  been  described  for  application  sites  of  fire  fighting 
foams (Norwegian Pollution Control Agency194, State of Jersey 2004195, Weber et al. 2011).  

A  study  of  perfluoroalkyl  acids  (PFAAs)  contamination  around  Stockholm  Arlanda  airport 
demonstrated  contamination  of  water,  sediment  and  biota  (Perch)  as  a  result  of  the  use  of 
aqueous  fire  fighting  foams  at  the  airport  fire  training  facilities  (Ahrens  et  al.  2015)196.  An 
analysis  of  water  samples  covering  a  period  from  2009  to  2013  showed  no  significant 
decreasing  trend  and  suggested  that  the  airport  may  represent  a  long-term  source  into  the 
local environment. 

The distribution of a range of PFAAs, including PFOS, was determined in soil, groundwater, 
surface  water,  a  drinking  water  supply  well  and  fish  muscle  around  a  decommissioned 
military airfield in Stockholm, Sweden (Filipovic et al. 2015)197. The study reported that the 
site, which was abandoned in 1994, could still represent a point source of PFAAs. PFOS and 
PFOA were found to be ubiquitous in soils at the site with concentrations up to 8520 ngg-1 
and in groundwater up to 51,000 ngL-1 and surface waters up to 79 ngL-1. This suggests that 
previous use of PFAAs at the site has resulted in the contamination of the local aquifer. 
The  analysis  of  leachate  from  municipal  solid  waste  landfills  in  Denmark  (Bossi  2008198), 
Germany  (Busch  2010199)  and  Sweden  (Woldegiorgis  2006200)  has  revealed  that  leachates 
can  contain  high  levels  of  PFCs  including  PFOS.  An  assessment  of  deposited  wastes  and 
related releases has not been performed up to now.  

In 2005 a severe fire at the Buncefield oil storage terminal, UK, required the UK Fire Service 
to  make  use  of  all  available  fire  fighting  foams  to  put  the  blaze  out.  The  use  of  AFFF  fire 
fighting foams containing PFOS which had been retained for destruction were used as part of 
the stocks to  bring the incident  to  a close, causing  ground and surface  water contamination 
with PFOS. Control and remediation of the site included extensive groundwater monitoring. 
Data  from  2007201  two  years  after  the  incident  still  recorded  high  PFOS  concentrations  of  
3 µg/l in ground water at Buncefield. 

A systematic assessment on PFOS contaminated sites has been reported on the city level for 
Düsseldorf/Germany  (Bantz  et  al.  2011).  In  Sweden  inventories  have  been  carried  out 

193  

194  

195  

196  

197  

198  

199  

200  

201  

Skutlarek  D,  Exner  M,  Färber  H  (2006) Perfluorinated Surfactants  in  Surface  and  Drinking  Waters  Environ Sci 
Pollut Res 13 (5) 299–307 (2006). 
Norwegian  Pollution  Control  Agency  (2008)  Screening  of  Polyfluorinated  Organic  Compounds  at  four  fire 
fighting training areas. TA- 2444/2008. 
State  of  Jersey  (2004)  Jersey  Airport  Fireground  Remediation  –  Deed  of  settlement.  Lodged  au  Greffe  on  19th 
October 2004. 
Ahrens, L., Norström K., Viktor, T., Palm Cousins, A. and Josefsson, S. (2015) Stockholm Arlanda Airport as a 
source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to water, sediment and fish. Chemosphere, 129, 33-38. 
Filipovic, M., Woldegiorgis, A., Norström, K., Bibi, M., Lindberg, M. and Österås, A-H (2015) Historical usage of 
aqueous  film  forming  foam:  A  case  study  of  the  widespread  distribution  of  perfluoroalkyl  acids  from  a  military 
airport to groundwater, lakes, soils and fish Chemosphere, 129, 39-45. 
Bossi, R., Strand, J., Sortkjær, O. Larsen, M.M. (2008) Perfluoroalkyl compounds in Danish wastewater treatment 
plants and aquatic environments. Environment International 34(4): 443–450. 
Busch, J. (2009) Analysis of poly- and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in landfill effluent using HPLC-MS/MS. 
Lüneburg. Bachelor thesis (Diplomarbeit). 
Woldegiorgis,  A.,  Anderson,  J.,  Remberger,  M.,  Kaj,  L.  (2006).  Results  from  the  Swedish  National  Screening 
Programme 2005. Subreport 3: Perfluorinated Alkylated Substances (PFAS) IVL report B1698. Stockholm. 
Environment  Agency  of  England  and  Wales,  2007,  ‘Investigation  of  PFOS  and  other  perfluorochemicals  in 
groundwater and surface water in England and Wales’.  

69 

 
 
                                                           
regarding  sources  of  PFAS  (including  PFOS)  in  the  environment  and  over  2000  potential 
local  sources  have  been  identified.  Measured  concentrations  in  the  environment  show  that 
humans and the environment risk exposure to PFAS at levels that may cause adverse effects. 
PFAS  have  been  analysed  in  raw  water  or  drinking  water  from  35%  of  the  public  water 
supplies in Sweden. The water supplies with confirmed levels above 90 nanograms per litre 
are located close to a fire training site at an airport202. 

In  summary,  these  examples  show  that  PFOS  (and  other  perfluorinated  compounds)  can 
result  in  PFOS  (PFC)  contaminated  sites  and  –  due  to  their  mobility  –  in  water,  too,  thus 
impacting  the  wider  environment.  Hence,  a  systematic  assessment  of  such  sites  including 
contaminated groundwater bodies is necessary.  

3.4.7.  Hexachlorobutadiene contaminated sites 

linked 

Hexachlorobutadiene  formerly  had  a  number  of  commercial  applications 
including 
applications  such  as  a  solvent  (for  rubber  and  other  polymers),  as  a  “scrubber”  to  recover 
chlorine-containing  gas  or  to  remove  volatile  organic  components  from  gas,  as  hydraulic, 
heat transfer or transformer fluid, in gyroscopes, in the production of aluminium and graphite 
rods and as a plant protection product203. It was however also produced as a contaminant in 
waste  streams 
in  particular 
trichloroethylene, 
tetrachloride.  Depending  on  how 
contaminated wastes have been previously managed, there is a potential risk of contaminated 
sites both at the former sites of manufacture of these solvents, but also for waste landfill sites. 
Knowledge  on  the  number  of  sites  and  level  of  contamination  within  Europe  is  limited. 
However  examples  do  exist  where  HCBD  has  been  discovered  warranting  action;  this 
includes one site in the UK near a former site of manufacture. HCBD was detected as a gas 
emanating from contaminated land in a quarry near the village of Weston, UK in 2000 which 
required properties to be evacuated and remediation work to be conducted204. 

the  manufacture  of  chlorinated  solvents, 

tetrachloroethylene  and  carbon 

to 

3.5. 

Emerging risks from POPs 

Both international agreements on POPs foresee listing of additional substances in the annexes 
of  substances  to  be  banned,  restricted  or  otherwise  controlled.  Any  Party  may  propose 
amendments  to  this  end,  and  criteria  and  procedure  for  review  of  the  proposals  have  been 
established. The aim of the European Union and the Member States is to include further POP 
substances particularly under the Stockholm Convention agreement in order to contribute to 
achieving  the  2020  chemicals  target  adopted  at  the  World  Summit  on  Sustainable 
Development. 

The  EU  has  submitted  two-thirds  of  the  proposals  for  new  POPs  under  the  Stockholm 
Convention  (endosulfan,  commercial  octabromodiphenyl  ether,  pentachlorobenzene,  short-
chain  chlorinated  paraffins 
(HCBD),  polychlorinated 
naphthalenes  (PCNs),  pentachlorophenol  (PCP)  and  dicofol)  and  PFOS  and  trifluralin  in 
addition under the POP Protocol. In May 2015, at COP 7, it was decided to include HCBD, 

(SCCPs),  hexachlorobutadien 

202  
203  
204  

PFAS monitoring: Report 6709, March 2016. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. 
UNEP/POPS/POPRC.12/6 – Information on the listing of HCBD in Annex C of the Stockholm Convention. 
https://cot.food.gov.uk/committee/committee-on-toxicity/cotstatements/cotstatementsyrs/ 
cotstatements2000/hexachlorobutadiene - COT statement on hexachlorobutadiene. 

70 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
PCP and PCN under the Stockholm Convention, including PCN as a new Annex C substance. 
Four  substances  are  under  review  by  the  Stockholm  Convention  for  addition  to  the 
Convention  Annexes  as  POPs.  This  includes  dicofol  and  pentadecafluorooctanoic  acid 
(PFOA,  perfluorooctanoic  acid),  its  salts  and  PFOA-related  compounds  for  which  a  risk 
profile  has  been  produced;  and  short  chain  chlorinated  paraffins  and  decabrominated 
diphenyl ether, for which a risk management evaluation dossier has been produced. 

The registration of chemicals  under the REACH Regulation  may serve as a main source of 
information for screening for identification of POP-candidate substances. Although there are 
tonnage  triggers  for  registration  below  which  the  data  submitted  to  the  authorities  are  not 
necessarily  sufficient  for  POP  assessment,  the  REACH  Regulation  addresses  specifically 
PBT or vPvB substances (see section 2.1.2). 

Since  2013,  together  with  the  Member  States,  ECHA  has  developed  a  common  screening 
process,  which identifies  (groups of) substances that  have the  greatest potential  for adverse 
impacts  on  human  health  and  the  environment,  including  substances  that  meet  the  PBT  / 
vPvB  criteria.  This  process  also  aims  at  identifying  candidates  for  substances  of  very  high 
concern,  which  may  be  added  to  Annex  XIV  to  REACH  and  would  then  be  subject  to 
authoristion205. 

Work  has  also  been  undertaken  to  help  develop  strategies  for  identification  of  those 
substances  that  may  meet  the  Annex  D  criteria  under  the  Stockholm  Convention  to  be 
considered  a  POP.  This  includes  work  led  by  RIVM206  to  help  develop  an  approach  for 
analysis  of  substances  presented  at  the  POP  review  committee  meeting.  Studies  have  also 
been carried out in Norway207 to assess potential candidate substances against the Stockholm 
Convention criteria. 

205  

206  

207  

https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/19126370/screening_definition_document_en.pdf/e588a9f8-
c55e-4412-a760-49ddbf7ac687 
RIVM,  2011, 
Persistence/Bioaccumulation-score, Report No. Report 601356001/2011. 
Bergfeld, 2011, Identifying POP candidates for the Stockholm Convention, Report No. TA-2871/2011. 

Identifying  potential  POP  and  PBT  substances:  Development  of  a  new 

71 

 
 
                                                           
PART II – IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 

4. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BASIC OBLIGATIONS OF THE STOCKHOLM CONVENTION 

4.1. 

Elimination of intentional production and use of POPs (Article 3(1)) 

4.1.1.  POP pesticides, HBB, HBCDD, HCB and PeCB 

Obligation:  Article  3,  paragraph  1(a)(i)  of  the  Convention:  prohibit  and / or  take  legal  or 
administrative  measures  necessary  to  eliminate  the  production  and  use  of  aldrin,  alpha  and 
beta  hexachlorocyclohexane,  chlordane,  chlordecone,  dieldrin,  endosulfan,  endrin, 
heptachlor,  hexabromocyclododecane,  hexabromobiphenyl,  hexachlorobenzene,  lindane, 
mirex, pentachlorobenzene as well as toxaphene.208 

Implementation so far: Production, placing on the market and use of the above-mentioned 
substances as such, in preparations or in articles is prohibited in the EU by Regulation (EC) 
No  850/2004,  including  HBCDD,  which  has  been  added  to  Annex  I  of  that  regulation  by 
Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/293209 and is also controlled as part of the Authorisation 
process under the REACH Regulation. The EU does provide for a specific exemption in line 
with the Convention until expiry of the authorisation under REACH on 21 August 2017210.  

Analysis:  Legal  measures  regarding  production,  placing  on  the  market  and  use  are 
sufficiently  comprehensive.  There  is  no  need  for  further  legislative  measures  at  Union  or 
Member State level. 

Border and market surveillance by the Member States remain necessary and following recent 
findings of HCB presence in some fireworks it is desirable to intensify compliance controls 
of  products  in  line  with  Regulation  (EC)  No  765/2008  setting  out  the  requirements  for 
accreditation  and  market  surveillance  relating  to  the  marketing  of  products.  Cases  of  non-
compliance need to be reported to the Commission. 

Since HBCDD has only recently been listed in Annex A to the Convention and in Annex 1 to 
Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 it is still necessary to gather more information on alternatives 
and to support the exchange of information on methods for identification of that chemical in 
products that are in use and in waste. 

Action 1: Commission to compile information on HBCDD alternatives from the REACH process 
and feed this information into the Stockholm Convention process on alternatives to HBCDD to 
guide the selection process of HBCDD alternatives for the uses in expanded polystyrene and 
extruded polystyrene in buildings. (New action) 

Action 2: Commission to gather available information on validated methods for identification 
of HBCDD in products/articles/wastes and facilitate exchange of information among the 
Member States. (New action) 

208  
209  
210  

Those substances that have been added to the Convention in 2009, 2011 and 2013, are underlined. 
Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/293 of 1 March 2016, OJ L 55, 2.3.2016, p.4. 
Commission Implementing Decision C(2015) 9812 final of 8.1.2016. 

72 

 
 
                                                           
4.1.2.  PCBs 

Obligation:  Article  3,  paragraph  1(a)(i)  and  Annex  A,  Part  II  of  the  Convention:  prohibit 
and / or take legal or administrative measures necessary to eliminate the production and use 
of PCBs. 

Implementation so far: Production, placing on the market and use of PCBs as such and in 
preparations is fully prohibited by Regulation (EC) No 850/2004. Articles containing PCBs 
already  in  use  are  covered  by  specific  provisions  laid  down  in  Directive  96/59/EC  (PCB 
Directive) (cf. section 2.1.2). The Directive requires Member States to compile inventories of 
equipment with PCB volumes of more than 5 litres, and to phase-out and destroy such PCB 
equipment before the deadline of 31.12.2010. 

Analysis:  Legal  measures  on  production,  marketing  and  new  use  of  PCBs  (and  PCTs)  are 
sufficiently comprehensive and there is no need for further legislative measures at Union or 
Member  State  level.  Directive  96/59/EC  addresses  the  main  application  areas  of  PCBs  and 
lays  down  a  timetable  for  specific  essential  control  actions.  In  conformity  with  the  PCB 
Directive, inventories of PCB containing equipment, as well as action plans for their disposal 
and  collection  were  compiled  by  all  Member  States.  The  Commission  has  gathered 
information about current amounts of PCB equipment and PCB wastes in the EU given that 
the  information  on  PCB  inventories  had  become  obsolete  (cf.  section  3.1.4).  The  survey 
showed that there are still significant quantities of PCB equipment in use. In addition, only 
three Member States achieved to decontaminate or to dispose of large PCB equipment by the 
end of 2010 as required by the Directive. In those cases where the deadline for the disposal 
and  decontamination  of  large  PCB  equipment  has  not  been  met  and  in  those  cases  where 
Member  States  did  not  provide  any  information,  the  Commission  will  consider  the  need  to 
take legal steps. 

PCBs have been used in several open applications (e.g. sealants, anti-corrosion paints, flame 
retardants,  specific  paper).  Open  applications  are  highlighted  by  the  PCB  Elimination 
Network  in  the  Stockholm  Convention  context  due  to  the  relevance  of  human  exposure  in 
kindergarten,  schools  and  other  public  buildings  such  as  swimming  pools,  but  also  private 
housing  and  farm  buildings  constructed  in  the  1950s  to  the  early  1970s.  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. For paints and 
sealants there is also a potential issue of replacement paint or sealant to be added on top of 
the  existing  layers,  causing  secondary  contamination  and  extending  the  lifespan  of  product 
use. Understanding the magnitude of PCB use for open applications and as a potential source 
of emission is an important component for the management and elimination of PCBs. 

Action 3: The Commission and the Member States shall work to identify products, substances 
and materials containing PCB in open applications and raise awareness about environmental 
release from open applications of PCBs (paints and sealants) within the European Union. (New 
action) 

Another  potential  issue  for  PCBs  that  have  been  used  in  open  applications,  particularly  in 
anti-corrosion paints included bridges and other constructions as well as electric poles, is the 

73 

 
 
 
 
end of life legacy impacts. When this equipment reaches the end of its useful life, the large 
metal  parts  are  recycled  in  electric  arc  furnaces  (EAF).  Since  the  combustion  processes  in 
these batch operations are incomplete, a considerable share of these PCBs will most probably 
evaporate and not  be destroyed. Furthermore, these  conditions  promote the development  of 
PCDF  which  is  associated  with  an  increased  toxicity.  Currently,  there  is  no  assessment 
available as to how much PCB painted scrap is entering the waste stream and the secondary 
metal treatment. Also, there is no data on dedicated testing of associated releases. However, it 
is known from measurements in EAF that considerable PCB loads are emitted which only can 
be explained by PCB input from material treated with it211. 

4.1.3.  Hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether, tetrabromodiphenyl ether and 

pentabromodiphenyl ether 

Obligation: Article 3, paragraph 1(a)(i) and Annex A, Part IV and Part V of the Convention: 
prohibit and / or take legal or administrative measures necessary to eliminate the production 
and  use  of  hexabromodiphenyl  ether,  heptabromodiphenyl  ether,  tetrabromodiphenyl  ether 
and pentabromodiphenyl ether.  

A  Party  may  allow  recycling  of  articles  that  contain  or  may  contain  hexabromodiphenyl 
ether,  heptabromodiphenyl  ether,  tetrabromodiphenyl  ether  and  pentabromodiphenyl  ether, 
and the use and final disposal of articles manufactured from recycled materials that contain or 
may contain hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether, tetrabromodiphenyl ether 
and pentabromodiphenyl ether, provided that: 

a)  The  recycling  and  final  disposal  is  carried  out  in  an  environmentally  sound  manner 
and  does  not  lead  to  recovery  of  tetrabromodiphenyl  ether,  pentabromo  diphenyl 
ether,  hexabromodiphenyl  ether  and  heptabromodiphenyl  ether  for  the  purpose  of 
their reuse; 

b)  The  Party 

to  prevent  exports  of  such  articles 
that  contain 
takes  steps 
tetrabromodiphenyl  either,  pentabromodiphenyl  ether, 
levels/concentrations  of 
hexabromodiphenyl  ether  and  heptabromodiphenyl  ether  exceeding  those  permitted 
for  the  sale,  use,  import  or  manufacture  of  those  articles  within  the  territory  of  the 
party; and 

c)  The Party has notified the Secretariat of its intention to make use of this exemption 

Article 3, paragraph 6: take appropriate measures to ensure that any production or use under a 
specific  exemption  in  accordance  with  Annex  A  or  a  specific  exemption  or  an  acceptable 
purpose in  accordance with  Annex B is  carried out  in  a manner that prevents  or minimizes 
human exposure and release into the environment. For exempted uses or acceptable purposes 
that  involve  intentional  release  into  the  environment  under  conditions  of  normal  use,  such 
release  shall  be  to  the  minimum  extent  necessary,  taking  into  account  any  applicable 
standards and guidelines. 

Recommendations COP5 

COP5 in its decision SC-5/5 encouraged parties and other relevant stakeholders to implement 
the recommendations provided in the decision POPRC-6/2 on the elimination from the waste 

211  

Also, the PCB pattern from EAF have often a congener finger print of industrial PCBs demonstrating 
that the main PCB release stem from the input material and are not unintentionally formed.  

74 

 
 
 
                                                           
stream of brominated diphenyl ethers with the objective to achieve the elimination as swiftly 
as  possible.  SC-5/5  also  included  further  steps  to  help  eliminate  the  use  of  PFOS  under 
existing exemptions. The recommendations set out in SC-5/5 include: 

  Parties  and  other  relevant  stakeholders  to  implement  where  appropriate,  taking 
into account national circumstances, the recommendations set out in the annex to 
decision  POPRC-6/2  on  the  elimination  from  the  waste  stream  of  brominated 
diphenyl  ethers  that  are  listed  in  Annex  A  to  the  Convention212  and  on  risk 
reduction for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl 
fluoride. 

  Parties  to  ensure  that  waste  materials  containing  brominated  diphenyl  ethers 
listed  in  Annex  A  are  not  exported  to  developing  countries  or  countries  with 
economies  in  transition,  consistent  with  the  provisions  of  the  Stockholm 
Convention, including its paragraph 1 (d) of Article 6, and relevant provisions of 
the Basel Convention213. 

  Parties  to  submit  information  on  their  experiences  in  implementing  the 
recommendations,  where  applicable,  or  other  actions  that  have  the  same 
objectives, to the Secretariat no later than six months before the sixth meeting of 
the Conference of the Parties. 

  The  Secretariat  to  prepare  a  compilation  of  the  information  received  for 
consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting and to transmit 
it to the appropriate bodies of the Basel Convention. 

  The  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants  Review  Committee  at  its  seventh  meeting  to 
develop  terms  of  reference  for  a  technical  paper  on  the  identification  and 
assessment  of  alternatives  to  the  use  of  perfluorooctane  sulfonic  acid  in  open 
applications,  including  the  consideration  of  the  following  aspects  of  the 
substitution  of  perfluorooctane  sulfonic  acid,  taking  into  account  the  general 
guidance  on  considerations  related  to  alternatives  and  substitutes  for  listed 
persistent organic pollutants and candidate chemicals: 

o  Technical feasibility; 

o  Health and environmental effects; 

o  Cost-effectiveness; 

o  Efficacy; 

o  Availability; 

o  Accessibility; 

212  

213  

Failure  to  do  so  will  inevitably  result  in  wider  human  and  environmental  contamination  and  the 
dispersal  of  brominated  diphenyl  ethers  into  matrices  from  which  recovery  is  not  technically  or 
economically feasible and in the loss of the long-term credibility of recycling. Time  is short because 
articles containing brominated diphenyl ethers are already present in many existing waste streams as a 
result of the time frame of former production of these articles. Brominated diphenyl ethers should not 
be diluted since this would not reduce the overall quantity in the environment. 
That is articles for which the flame retardant content was added for the purposes of flame retardancy 
rather than articles which contain some flame retardant as a consequence of contaminants in recyclate. 

75 

 
 
                                                           
  The Secretariat, subject to the availability of resources, to commission a technical 
paper, based upon the terms of reference to be prepared by the Persistent Organic 
Pollutants  Review  Committee  pursuant  to  the  preceding  paragraph,  to  be 
completed in time for its consideration by the Committee at its eighth meeting. 

  The  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants  Review  Committee 

develop 
recommendations  on  the  basis  of  the  technical  paper  for  consideration  by  the 
Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting. 

to 

Implementation  so  far:  Production,  placing  on  the  market  and  use  of  hexabromodiphenyl 
ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether, tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether is 
prohibited fully by Regulation (EC) No 850/2004. In addition, Directive 2002/95/EC on the 
restriction  of  hazardous  substances  in  electrical  and  electronic  equipment  (EEE)  (RoHS 
Directive, see section 2.1.3) allows the use of all POP-BDEs in EEE put on the EU market 
only below the maximum concentration value of 0.1 weight-% in the homogeneous material 
and in case of specific exemptions listed in the Directive’s Annex.  

Under  the  POP  Regulation  uses  of  hexabromodiphenyl  ether,  heptabromodiphenyl  ether, 
tetrabromodiphenyl  ether  and  pentabromodiphenyl  ether  that  fall  under  the  scope  of  the 
RoHS  Directive  and  are  allowed  as  exemption  as  well  as  concentrations  of 
tetrabromodiphenyl  ether  and 
hexabromodiphenyl  ether,  heptabromodiphenyl  ether, 
pentabromodiphenyl ether equal to or below 10 mg/kg (0,001% by weight) when it occurs in 
substances,  preparations,  articles  or  as  constituents  of  the  flame-retarded  parts  of  articles. 
Articles and preparations containing concentrations below 0,1% of hexabromodiphenyl ether, 
heptabromodiphenyl  ether,  tetrabromodiphenyl  ether  and  pentabromodiphenyl  ether  by 
weight  when  produced  partially  or  fully  from  recycled  materials  or  materials  from  waste 
prepared for re-use are also exempted from the obligation.  

Furthermore, the POP Regulation stipulates that the use of articles already in use in the Union 
before  25  August  2010  containing  hexabromodiphenyl  ether,  heptabromodiphenyl  ether, 
tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether as a constituent of such articles shall 
be allowed. 

Analysis:  Legal  measures  on  production,  placing  on  the  market  and  use  of  hexabromo-
diphenyl 
and 
pentabromodiphenyl  ether  are  comprehensive  and  there  is  no  need  for  further  legislative 
measures at Union or Member State level. 

heptabromodiphenyl 

tetrabromodiphenyl 

ether, 

ether, 

ether 

Border  and  market  surveillance  by  the  Member  States  is  a  necessity.  Cases  of  non-
compliance need to be reported to the Commission.  

In particular POP-BDEs will continue to challenge the waste management sector due to the 
long  life-span  of  the  major  product  groups  (e.g.  vehicles,  electronics),  containing  them  and 
the existence of recycling schemes for these waste streams (cf. sections 3.2.2 and 3.2.3). 

As  stated  in  sections  3.2.2  and  3.2.3,  the  major  remaining  PBDE  input  into  the  economic 
goods cycle is via the use in products and their further input into recycling, stockpiles and the 
waste stream. Commission Regulation (EC) 1342/2014 amending Regulation (EC) 850/2004 
updated  annex  IV  and  V  of  the  POP  Regulation  to  put  in  place  thresholds  for  PBDE 
containing wastes. This is set as the sum of the congeners tetra, penta, hexa and heptaBDE 
which must not exceed 1000 mg/kg in order to be treated as standard waste. Any waste which 
does exceed the threshold must be treated as hazardous and irreversibly destroyed. 

76 

 
 
The  application  of  thresholds  sets  clear  boundaries  on  how  PBDE  wastes  need  to  be 
managed,  however,  further  efforts  are  needed  at  Member  States  level  in  order  to  ensure  a 
reduction of PBDE input to recycling operations and with regard to exports and appropriate 
management and treatment of the waste stream. 

A strategy and methodology needs to be developed for the identification of articles in use, in 
the recycling, in stockpiles and wastes that contain POP-BDEs. For these activities also the 
recommendations of the COP5 should be considered.  

The  Stockholm  Convention  has  not  yet  set  a  low  POPs  limit  and  this  will  be  done  in 
cooperation  with  the  Basel  Convention.  The  established  European  limits  could  provide 
valuable input to these processes.  

The  POPs  in  waste  report  prepared  for  the  Commission  (ESWI  2011)  as  well  as  the 
consultancy  for  the  POPs  Reviewing  Committee  (UNEP  2010  a,b)214  revealed  that  POP-
BDEs are still contained in articles in use and in some material flows at the end of life in the 
EU.  

C-PentaBDE (TetraBDE and PentaBDE) uses 

A main material flow is cars and other transport vehicles produced from the 1970s to 2000 
(and  some  possibly  up  to  2004).  They  are  partly  used  and  sold  within  the  EU  and  partly 
exported  to  other  regions.  There  is  no  database  on  producer  and  year  of  cars/transport 
vehicles containing PBDE and also  no monitoring activity or scheme for this. Only limited 
information  is  available  from  the  (former)  producers  of  cars.  Such  information  would  be  a 
good base in which to better understand the situation on use and reuse of these cars/transport 
vehicles  and  the  export  of  vehicles  containing  POP-BDEs.  Some  Member  States  are  doing 
screenings of end of life vehicles to generate necessary data, however, it would be useful to 
have  data  from  several  Member  States  to  have  a  more  comprehensive  and  representative 
overview. Information on waste treatment of PBDE material from vehicles is available from 
Sweden215.  

The ongoing discussion on the fate of listed POPs present in articles of everyday use and on 
the  associated  challenges  with  recycling  and  disposal  of  such  articles  is  linked  to  the  CiP 
programme as a forum where stakeholders can showcase their actions to understand, inform 
about and mange chemicals in their products throughout the life cycle. CiP information can 
also be a way to meet legal obligations with regards to POPs in products. 

214  

215  

UNEP  (2010)  “Technical  Review  of  the  Implications  of  Recycling  Commercial  Pentabromodiphenyl 
Ether  and  Commercial  Octabromodiphenyl  Ether”  from  6th  POP  Reviewing  Committee  meeting 
Geneva  October 
report 
UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/INF/6 (b). 
Swedish  Environmental  Protection  Agency,  2010,  “The  Use  of  Brominated  Flame  Retardants  in 
Automotive and Construction Materials and the Treatment of Such Materials in the Waste Stream”. 

(UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/2 

related  Annex 

2010 

and 

(a) 

77 

 
 
 
                                                           
Action 4: Commission to continue to collect available data on presence of POP-BDEs in end of life 
goods  including  vehicles,  waste  electricals,  and  waste  plastics  and  facilitate  exchange  of 
information  among  the  Member  States.  (This  action  was  also  listed  within  the  previous 
implementation plan and is still ongoing).  

C-OctaBDE (HexaBDE and HeptaBDE) uses  

The main remaining C-OctaBDE in articles in use, export and recycling is the use as flame 
retardant in plastic in electronics.  

PBDE/BFR-containing  plastic  (mainly)  from  WEEE  is  often  recycled  to  other  plastic 
materials by blending them with virgin polymer materials. Due to the mix of polymer types 
the  WEEE  plastic  is  typically  down-cycled  to  products  in  applications  with  less  material 
demanding properties. Screening of plastic products has revealed that even sensitive uses like 
children  toys  (Chen  2009)138  along  with  household  goods  (Chen  2010)139  and  video  tapes 
(Hirai  2007)216  can  be  contaminated  with  PBDE  and  other  BFRs.  Import  into  the  EU  of 
plastic goods that contain POP-BDEs as a result of recycling, such as coat hangers, is another 
potential  supply  route  for  goods  reaching  the  EU  market.  Where  such  supply  chains  are 
complex  and  flow  of  material  globally  is  not  well  tracked,  identification  of  PBDE 
contaminated material proves difficult. 

There is little information on how the flow of plastics recovered from WEEE and containing 
PBDE is controlled in recycling operations. 

In  the  assessment  of  the  POP  Review  Committee  only  a  few  full  scale  e-waste  recycling 
facilities  were  separating  PBDE  containing  plastic  (UNEP  2011a,b)217.  One  facility  in 
Switzerland had an automatic separation step for WEEE plastic containing BFRs (halogens). 
Information  is  available  from  Sweden  on  the  separation  of  BFR-containing  plastics  from 
WEEE plastics.218  

It  would  appear  that  not  all  European  WEEE  recycling  plans  have  bought  appropriate 
equipment  to  identify  and  separate  PBDE  (BFR)  containing  plastic  from  other  plastic.  It  is 
also not known how much of the plastic generated at such plants are exported outside the EU 
for further recycling.  

Action  5:  Commission  to  continue  to  gather  available  information  on  the effective  screening  and 
separation of PBDE-containing materials in the recycling flow of WEEE in the EU and depending on 
listed  within  the  previous 
the  outcome  consider  further  actions.  (This  action  was  also 
implementation plan and is still ongoing). 

216  

217  

218  

Hirai, Y. Sakai, S.-i. (2007). Brominated Flame Retardants in Recycled Plastic Products. BFR2007: 4th 
International Symposium on Brominated Flame Retardants. 
In the “Technical Review of the Implications of Recycling Commercial Pentabromodiphenyl Ether and 
Commercial  Octabromodiphenyl  Ether”  for  the  6th  POP  Reviewing  Committee  meeting  Geneva 
October  2010  (UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/2  (a)  and  UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/INF/6  (b)),  such  information 
has been compiled including information on facilities operated. 
Recycling  of  WEEE  Plastics  Containing  Brominated  Flame  Retardants-  a  Swedish  perspective”, 
Recycling Development AB and Vascaia, made for the Swedish EPA, 2010. 

78 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Action  6:  Commission  to  gather  validated  measurement  methods  to  control  the  export  of  waste 
plastic  containing  PBDE  in  particular  electronic  waste  in  the  Member  States,  depending  on  the 
outcome and the quality of information take further actions. (This action was also listed within the 
previous implementation plan and is still ongoing). 

4.1.4.  DDT 

Obligation:  Article  3,  paragraph  1(b)  and  Annex  B,  Part  II  of  the  Convention:  restrict  the 
production and/or use of  DDT, in accordance with  the provisions of Annex B, Part  II.  The 
use of DDT as disease vector control is allowed as acceptable purpose. 

Implementation  so  far:  Production,  placing  on  the  market  and  use  of  DDT  as  such,  in 
preparations  or  in  articles  is  totally  prohibited  by  Regulation  (EC)  No  850/2004.  No 
exemption is granted by the Regulation. 

On  the  basis  of  note  (iii)  of  Annex  B,  Part  I,  of  the  Stockholm  Convention,  the  POP 
Regulation initially granted an exemption for Spain to continue the existing manufacture of 
dicofol  using  DDT  as  site-limited,  closed-system  intermediate  until  1st  January  2014.  This 
notes that dicofol itself is currently under review for addition to the Stockholm Convention as 
a  POP.  The  exemption  of  use  of  DDT  in  dicofol  production  was  withdrawn  from  the  POP 
Regulation in 2010. The Commission decided on the non-inclusion of dicofol in Annex I to 
Council  Directive  91/414/EEC  and  on  the  withdrawal  of  authorisations  for  plant  protection 
products containing that substance (2008/764/EC)219 in 2008. According to the Commission 
Decision,  all  existing  authorizations  for  dicofol  in  plant  protection  products  had  to  be 
withdrawn  before  30  March  2009.  National  registration  of  dicofol  was  not  possible  after 
March 2009. Any transition period granted by Member States should end by 30 March 2010 
at the latest (cf. section 3.1.1). 

Analysis:  Legal  measures  are  considered  comprehensive.  There  is  no  need  for  further 
legislative measures at Union or Member State level. 

4.1.5.  Perfluorooctane  sulfonic  acid,  its  salts  and  perfluorooctane  sulfonyl  fluoride 

(PFOS) 

Obligation: Article 3, paragraph 1(b)  and Annex B, Part  III  of the Convention:  restrict the 
production and/or use of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl 
fluoride,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Annex  B,  Part  III.  For  registered  parties, 
numerous acceptable purposes and specific exemptions are granted for the production and/or 
use. 

Article 3, paragraph 6: take appropriate measures to ensure that any production or use under a 
specific  exemption  in  accordance  with  Annex  A  or  a  specific  exemption  or  an  acceptable 
purpose in  accordance with Annex B is  carried out  in  a manner that prevents  or minimizes 
human exposure and release into the environment. For exempted uses or acceptable purposes 
that  involve  intentional  release  into  the  environment  under  conditions  of  normal  use,  such 
release  shall  be  to  the  minimum  extent  necessary,  taking  into  account  any  applicable 
standards and guidelines. 

219  

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:262:0040:0041:EN:PDF  

79 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Implementation  so  far:  Production,  placing  on  the  market  and  use  of  perfluorooctane 
sulfonic  acid,  its  salts  and  perfluorooctane  sulfonyl  fluoride  as  such,  in  preparations  or  in 
articles is severely restricted by the Regulation (EC) No 850/2004. On the basis of acceptable 
purposes  and  specific  and  general  exemptions  granted  by  the  Convention,  the  Regulation 
provides for the following exemptions: 

  placing on the market and use is allowed in concentrations of PFOS equal to or 
below  10  mg/kg  (0,001  %  by  weight)  when  it  occurs  in  substances  or  in 
preparations;  

  concentrations of PFOS  in  semi-finished products  or articles, or parts thereof is 
allowed, if the concentration of PFOS is lower than 0,1 % by weight calculated 
with reference to the mass of structurally or micro-structurally distinct parts that 
contain PFOS or, for textiles or other coated materials, if the amount of PFOS is 
lower than 1 μg/m2 of the coated material; 

  use  of  articles  already  in  use  in  the  Union  before  25  August  2010  containing 

 

PFOS as a constituent of such articles is allowed; 
if the quantity released into the environment is minimised, production and placing 
on  the  market  is  allowed  for  the  following  specific  uses  provided  that  Member 
States report to the Commission every four years on progress made to eliminate 
PFOS: 

  until 26 August 2015, wetting agents for use in controlled electroplating systems; 
  photoresists or anti reflective coatings for photolithography processes; 
  photographic coatings applied to films, papers, or printing plates; 
  mist suppressants for non-decorative hard chromium (VI) plating in  closed loop 

systems; 

  hydraulic fluids for aviation. 

There  is  limited  on-going  production  of  perfluorooctane  sulfonic  acid,  its  salts  and 
perfluorooctane  sulfonyl  fluoride  in  the  EU.  According  to  the  information  submitted  by 
parties in 2012220, PFOS is still produced in Germany although German producers only sell 
PFOS for the remaining legal uses in electroplating (>95%) and in the photo industry (< 5%) 
in  Europe  PFOS  is  still  placed  on  the  market  and  used  for  allowed  applications  as  listed 
above (cf. section 3.2.4).  

Concerning  fire-fighting  foams  that  were  placed  on  the  market  before  27  December  2006 
continued use was allowed up until 27 June 2011. In this regard it is worthwhile making the 
distinction  between  public  fire  and  rescues  services  and  private  fire  services,  such  as  those 
used to protect airports. Public services attend to more ‘real’ incidents and would be expected 
to have a higher rate of replacement for stocks of foams,  wheareas private brigades tend to 
make use of foams for training exercises. Efforts have been made to gather and remove PFOS 
containing fire fighting foams across Europe, however it is likely that some stocks remain in 
the EU, and are still in the process of disposal (cf. section 3.2.4) 

There  is  an  onus  on  Member  State  Competent  Authorities  to  work  with  fire  services  to 
identify and remove such stockpiles, which should extend to those private fire services that 
may still retain older stockpiles. 

220      http://chm.pops.int/TheConvention/POPsReviewCommittee/Meetings/POPRC11/POPRC11Followup/tabi

d/4723/Default.aspx 

80 

 
 
 
                                                           
Annex I, Part A of the Regulation also provides that as soon as new information on details of 
uses and safer alternative substances or technologies for the specific uses becomes available, 
the Commission shall review the derogations in the second subparagraph so that: 

 

the  uses  of  PFOS  will  be  phased  out  as  soon  as  the  use  of  safer  alternatives  is 
technically and economically feasible; 

  a derogation can only be continued for essential uses for which safer alternatives 
do not exist and where the efforts undertaken to find safer alternatives have been 
reported on; 
releases  of  PFOS  into  the  environment  have  been  minimised  by  applying  best 
available techniques. 

 

As part of the discussions for the 10th POP Review Committee meeting under the Stockholm 
Convention  held  in  October  2014,  the  review  of  alternatives  to  PFOS  was  presented. 
Working document 10/5 and Information documents 10/INF/7 and 10/INF/8 provide details 
on the existing exemptions and potential alternatives. The alternatives were also assessed for 
the annex D criteria under the Convention to avoid the issue of replacing one POP for another 
POP substance. The results of the discussion and details of the review should be used to feed 
into the work of the European Commission and identification for phase out of exemptions at 
the earliest opportunity.  

Analysis:  Challenges  in  substitution  remains  for  PFOS  application  for  which  exemptions 
were  granted  in  the  POP  Regulation.  Support  of  the  development  and  phasing  in  of 
alternatives is therefore desirable.  

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  but  there  is  a  lack  of  practical  implementation  (cf.  section  3.2.4). 
With  a  view  to  phase-out  the  use  of  PFOS  in  this  area  within  the  EU,  support  of  practical 
implementation projects to help mostly concerned SMEs in phasing in alternative processes 
to PFOS might be desirable. There has also been further discussion in the Union over what 
constitutes  ‘closed-loop’,  noting  that  the  vapours  from  chrome  metal  include  hydrogen.  A 
fully closed system could allow the build up of hydrogen to form explosive mixtures with air, 
and  therefore  careful  management  of  gases  is  needed.  Where  the  definition  is  unclear  it  is 
also unclear what quantities of PFOS may be lost to the environment. 

Action 7: The Commission should develop guidance related to “closed-loop” in the metal 
plating industry including PFOS-containing waste handling as part of the “closed-loop”. (New 
action) 

The collection  of information  for BAT/BEP  for  PFOS  use in  industrial processes under the 
Convention has just been initiated. It is desirable that Member States gather information and 
document BAT/BEP for the listed exemptions and forward the information to the Stockholm 
Convention Secretariat for consideration in the Stockholm Convention process.  

81 

 
 
 
 
The  Stockholm  Convention  has  a  dedicated  process  for  collecting  information  on  PFOS 
alternatives,  with  a  first  report  developed  in  2010  for  the  POPs  Reviewing  Committee221.  
This has since been supplemented with the body of work looking at alternatives presented at 
the 10th POP Reviewing Committee meeting and will continue to be updated in future POP 
Review  Committee  meetings.  PFOS  is  present  in  broad  range  of  articles  at  relatively  low 
concentrations.  Measurement of concentration of PFOS  and its precursors in  articles at  low 
levels  is  the  major  challenge  of  compliance  and  border  controls.  Additionally  the  POP 
Regulation sets in place threshold values under Annex IV and V regarding wastes that may 
be contaminated with POPs. Those wastes that breach the thresholds in Annex IV and V must 
be irreversibly destroyed. Therefore analytical assessment of wastes is also important in the 
correct management of these materials. 

Under  the  Stockholm  Convention  a  small  intersessional  working  group  (SIWG)  which  is 
chaired  by  Canada  has  been  created  to  help  develop  technical  guidelines  for  POPs,  which 
includes review of low POP concentrations for PFOS222. 

The Commission has mandated the work of European Committee for Standardization (CEN) 
to  develop  a  standard  analytical  method  for  determination  of  PFOS  in  articles.  Technical 
specification  CEN/TS  15968  titled  'Determination  of  extractable  PFOS  in  coated  and 
impregnated solid articles, liquids and fire-fighting foams – Method for sampling, extraction 
and  analysis  by  LC-qMS  or  LC-tandem/MS'  was  adopted  by  the  CEN  in  2010.  In  order  to 
develop  a  fully  standardized  method,  there  is  a  need  to  perform  a  validation  of  the 
measurement method described in the technical specification.  

Action  8:  Commission  to  support  the  validation  of  a  CEN  standard  on  measurement  of  PFOS  in 
coated and impregnated solid articles, liquids and fire-fighting foams. (This action was  also listed 
within the previous implementation plan and is still ongoing) 

For  PFOS  no  exemptions  for  recycling  of  PFOS  containing  articles  have  been  granted. 
Therefore recycling of PFOS  containing materials is  not allowed. Commission contracted a 
study (ESWI 2011) to gather information on the status of recycling flows possibly including 
PFOS  containing  materials.  The  study  showed  that  recycling  activities  of  some  potentially 
PFOS containing materials are taking place but the concentration of PFOS is low. Probably 
the  most  relevant  recycling  activity  in  this  respect  is  the  recycling  of  synthetic  carpets 
potentially  contaminated  with  PFOS  or  PFOS  precursors223.  Other  materials  potentially 
contaminated with PFOS or PFOS precursors are e.g. textiles, paper or aviation fluid.  

4.2. 

Elimination of import and export of POPs (Article 3(2)) 

Obligation:  Article  3,  paragraph  1(a)(ii)  of  the  Convention:  prohibit  and  /  or  take  legal  or 
administrative measures necessary to eliminate the import and export of the chemicals listed 
in  Annex  A.  Article  3,  paragraph  2  of  the  Convention:  take  measures  regarding  the  import 
and export of chemicals in Annex A or Annex B. 

221    http://chm.pops.int/Convention/POPsReviewCommittee/hrPOPRCMeetings/POPRC5/POPRC5Followupc

ommunications/PFOSalternativesguidanceInvitationforcomments/tabid/741/language/en-US/Default.aspx  
222     http://www.basel.int/Implementation/POPsWastes/Meetings/MeetingoftheSIWGonPOPs/tabid/4349/Defau

lt.aspx 

See for example http://www.carpetrecyclinguk.com  

223  

82 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Implementation  so  far:  Import  is  regarded  as  placing  on  the  market  in  the  EU  and  thus 
import of all Annex A and B chemicals is prohibited by Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 except 
for the following exemptions: 

  A substance used for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard; 
  A  substance  occurring  as  an  unintentional  trace  contaminant  in  substances, 

preparations or articles; 

  A  substance  as  such  or  as  part  of  articles  for  the  purpose  of  environmentally 

sound disposal; 

  A substance as such or as part of articles for a use or purpose which is permitted 

by the Regulation (EC) No 850/2004, i.e. PFOS for exempted uses. 

Export of all Annex A and B chemicals except for PFOS and Endosulfan (cf. section 2.1.2.5) 
is explicitly prohibited by Regulation (EU) No 649/2012, except for chemicals in quantities 
not likely to affect health or the environment, and in any event not more than 10 kg, provided 
that  they  are  imported  or  exported  for  the  purpose  of  research  or  analysis.  The  export  of 
PFOS and Endosulfan is currently possible, but only on condition that the importing country 
consents to the import of the chemicals under the framework of the Rotterdam Convention.  

Analysis: The existing legal measures on import and export cover the obligations laid down 
in  the  Stockholm  Convention.  The  above  mentioned  regulations  are  directly  applicable 
legislation in all EU-Member States.  

To enforce the legislation, effective border control by Member States is a necessity. This may 
benefit from individual tariff codes for the listed POP chemicals. 

Action 9: Commission to investigate the possibility to initiate international work on development of 
individual  tariff  codes  for  POP  substance224.  (This  action  was  also  listed  within  the  previous 
implementation plan and is still ongoing) 

In  2011  Endosulfan  was  added  to  the  Annex  A  of  the  Convention  and  the  legal  act 
implementing total  ban  of its production, placing on the market  and  use came into force in 
July  2012.  The  ban  on  the  export  of  endosulfan  under  Regulation  (EU)  649/2012  was 
introduced on 25th of January225 2013 and applies from 1 April 2013.  

4.3. 

Prevention  of 
characteristics of POPs (Article 3(3)) 

the  production  and  use  of  new  chemicals  exhibiting 

Obligation:  Article  3(3):  Take  measures  to  regulate  with  the  aim  of  preventing  the 
production and use of new chemicals and pesticides which, taking into consideration criteria 
in  paragraph  1  of  Annex  D  of  the  Stockholm  Convention,  exhibit  the  characteristics  of 
persistent organic pollutants. 

Implementation so far: Article 3(3) of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 repeats the provision 
of  the  Stockholm  Convention  but  the  practical  implementation  is  left  to  be  done  in  the 

224  

225  

This action had already been part of the ECIP issued in 2007 and has not yet been achieved. It is hence 
taken over as an action into the current implementation plan. 
Commission  Regulation  (EU)  No  73/2013  of  25  January  2013  amending  Annexes  I  and  V  to 
Regulation  (EC)  No  689/2008  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  concerning  the  export 
and import of dangerous chemicals 

83 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
framework  of  the  existing  Union  regulatory  and  assessment  schemes  for  chemicals,  plant 
protection  products  and  biocides.  The  REACH  Regulation  (EC)  No  1907/2006  (EU 
regulatory  framework  for  chemicals)  (cf.  section  0),  Regulation  (EC)  No  1107/2009  (plant 
protection  products)  (cf.  section  2.1.2.3)  and  Regulation  (EU)  No  528/2012  (biocidal 
products) (cf. section 2.1.2.4) are in this regard of particular importance. 

Analysis: Production and placing on the market  of POP  like substances can in  principle be 
effectively  prevented  within  the  existing  regulatory  frameworks  for  chemicals  (cf.  section 
2.1.2). Although there are tonnage triggers for registration below which the data submitted to 
the authorities will not necessarily be sufficient for POP assessment in the framework of the 
REACH  Regulation,  it  addresses  specifically  substances  of  very  high  concern  with  PBT 
criteria  through  its  system  of  authorisation  that  does  not  have  any  tonnage  trigger. 
Furthermore, the European Chemicals Agency has a right to request further information from 
companies if it suspects that a substance might exhibit POP characteristics (cf. section 2.1.2). 
Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009226 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the 
market (PPP Regulation) prevents chemicals exhibiting POP characteristics from being used 
in plant protection products. This is achieved by the provisions according to which an active 
substance,  safener  or  synergist  shall  only  be  approved  for  use  in  plant  protection  products 
where  it  is  not  considered  to  be  a  POP  or  if  it  is  not  considered  to  be  a  persistent, 
bioaccumulative  and  toxic  (PBT)  substance  or  a  very  persistent  and  very  bioaccumalative 
substance (vPvB). In addition, a substance shall be approved as a candidate for substitution if 
it meets two of the PBT criteria. 

Regulation  (EU)  No  528/2012  on  biocidal  products  prevents  chemicals  exhibiting  POP 
characteristics  from  being  used  in  biocidal  products.  This  is  achieved  by  the  provisions 
according to which an active substance cannot be authorised if it meets the criteria for being 
persistent, bioacumulative and toxic or very persistent and very bioacumulative according to 
Annex XIII to REACH Regulation. In addition, a substance shall be approved as a candidate 
for substitution if it meets two of the PBT criteria. 

Proper enforcement of the obligation will require concerted action by the industry, rapporteur 
Member States, other Member States, the Commission and the European regulatory Agencies 
involved in the risk assessment of chemicals. 

Action  10:  Commission  and  Member  States  to  ensure  that  the  POP  assessment  is  properly 
incorporated in the assessment of chemicals subject to different legislative provisions within the EU 
(in general as continuous task) 

4.4. 

Assessing and controlling chemicals in use (Article 3(4)) 

Obligation:  Article  3(4):  Take  into  consideration  within  assessment  schemes  for  pesticides 
and chemicals in use, the criteria in paragraph 1 of Annex D when conducting assessments of 
pesticides and chemicals. 

Implementation so  far:  Article 3(3) of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004  not  only repeats  but 
strengthens the provision of the Stockholm Convention: It requires the Commission and the 
Member States  to  take “appropriate  control measures” on existing chemicals  and pesticides 
exhibiting  POP  characteristics.  As  in  the  case  of  new  chemicals  (see  2.1),  the  practical 

226 

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84 

 
 
 
                                                           
implementation  is  left  to  be  done  in  the  framework  of  the  existing  Union  regulatory  and 
assessment schemes for industrial chemicals, plant protection products and biocides. 

Analysis:  From  the  Stockholm  Convention’s  legal  implementation  point  of  view,  the 
legislative measures taken by the Union can be regarded as fully sufficient.  

The  distinction  of  new  and  existing  substances  is  not  anymore  regarded  as  fully  justified 
within  the  Union.  This  change  is  reflected  in  the  REACH  Regulation  and  will  be  reflected 
also in the regulatory frameworks set up for plant protection products and biocides when the 
extensive review programmes on the existing active substances have been accomplished. 

4.5. 

General exemptions 

Obligation:  Article  3(5):  Not  to  apply  prohibitions  and  restrictions  to  quantities  of  a 
chemical to be used for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard. Notes (i)-(ii) of 
Annexes A and B: Quantities of a chemical occurring as unintentional trace contaminant in 
products and articles or occurring as constituents of articles manufactured or already in use 
before  or  on  the  date  of  entry  into  force  of  the  relevant  obligation  are  exempted  from  the 
prohibitions / restrictions. 

Implementation so far: Article 4(1) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 lay down the 
general  exemptions.  Member  States  are  obliged  to  notify  all  articles  containing  any  of  the 
listed substances as constituents to the Commission, who in turn will notify the Secretariat in 
line with  note (ii) of Annexes A and B. So far no such articles have been identified by the 
Member States. 

The term of “unintentional trace contaminants” as mentioned in the Convention’s Annex A 
note (i) and Annex B note (i) is a challenge for the enforcement, particlularly if a chemical is 
used in articles. Therefore other environmental and chemical legislation in the EU does not 
use  such  terms  but  they  rather  refers  to  concrete  maximum  concentration  values  (e.g.  the 
RoHS Directive). The aim of these fixed thresholds is to facilitate uniform enforcement and 
control and provides legal certainty to economic operators. Therefore, the POP Regulation for 
the  newly  listed  POPs  with  use  in  articles  will  contain  fixed  concentration  values  below 
which substance is considered to be an "unintentional trace contaminant" (see sections 2.1.1 
and 3.2.9). 

Analysis: The legal  actions are sufficient and no further legal measures are needed. Border 
and market surveillance by the Member States is necessary and cases of non-compliance need 
to be reported to the Commission. 

4.6. 

Reduction of total releases from unintentional production (Article 5) 

Obligation:  Article  5:  To  reduce  the  total  releases  of  the  chemicals  listed  in  Annex  C 
(PCDDs, PCDFs, PCBs, HCB and PeCB) with the goal of continuing their minimisation and, 
where  feasible,  achieving  their  elimination;  To  develop  an  action  plan  to  identify, 
characterise  and  address  the  releases  of  by-product  POPs;  To  promote  the  application  of 
available, feasible and practical measures to achieve a reasonable level of release reduction or 
source elimination and to promote the development and require the use of materials, products 
and  processes  to  prevent  the  formation  and  release  of  chemicals  listed  in  Annex  C;  To 
promote  and  require  the  use  of  best  available  techniques  (BAT)  and  best  environmental 

85 

 
 
 
 
practices (BEP) to prevent the release of chemicals listed in Annex C for new sources in main 
source categories; To promote the use of BAT and BEP for existing sources from the main 
source categories as well as other categories. 

Implementation  so  far:  Article  6  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  850/2004  on  POPs  addresses 
substances  for  which  releases  should  be  reduced  and  minimised,  with  a  view  to  eliminate 
them if feasible. The six substances or groups of substances concerned are PCDDs, PCDFs, 
PCBs, HCB, PeCB and PAHs, as listed in Annex III of the Regulation. Of these, all with the 
exemption of PAHs are listed in the Stockholm Convention and are therefore the main focus 
for the present implementation plan. 

According  to  Article  6  of  the  POP  Regulation,  Member  States  shall  draw  up  and  maintain 
release  inventories  for  the  substances  listed  in  Annex  III  into  air,  water  and  land  in 
accordance  with  their  obligations  under  the  Convention  and  the  Protocol.  Member  States 
were  obliged  to  do  so  by  20  May  2006  for  PCDDs,  PCDFs,  PCBs,  and  HCB  and  by  26 
August 2012 for PeCB which was listed in 2010.  

Article 5 of the POP Regulation further stipulates that Member States shall develop an action 
plan  on  measures  to  identify,  characterise  and  minimise  the  releases  of  unintentionally 
produced  POPs.  The  action  plan  shall  include  measures  to  promote  the  development  and, 
where it deems appropriate, shall require the use of substitute or modified materials, products 
and processes to prevent the formation and release of the substances listed in Annex III. 

Member States  shall  furthermore,  when  considering proposals  to  construct  new facilities or 
significantly  to  modify  existing  facilities  using  processes  that  release  chemicals  listed  in 
Annex III of the Regulation, without prejudice to Directive 2010/75/EU (IED Directive), give 
priority  consideration  to  alternative  processes,  techniques  or  practices  that  have  similar 
usefulness but which avoid the formation and release of substances listed in Annex III. 

Over the past twenty years, important legislation has been adopted to reduce the emissions of 
PCDD/F, in particular in the areas of waste incineration and integrated pollution prevention 
and  control,  resulting  in  decreasing  levels  in  the  environment  and  in  the  human  population 
(see section 3.3.2). 

Inclusion of all five substances in the Water Framework Directive has further contributed to 
the  reduction  of  emissions  of  these  substances  into  aquatic  environment,  as  Member  States 
have  an  obligation  to  ensure  that  concentrations  of  these  substances  in  the  environment  is 
below the environmental quality standard level.  

The implementation of the BAT conclusions adopted under the IED which establish Emission 
Levels Associated with the Best Available Techniques (BAT-AELs) will be another step to 
further reduce releases of PCDD/F and other unintentionally produced POPs from industrial 
activities.  

The  Union  Strategy  for  Dioxins,  Furans  and  Polychlorinated  Biphenyls  adopted  in  2001 
(COM  (2001)  593)56  had  the  goal  to  assess  the  current  state  of  the  environment  and  the 
ecosystem,  to  reduce  exposure  from  dioxins  and  PCBs  to  humans  and  the  environment.  In 
October  2010  the  Commission  adopted  the  third  progress  report  on  the  Dioxin  strategy 
(COM (2010) 562 final)58 for the period 2007 to 2009. The report showed that over the last 
two decades 80% reduction of industrial emissions of PCDD/Fs and PCBs was achieved.  

The  generation  of  UPOPs  within  thermal  industrial  processes  typically  relate  to  the 
contamination  of  particulate  matter  within  the  waste  exhaust  system.  Abatement  measures 

86 

 
 
designed to reduce the emission of PCDD/F releases into the atmosphere are likely to have 
synergistic  benefits  for  the  reduction  in  emissions  of  the  unintentionally  produced  PeCB, 
HCB, PAH and PCB. This reduction can occur through removal of particulate that acts as a 
seeding  surface  for  UPOPs,  or  through  removal  of  the  contaminated  particulate  as  air 
pollution control residues. On this basis it can be assumed that the above mentioned reduction 
of PCDD/F already had a similar effect for these other UPOPs. 

Further  progress  is  expected  within  the  framework  of  the  European  Union  Implementation 
Plan on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the relevant National Implementation Plans (NIPs) 
elaborated by Member States. 

Analysis: In section 3.3 of Part I, it is described that in the EU the release from POPs due to 
unintentional  production  remains  one  of  the  most  important  issues  to  be  tackled.  Several 
actions  are  thus  dedicated  to  the  development  of  corresponding  measures  with  the  goal  to 
reach a further reduction of POP emissions.  

As  the  unintentional  production  of  POPs  is  largely  related  to  industrial  processes  such  as 
production  of  iron  and  steel  (sinter  plants,  electric  arc  furnaces),  the  production  of  non-
ferrous metals, the incineration of waste etc, the legislation dealing with industrial emissions 
is  the  main  instrument  to  tackle  releases  of  unintentionally  produced  POPs.  The  IPPC 
Directive has been replaced by the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) that came into effect 
in January 2013. Further improvement of the situation is expected with the IED, because the 
BAT  Associated  Emission  Levels  (BAT-AELs)  as  listed  in  the  BAT  conclusions  are  to  be 
used by permitting authorities when issuing permits for industrial installations.  

As the IED has a much wider scope than just reduction of POP emissions, it is important that 
POP-related expertise is present in the discussions about the BAT and BAT-AELs during the 
BREF  review  process.  This  applies  particularly  for  the  review  of  the  relevant  BREFs 
(especially  those  on  “Non-Ferrous  Metal  Industries”,  “Large  Combustion  Plants”,  "Ferrous 
Metals Processing", "Waste Incineration", "Waste Treatment") , where involvement of POP-
experts must be encouraged to make sure that the prevention of the formation as well as the 
control  of  POP  releases  is  taken  adequately  into  consideration  with  a  veiw  of  developing 
BAT  conclusions  (including  BAT-AELs  where  possible) 
  concerning  emissions  of 
unintentionally produced POPs. 

Action  11:  Commission  and  Member  States  to  ensure  that  BAT  conclusions  under  the  IED  and 
related implementation measures consider the reduction of emissions of unintentionally produced 
POPs, including their potential transfer to other media and their presence in waste. (This action was 
also listed within the previous implementation plan and is still ongoing) 

For air pollution control residues (fly ashes) and articles other than food and feed no PCDD/F 
regulation exists and the only relevant limit is the low POPs content of 15 ng TEQ/g as low 
POPs content. This value is high and there is a considerable debate on this provisional Basel 
Convention low POPs limit. For fly ashes in Japan e.g. a limit of 3 ng TEQ/g exist and in the 
incineration  BREF  fly  ash  values  from  German  incinerators  below  0.5  ng  TEQ/g  are 
mentioned. 

87 

 
 
 
Action 12: To assess levels of PCDD/PCDFs in critical solid residues (fly ashes) and articles and take 
action to possibly develop BAT and maximum concentrations in this respect. (This action was also 
listed within the previous implementation plan and is still ongoing) 

In  addition  to  emissions  from  the  large  industrial  installations  also  small  scale  incinerators 
and diffuse sources are contributing to the release of PCDD/PCDF and other UPOPs.  

One activity which can contribute to reduction of UPOPs in this sector is the minimum eco-
design  requirements  for  solid  fuel  small  combustion  installations.  Even  though  preparatory 
work  is  underway  concerning  this  action  it  is  being  renewed  here  as  the  inclusion  of  POP-
related aspects (especially the generation of unintentionally produced POPs) should be a main 
focus of the still to be developed implementing measure (cf. section 3.3.3). 

Action  13:  Commission  to  table  an  implementing  measure  to  set  out  minimum  eco-design 
requirements  for  solid  fuel  small  combustion  installations.  (This  action  was  also  listed  within  the 
previous implementation plan and is still ongoing) 

4.6.1.  Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) 

PeCB  has  been  newly  listed  in  the  Stockholm  Convention  Annexes  A  and  C  without 
exemptions. In the EU PeCB is not intentionally produced it is only addressed in the section 
of UPOPs.  

According  to  the  results  of  the  EU  PRTR  (2007-2013  data)  PeCB  remains  unintentionally 
produced in  the EU due to  releases largely  from the metal  industry and  minor impact  from 
power production from coals. Emissions from domestic sources are not covered by the scope 
of  the  E-PRTR  Annex  I  activities  under  Regulation  (EC)  No  166/2006,  although  PeCB  is 
expected to be emitted from the domestic use of coal and open burning of wastes, particularly 
the  plastic  content.  Review  of  the  data-set  provided  inthe  E-PRTR  highlights  the  issue  of 
PeCB  releases  to  water  from  facilities  in  the  sector  covering  manufacture  of  basic  organic 
chemicals.  In  such  cases,  an  integrated  view  is  required  looking  at  all  emissions  of 
halogenated compounds and other pollutants to understand the individual situation. It would 
be  beneficial  if  companies  in  this  sectoror  Member  State  Competent  Authorities  could 
assesses what BAT measures for reduction of PeCB emissions from this source sector could 
be used.  

The  review  of  E-PRTR  data  also  highlights  that  some  facilities  report  releases  of  PeCB 
significantly above the reporting threshold (1kg) and others do not at all.  Based on the data 
reviewed  it  might  be  possible  that  there  is  under  reporting/nonreporting  from  a  number  of 
similar facilities within the metal manufacture sector, where releases of PeCB and potentially 
also  HCB might  be expected  227  to  be  considerably  above 1 kg/year.  One reason for these 
inconsistencies  and  missing  data  could  possibly  be  the  lack  of  measurements  of  PeCB  and 
HCB in IED facilities as there are no legal requirements for PeCB and HCB measurements. 

227  

Furthermore  this  two  facilities  reporting  on  elevated  PeCB  air  emissions  have  not  reported  on  HCB 
emissions. Since the ratio of PeCB to HCB in such thermal sources are normally between 0.2 and 2, the 
HCB from these two facilities can also be estimated in the order of several 10 kg/year and should have 
been reported to PRTR.  

88 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Another  possible  reason  for  the  lack  of  reporting  may  stem  from  a  lack  of  awareness 
regarding sources of UPOPs with operators, which includes allowing operators to understand 
what a realstic set of emissions might look like for their facility.  

Production of chlorinated organics and their deposits from historic production were described 
in  a  recent  POP  Reviewing  Committee  Report  (UNEP  2010c)228  as  probably  the  largest 
global  source  of  PeCB.  Therefore  it  seems  necessary  to  increase  understanding  of  PeCB 
emissions among the chemical industries and improve the PRTR database of PeCB releases.  

Up  to  now  measures  to  reduce  unintentionally  produced  POPs  largely  focused  on 
PCDD/PCDF.  While  the  reduction  of  formation  of  PCDD/PCDF  from  thermal  sources 
(primary measure) will at the same time have synergistic benefits to reduce PeCB (and other 
new  POPs)  secondary  measures  like  adsorption  technologies  might  have  to  be  adjusted  to 
also address the more volatile PeCB.  

Action  14:  The  Commission  to  work  with  Member  States  to  examine  how  the  characterisation  of 
PeCB releases can be improved, and to identify whether BAT/BEP could be appropriately updated to 
further decrease PeCB releases. (This action was also included in the previous implementation plan 
and is still ongoing) 

4.7. 

Identification and environmentally sound management of stockpiles and wastes 

Obligations: Article 6: To develop appropriate strategies for identifying stockpiles, products 
and articles containing, consisting of or contaminated with chemicals listed in Annexes A, B 
or  C;  manage  stockpiles  in  a  safe,  efficient  and  environmentally  sound  manner;  implement 
measures  to  reduce  or  eliminate  releases  from  stockpiles  and  wastes  containing  chemicals 
listed in Annexes A, B or C in a manner that protects human health and the environment; take 
appropriate measures to ensure that waste products and articles containing chemicals listed in 
Annexes  A,  B  or  C  are  handled  in  an  environmentally  friendly  manner;  dispose  of  waste 
products and articles containing chemicals listed in Annexes A, B or C in a way that destroys 
the POPs content, taking into consideration the Technical guidelines for the environmentally 
sound management of POP wastes developed under the Basel Convention.  

Implementation  so  far:  Directive  2008/98/EC  on  waste  sets  a  number  of  provisions  that 
ensure  wastes  including  stockpiles  are  handled  in  an  environmentally  sound  manner  (see 
Annex I). Amongst others, this includes waste prevention promotion, classification rules for 
hazardous waste, the obligation to collect waste and to package and label it appropriately, to 
elaborate  waste  management  plans,  to  permit  waste  disposal  and  recovery  installations  and 
the prohibition to dispose of waste in an uncontrolled manner. 

Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 requires stockpiles to be managed as waste. The 
holder of stockpiles greater than 50 kg, consisting of or containing any POP and the use of 
which  is  permitted  shall  provide  the  competent  authority  with  information  concerning  the 
nature  and  size  thereof.  The  stockpile  shall  be  managed  in  a  safe,  efficient  and 
environmentally  sound  manner.  Member  States  must  monitor  the  use  and  management  of 
notified stockpiles. 

228  

UNEP  (2010)  “Additional  consideration  of  new  persistent  organic  pollutants:  pentachlorobenzene” 
Stockholm  Convention  document  from  6th  POP  Reviewing  Committee  meeting  (UNEP/POPS/ 
POPRC.6/INF/8) 

89 

 
 
 
                                                           
Article 7 of the Regulation (EC) No 850/2004  sets  that producers and holders of waste are 
obliged  to  undertake  all  reasonable  efforts  to  avoid  contamination  of  waste  with  POP 
substances.  Waste  consisting  of,  containing  or  contaminated  by  POPs  shall  be  disposed  of 
without undue delay. Waste with  POPs  content higher than the lower POP  limits  set  in the 
Regulation  must  generally  be  disposed  or  recovered  in  such  a  way  that  the  POP  content  is 
destroyed  or  irreversibly  transformed.  Also  those  wastes,  which  are  managed  in  an 
environmentally preferable way instead of being destroyed or irreversibly transformed have 
to meet the upper POP concentration limits set by the Regulation229. 

Analysis:  The  existing  legal  framework  basically  ensures  the  environmentally  sound 
management of stockpiles and waste consisting  of contaminated or containing POPs.  Some 
actions should be envisaged as follow-up or complementation of the tasks to be addressed by 
the Basel Convention (see following subchapter). 
With  regard  to  obsolete  pesticides  the  Commission  Study  (BiPRO  2005)230  estimated  that 
there are stocks containing 5,370 tonnes in the EU, mainly in the new Member States joined 
in 2004. Information about Romania and Bulgaria is not available.  

In  addition  the  last  ECIP  estimated  500,000  t  of  deposited  HCH  waste  which  at  that  time 
were  not  POPs  waste.  With  inclusion  of  alpha-,  beta-  and  gamma-HCH  these  deposited 
wastes  can  largely  be  considered  the  POPs  waste  since  the  other  isomer  contribute  only  a 
minor  share  of  HCH  waste  isomers  (IHPA  2006  a,b,  Vijgen  et  al.  2011).  An  updated 
assessment revealed that deposited HCH wastes within the EU might amount up to  1.8 to 3 
million tonnes considering a lindane production volume of 300,000 t (Vijgen et al. 2011). 

The  identification  and  management  of  sites  contaminated  by  HCH  waste  represents  a 
challenge within the Union. Seventeen Member States have identified contaminated land as 
an  issue  within  existing  national  implementation  plans,  with  further  action  needed  to  help 
address this issue. While the issue should be primarily dealt with on a Member State level, 
with the costs borne by the "polluter-pays" principles as laid down in the Waste Framework 
Directive,  the  exchange  of  information  at  European  level  would  be  beneficial  to  help 
collaboration and learning in management of such issues. 

Beyond  the  issue  of  contaminated  land,  the  European  Union's  funds  are  eligible  for  the 
disposal of the stockpiled obsolete pesticides. 

Other new POPs in products in use, in the waste flow and in disposal schemes are POP-BDEs 
and  PFOS.  Since  they  are  mostly  included  in  articles  (see  chapter  3.2)  but  also  in  matrices 
like sewage sludge the assessment of their disposal is more complex. 

Action 15: The Commission and the Member States should develop a strategy for identifying 
sites contaminated by POPs and for their environmentally sound remediation. (New action) 

229  

230  

The  upper concentration limits are  not  valid  for permanent underground landfilling.  Regulation (EC) 
172/2007  amending  Regulation  (EC)  850/2004:  „These  limits  exclusively  apply  to  a  landfill  site  for 
hazardous  waste  and  do  not  apply  to  permanent  underground  storage  facilities  for  hazardous  wastes, 
including salt mines.” 
BiPRO  (2005):  Study  to  facilitate  the  implementation  of  certain  waste  related  provisions  of  the 
(POPs).  ENV.A.2/ETU/2004/0044.  European 
Regulation  on  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants 
Commission, DG Environment, Brussels 2005.  

90 

 
 
 
                                                           
4.7.1.  Disposal and destruction of PBDE containing materials 

The  “Technical  Review  of  the  Implications  of  Recycling  Commercial  Pentabromodiphenyl 
Ether  and  Commercial  Octabromodiphenyl  Ether”  (UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/2  and  related 
Annexes  UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/INF/6)  from  the  POP  Reviewing  Committee  (UNEP 
2010a,b)231  emphasized  that  most  recovery  and  destruction  technologies  where  PBDE 
containing materials are treated have not been assessed for their appropriateness (destruction 
efficiency and releases). 

The COP5 recommendations in this respect were:  

  To  generate  and  collect  information  on  releases  of  brominated  diphenyl  ethers  and 
unintentionally  produced  brominated  organic  compounds  such  as  polybrominated 
dibenzodioxins and polybrominated dibenzofurans (PBDD/PBDF) in emissions to air and 
in the solid residues from thermal processes used in treating materials contaminated with 
brominated diphenyl ethers. 

  To  identify  disposal  options  that  would  comply  with  the  Stockholm  Convention 
guidelines to be developed for the destruction of wastes containing brominated diphenyl 
ethers.  These  may  include  best  available  technique  incinerators  with  effective  primary 
and  secondary  combustion  zones  that  operate  under  best  environmental  practice 
conditions with continuous monitoring and sampling to ensure that brominated diphenyl 
ethers and/or PBDD/PBDF are not released. 

  To  undertake  further  assessment  and  produce  best  available  technique  and  best 
environmental  practice  guidance.  These  tasks  should  be  undertaken  by  the  Stockholm 
Convention’s expert bodies and include consideration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers 
and  PBDD/PBDF  releases  from  smelters  and  other  thermal  recovery  technologies, 
including secondary metal industries, cement kilns and feedstock recycling technologies. 

  To  improve  and  extend  as  necessary  disposal  options  to  ensure  compliance  with 
Stockholm  Convention  obligations  and  guidelines,  taking  into  account  the  relevant 
decisions of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee on the updating of the 
Basel  Convention  technical  guidelines  on  the  environmentally  sound  management  of 
persistent organic pollutants. 

  To collect information relevant to the establishment of best available techniques and best 
environmental  practices  for  treatment  and  disposal  techniques  for  materials  containing 
brominated diphenyl ethers. 

As described in chapter 3.2, the largest part of PBDE containing materials has been disposed 
of. Depending on the quality of the landfills and the leachate controls POPs could be released 
from such deposits and contaminated the environment (Weber et al. 2011)232.  

231  

232  

UNEP  (2010)  “Technical  Review  of  the  Implications  of  Recycling  Commercial  Pentabromodiphenyl 
Ether  and  Commercial  Octabromodiphenyl  Ether”  from  6th  POP  Reviewing  Committee  meeting 
Geneva  October 
(b) 
UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/INF/6). 
Weber, R., Watson, A., Forter, M., Oliaei, F. (2011): Persistent Organic Pollutants and  Landfills  -  A 
Review of Past Experiences and Future Challenges. Waste Management & Research 29 (1) 107-121.  

((a)  UNEP/POPs/POPRC.6/2 

related  Annex 

report 

2010 

and 

91 

 
 
 
                                                           
The COP5 also discourage the landfilling of PBDE containing waste and recommends in this 
respect 

  Reducing  releases  of  polybrominated  diphenyl  ethers  from  landfills  by  avoiding  the 
landfilling of waste containing them. Significant reductions can be made by restricting the 
landfill disposal of waste streams with high concentrations of brominated diphenyl ethers. 
A  “proper  management  to  isolate  the  landfill  contents”  permanently  from  the 
environment  cannot  be  achieved.  Therefore  maximum  concentration  limits  for  (above-
ground) landfills for hazardous waste pursuant to Annex V of the POP Regulation should 
be set. 

  Assessing  further  the  long-term  chemistry  of  polybrominated  diphenyl  ethers  in  landfill 
sites and the fate and risk of polybrominated diphenyl ether release from landfills into the 
environment. 

  Providing guidance for MS on how to focus efforts on products/materials with the highest 
concentrations of POP-BDEs and PFOS. The guidance could also include techniques for 
identification and separation of materials and products with high POPs concentrations.  

Another  issue  for  PBDE  containing  materials  is  the  thermal  treatment  at  the  end  of  life.  A 
share  of  waste  ends  up  in  dedicated  waste  incinerators  while  several  PBDE  containing 
materials are treated at in metal industries and possibly co-incinerated in cement kilns. The 
report for the POP reviewing committee has summarized the following point:  

  Most  metallurgical  processes  fall  into  the  category  of  end-of-life  treatments  rather  than 
recovery  operations  in  relation  to  treatment  of  PBDE.  Whilst  metals  are  recovered  for 
recycling the polymer to which the PBDE had been added is not recovered. Instead it is 
used for the recovery of energy. Alternatively it may have been introduced to the process 
incidentally due to a failure to separate PBDE-containing materials from the metals being 
recovered.  An  example  would  be  where  scrap  cars  were  compacted  for  recovery  in 
secondary steel industry without first removing all the PBDE-containing polymers). The 
presence, and recovery, of the metal in these cases is due to the mixing processes, usually 
shredding or compacting, used in disassembly rather than to any specific use of PBDE in 
metal components. This allocation is slightly more ambiguous when considering material 
and  energy  recovery  in  smelters  used  for  tens  of  thousands  of  tonnes  of  PWB,  some 
containing PentaBDE in the resin, as BFR containing plastic is often added to the process. 

Options  for  energy  recovery  of  plastics  containing  PBDE  (or  just  the  recovery  of  metals 
incidentally mixed with BDE-containing plastics) include: 

a)  Electric arc furnaces for iron scrap recycling (entering e.g. with car scrap),  

b)  Secondary aluminium (entering e.g. with electronic waste parts),  

c)  Antimony recovery from PBDE/BFR plastics containing antimony,  

d)  Energy recovery from PBDE/BFR containing high calorific waste in cement kilns, 

e)  Energy  recovery  and,  in  theory  at  least,  bromine  recovery  from  PBDE/BFR 

containing materials in incinerators. 

As highlighted by the POP Reviewing Committee report these facilities with the exemption 
of BAT incinerator have not been assessed for their appropriateness (destruction efficiency) 
of  processing  PBDE  containing  materials.  The  POP  Reviewing  Committee  report  further 
highlights that in these applications PBDD/PBDF and PXDD/PXDFF are likely to be formed 

92 

 
 
and  should  be  considered  for  the  assessment  of  these  facilities  (UNEP  2011a,b)231. 
Development of guidelines for the safe destruction of brominated substances should also take 
into consideration the work being conducted under the Basel Convention to look at safe waste 
management of brominated POPs such as HBCDD233.  

Action 16: The Commission and Member States should as part of the regular review process of 
BREFs evaluate how PBDE containing materials are dealt with within IED activities and identify 
whether BAT/BEP could be included / updated to prevent, and where that is not possible to 
minimise emissions of brominated and brominated-chlorinated dioxins. (This action was also 
listed within the previous implementation plan and is still ongoing) 

Action 17: The Commission and the Member States should support the work on 
decontamination of POP PBDE containing materials through collection of information which 
should be disseminated to all stakeholders. This would also include promotion of techniques to 
manage POP PBDE containing materials across the European Union. (New action) 

4.7.2.  Disposal and destruction of PFOS and PFOS precursor containing materials   

Disposal of PFOS containing materials 

In respect to end of life of PFOS containing articles the COP5 recommends  

  No  landfilling  of  these  wastes  should  be  permitted,  unless  leachate  containing 

PFOS is properly treated.  

  Resulting  sludge,  adsorbents  and  wastes  containing  PFOS  should  be  destroyed 

and not deposited. 

In  the  past  much  of  PFOS  containing  materials  (e.g.  carpets  and  furniture)  have  been 
deposited. Considering the water solubility of PFOS and that the lifetime of PFOS is longer 
than  securing  measures  of  landfills  (in  the  time  frame  of  a  few  decades  up  to  possibly  a 
century), all PFOS and PFC will be released over time even from BAT landfills (Weber et al. 
2011).  Therefore  there  is  no  justification  to  deposit  PFOS  containing  materials  considering 
the burden such practice would bring to future generations.  

Destruction of PFOS containing materials 

The basis for the COP5 recommendations in respect to management of PFOS containing 
residues is  

  To  use  best  available  technique  and  best  environmental  practice  destruction 
technologies  for  wastes  containing  PFOS  in  current  production  and  industrial 
uses of PFOS.  

Since the C-F bond is more stable compared to other carbon-halogen bond, the destruction of 
PFOS and other PFCs require appropriate destruction technologies like BAT hazardous waste 

233  

Basel  Convention,  2015,  UNEP/CHW.12/CRP.18/Add.6  –  Technical  guidelines  for  environmentally 
sound management of wastes consisting of, containing or contaminated with HBCDD 

93 

 
 
 
                                                           
incinerators (operated normally at 1100°C). PFOS containing materials like carpets or coated 
paper  end  up  to  a  considerable  share  in  municipal  waste  incinerators  (operated  at  850ºC). 
Further  PFOS  containing  sewage  sludge  end  up  partly  in  sewage  sludge  incinerators  often 
operated at lower temperature compared to municipal waste incinerators. Full scale tests with 
assessment  of  destruction  efficiency  and  degradation  products  have  not  been  published  for 
municipal waste incinerators and sewage sludge incinerators.  

It  is  advisable  that  Member  States  share  information  among  themselves  and  with  the 
Stockholm  Convention Secretariat  on  their  experiences  with  PFOS  destruction  projects  and 
appropriate destruction technologies.  

4.7.3.  Disposal and destruction of POPs Pesticides 

Data reported by Member States has shown that there are still a number of existing stockpiles 
of POP pesticide and POP-containing wastes. A study by the International HCH and Pestides 
Association  (IHPA)  in  2008  suggested  that  for  the  then  ‘EU-25’,  approximately  30,000 
tonnes of obsolete pesticide stockpiles existed. Based on the Article 12 reported data for both 
the second synthesis report and draft third synthesis report (spanning the periods 2007-2009, 
and 2010-2012 respectively) significant work has been completed to reduce these quanities.  
This has included the export of waste stockpiles across political boundaries within Europe for 
destruction  by  incineration.  The  Article  12  reports  for  the  period  2010-2012  do  however 
suggest  that  significant  levels  of  stockpiles  remain,  particularly  in  the  Central  and  Eastern 
European Member States with programmes of management and final destruction in place to 
handle  remaining  stockpiles.  This  work  is  partly  hindered  by  the  difficulties  in  identifying 
those  waste  stockpiles  that  may  be  contaminated  with  POPs  pesticides.  The  inclusion  of  a 
number of POPs pesticides in the POP Regulation since 2009, particularly lindane and alpha 
and beta HCH, leads to the necessity of assessment and possibly remediation of HCH waste 
deposits. This recognises that for every tonne of lindane manufactured up to nine tonnes of 
waste  contaminated  with  alpha  and  beta  HCH  was  generated.  The  identification  of 
contaminated land sites and sites of former manufacture is partly covered by those Member 
States  with  contaminated  land  registries,  with  some  such  deposits  having  been  cleaned  or 
secured in the past. The management of POPs pesticide stockpiles and any contaminated land 
issues are primarily for the action at the Member States level. 

4.7.4.  Destruction of PCB and PCB containing materials 

Several  European  countries  are  importing  PCB  and  other  POPs  containing  wastes  for 
destruction.  It  has  been  revealed  that  the  activity  of  a  major  importer  of  PCB  waste  to 
Germany (ENVIO) led to the contamination of workers and resulted in the contamination of 
storage  sites  and  the  area  where  the  PCB  transformers  were  treated.  It  is  advisable  that 
Member States share their experience and lessons learned from such cases.  

PCB  destruction  of  open  applications:  As  mentioned  above,  PCBs  have  been  used  in  anti-
corrosion paints (e.g. bridges and other constructions, electric poles, large water pipes) in the 
1950s to the early 1970s. Some of this equipment is now coming to the end of life stage and 
will need to  be treated. The large metal  parts are normally recycled in  electric arc furnaces 
(EAF) and possibly other secondary metal processing plants. Since the combustion processes 
in  these  batch  type  operations  can  be  considered  incomplete,  most  probably  a  considerable 
share  of  these  PCBs  are  evaporated  and  not  destroyed.  This  is  supported  by  the  relatively 
high emissions of PCB reported from EAF. Furthermore the conditions in such facilities are 

94 

 
 
 
favourable  to  form  PCDF  with  associated  increase  of  toxicity.  Currently  there  is  no 
assessment of how much PCB painted scrap materials are entering the end of life and enter 
secondary  metal  treatment.  Also  no  dedicated  tests  have  been  published  on  releases 
associated  with  such  practice.  However  it  is  known  from  measurements  in  EAF  that 
considerable  PCB  loads  are  emitted  which  only  can  be  explained  by  PCB  input  by  treated 
material and cannot be explained by unintentionally formation of PCB in this processes234.  

Another open application are sealants containing PCB in buildings from the 1960s and 1970s. 
A  share  of  these  buildings  is  renovated  in  the  frame  of  insulation  measures  while  another 
share is torn down.  

It is advisable that Member States share their findings on the PCB contaminated construction 
materials and paints and share their experiences in handling such waste.  

4.8. 

Identification  of  contaminated  sites  (Annex  A,  B  and  C  Chemicals)  and  if 
addressed then remediation in an environmentally sound manner 

Obligations:  Article  6  1  (e)  emphasize  that  parties  “Endeavour  to  develop  appropriate 
strategies  for  identifying  sites  contaminated  by  chemicals  listed  in  Annex  A,  B  or  C;  if 
remediation  of  those  sites  is  undertaken  it  shall  be  performed  in  an  environmentally  sound 
manner”  

Implementation so far: As regards the identification and remediation of sites contaminated 
by  chemicals  in  Annexes  A,  B  or  C,  the  Commission  has  adopted  in  September  2006  a 
Thematic Strategy on soil protection and made a proposal for a framework Directive on the 
protection  of  soil.  This  proposal  requires  Member  States  to  prevent  soil  contamination,  to 
make  an  inventory  of  contaminated  sites  (including  sites  contaminated  by  substances  in 
Annexes A, B and C) and to remediate the sites identified. Member States are also required to 
take measures to raise awareness and promote the transfer of knowledge and experience for a 
sustainable use of soil. This could include an exchange of information on the best available 
technologies for the remediation of POP-containing sites. The Strategy and the proposal have 
been  sent  to  the  other  European  Institutions  for  the  further  steps  in  the  decision-making 
process. Discussions are still on-going to reach a political agreement and thus the protection 
of soils is currently an exclusive competence of Member States.  

The  Water  Framework  Directive  includes  many  POPs  and  hence  imposes  monitoring 
obligations on Member States regarding their presence in ground water and surface waters. In 
this  respect  it  provides  a  mechanism  to  identify  contaminated  sites  associated  with  water 
bodies. 

Analysis:  As  described  above  (3.4),  several  POPs  (e.g.  PCB,  HCH,  PCDD/PCDF,  PAH, 
PFOS) have resulted in a wide range of POPs contaminated sites. Due to the relative mobility 
of  POPs  these  sites  are  a  threat  for  the  wider  environment  and  by  contamination  of  related 
river  systems  and  the  fish  or  flood  plains  and  related  grazing  cattle  also  impact  human 
nutrition.  Furthermore  the  more  water  soluble  POPs  (PFOS  and  HCBD)  also  contaminate 
related ground and surface waters and can impact drinking water.  

For the EU, the historical contamination of soil with HCH and at former production sites and 
stores  of  HCH  are  probably  one  of  the  main  problems  linked  to  POP  compounds. 

234  

Also the PCB pattern from EAF have often a congener finger print of industrial PCBs demonstrating 
that the main PCB release stem from the input material and are not unintentionally formed.  

95 

 
 
 
                                                           
Identification  and  quantification  of  the  extent  of  this  problem  to  develop  appropriate  risk 
management should be regarded as a priority action for the Member States. 

5. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OBLIGATIONS ON SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES 

5.1. 

Information exchange 

Obligation:  Article  9:  To  facilitate  or  undertake  information  exchange  relevant  to  the 
reduction or elimination of the production, use and release of POPs and alternatives to POPs 
including information relating to their risks as well as their economic and social costs. This 
information exchange, either directly or through the Secretariat, can also be used to develop 
alternatives  to  POPs.  Where  Parties  exchange  information  on  health  and  safety  of  humans 
and  the  environment  it  must  not  be  treated  as  confidential.  Parties  that  exchange  other 
information must protect any confidential information as mutually agreed. 

COP5 recommendations: 

  To  exchange  information  on  and  experiences  of  successful  environmentally 
sound  handling,  management  and  disposal  of  articles  and  wastes  containing 
brominated diphenyl ethers. 

  Especially developed countries, are encouraged to exchange their experiences and 
success  stories  with  other  countries.  Results  should  be  reported  to  the 
Secretariat/COP which should result in valuable information for developing and 
transition countries and support implementation in these countries. 

Implementation  so  far:  The  Commission  is  disseminating  widely  information  on  these 
activities  mainly  through  the  Europa-website  with  the  Directorate-General  Environment 
hosting the POP-specific website but also by different publicly accessible databases such as 
Eur-Lex,  statistic  databases  of  Eurostat,  the  E-PRTR,  the  EU  pesticide  database,  and 
databases  of  EU  institutions  on  specific  topics  e.g.  the  European  chemical  Substances 
Information System (see section 2.5). In addition, risk assessment reports are made publicly 
available,  as  well  as  the  voluntary  risk  assessment  reports  submitted  to  ECHA  based  on 
industry initiative.  

Analysis: Obligations derived from the implementation of the POP Regulation are changing 
(cf.  2009  addition  of  new  substances  as  well  as  2011  addition  of  endosulfan  and  2013 
addition  of  HBCDD)  and  stakeholders  concerned  by  these  changes  need  to  be  proactively 
informed and supported in  the implementation  of the corresponding obligations. This  could 
inter alia take place via workshops, projects in cooperation with associations and federations 
(industry and NGOs) as well as common dissemination strategies such as websites and paper 
documentation. 

Action 18: Commission and Member States should facilitate the exchange of information and 
experiences on elimination of PCBs (e.g. through a workshop) This should be used to further 
explore the progress made on the elimination of PCBs within di-electric equipment, obstacles 
faced, and what learning lessons could be implemented by Member States. (New action) 

96 

 
 
 
 
Action 19: Commission and Member States to ensure that all players (including industry) are fully 
informed about the obligations under the Stockholm Convention. (This is a continuous action) 

Action 20: Commission and Member States to exchange their experiences and success stories 
with other countries. (This is a continuous action) 

Action 21: Commission to facilitate the identification of both chemical and non-chemical  options 
which can act as alternatives to POPs and to disseminate their risk assessment reports more 
widely. (This is a continuous action) 

5.2. 

Public information, awareness and education 

Obligations:  Article  10:  Promote  and  facilitate  awareness  of  POPs,  among  policy  and 
decision makers, and, along with industry and professional users, provide and facilitate up-to-
date information to the public as well as develop education and training programmes. To give 
consideration  to  the  development  of  mechanisms,  including  pollutant  release  and  transfer 
registers, for the  collection and dissemination of information  on the release and disposal  of 
chemicals  listed  in  Annexes  A,  B  and  C.  To  consult  with  national  stakeholders  when 
developing and implementing the national implementation plan. 

Implementation  so  far:  Access  to  environmental  information  and  consultation  with 
stakeholders  are  an  integral  part  of  the  Union  environment  policy.  In  general,  a  lot  of 
emphasis  is  put  on  dissemination  of  information  to  citizens,  industry  and  other  interested 
parties on the European Union’s environment policy and activities. The main tool for public 
information  is  the  Europa-website,  a  specific  website  dedicated  to  POPs  and  different 
European databases (see section 2.5).  

As consultations with stakeholders are an integral part of the European Union's environment 
policy  in  order  to  provide  opportunities  for  input  from  representatives  of  authorities,  civil 
society  or  individual  citizens,  this  present  European  Union  Implementation  Plan  will  be 
subjected to an open consultation (see Preface).  

Analysis: As the Member States’ NIPs highlight a range of specific issues that can vary from 
State  to  State,  the  role  of  disseminating  information  to  the  public,  awareness  raising  and 
education on POPs best remain at the domain of the EU Member States. The Commission has 
concentrated  on  information  on  European  Union  legislation  and  other  activities  with  a 
broader  pan-European  scope.  An  additional  problem  for  EU  level  awareness  raising  is  the 
language  barrier,  where  the  EU  has  more  than  20  official  languages.  The  Commission  has 
limited  possibilities  to  put  in  place  large  information  campaigns  on  POPs  in  all  languages. 
However,  information  campaigns  at  European  Union  level  are  not  excluded  if  they  are 
deemed appropriate. As most Member States have developed their NIPs, it is now possible to 
evaluate the need for and the added value of such concerted action in the field of POPs. 

97 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Action 22: The Commission and Member States to evaluate the need for and the added value of a 
concerted  action  -  coordinated  information  campaigns  at  European  Union  level  -  in  the  field  of 
POPs  taking  into  consideration  the  obligation  of  Member  States  to  disseminate  environmental 
information on POPs pursuant to Directive 2003/4/EC45. (This is a continuous action) 

5.3. 

Research, development and monitoring 

Obligations:  Article  11:  To  encourage  research,  development  and  monitoring  of  POPs  on 
their sources, releases and transport to the environment, presence, levels, trends and effects in 
humans and the environment, socio-economic and cultural impacts, release reduction and/or 
elimination and harmonised methodologies for making inventories and analytical techniques 
for measuring releases. In taking this action, Parties should also support and further develop 
international  programmes aimed at  research, data collection and monitoring, support efforts 
to  strengthen  national  scientific  and  technical  research  capabilities,  take  into  account  the 
concerns  and  needs  of  developing  countries  to  improve  their  capability  to  participate, 
undertake  research  towards  alleviating  the  effects  of  POPs  and  make  the  results  of  this 
available to the public and encourage and/or undertake cooperation with regard to storage and 
maintenance of this generated information. 

Implementation so far: Research and development are essential for the support of policies 
such as inter alia consumer protection or the protection of the environment. The Framework 
Programmes (FP) are the main instrument for funding research and development in Europe. 
POP related research was funded in FP 5 (1998 – 2002), FP 6 (2002-2006) and the funding 
continued also in FP 7 (2007 – 2013). Details on projects funded under FP5 are given in the 
first Union Implementation Plan prepared in 2007. Under FP7, 44 projects have been selected 
for  funding,  addressing  the  issue  of  chemical  pollution  in  the  environment,  with  an  EU 
contribution of over €140 M (see section 2.4). Details on projects funded under FP6 and FP7 
are given in the Section 7.  

The  Joint  Research  Centre  –  the  Commission's  scientific  body  –  has  performed  several 
monitoring  activities  of  POP  substances  in  the  environment,  has  performed  exposure 
assessment to POPs and contributed to the development of Toolkit for the indentification and 
quantification  of  releases  of  dioxins,  furans  and  other  unintentionally  produced  POPs 
particularly by determination of emission factors for non-standard emission sources.  

Under  the  Water  Framework  Directive  (Directive  2000/60/EC)  and  Environmental  Quality 
Standard Directive (2013/39/EC), Member States are obliged to monitor substances placed on 
the priority list (many of which have POP characteristics), if they are discharged into the river 
basin or sub-basin. In addition, Member States have to monitor also other pollutants if they 
are discharged in significant quantities in the river basin or sub-basin.  

Analysis:  As  regards  the  research  and  development,  support  will  mainly  come  from 
Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge 1 “Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing”, Societal 
Challenge  2  “Food  Security,  Sustainable  Agriculture  and  Forestry,  Marine,  Maritime  and 
Inland  Water  Research  and  the  Bioeconomy”  and  Societal  Challenge  5  “Climate  Action, 
Environment,  Resource  Efficiency  and  Raw  Materials”  since  POP  substances  are  still  used 
due to lack of alternatives. 

98 

 
 
 
There  are  a  range  of  inconsistencies  in  PRTR  data  e.g.  for  PeCB,  HCB  and  HCBD  (see 
section  3.3.1).  A  research  into  characterisation  of  sources  of  these  substances  might  be 
desirable to improve the situation. 

As  stated  in  section  4.6,  prevention  of  the  unintentional  formation  of  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. 

Though  the  coordination  of  research  efforts  already  marks  a  good  way  towards  the 
minimisation of effort duplication (see section 2.4.2), this action should be continued in the 
future. Especially the aspect of coordination and exchange at international level should be set 
more  in  focus.  Ensuring  the  communication  between  policy  makers  and  scientific  research 
communities is  a key aspect  to  maintaining a healthy  flow of new data  needed to  underpin 
logical policy making in the field of science for POPs. This includes identification of priority 
data  needs  in  advance  to  help  guide  scientific  research  communities  to  where  existing  data 
gaps  exist,  and  likewise  to  ensure  publicly  funded  research  does  not  duplicate  academic 
research efforts.  In this respect exchanges between research and development aid should be 
supported and further developed.  

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 manner and accessible 
manner. To address this gap, an information platform for chemical monitoring data should be 
established at the European scale which would ensure a coordinated and integrated approach 
to collecting, storing, accessing and assessing of data. 

Action 23: Commission should ensure that the current EU Framework Programme for Research and 
Innovation Horizon 2020 will encourage research and innovation activities for the above identified 
challenges  (alternatives  (both  chemical  and  non-chemical),  characterisation  of  sources,  review  of 
industrial process to avoid unintentional formation, data management, testing, and health impacts) 
and promote a coordinated approach between MS as well as with international counterparts inter 
alia long-term  health impacts of exposure  to POPs at environmentally relevant  concentrations or 
development of affordable alternatives to POP substances still in use. (This is a continuous action) 

Action  24:  The  Commission  and  the  Member  States  should  ensure  better  co-ordination  and 
communication  between  scientific  research  communities  and  relevant  national,  Union  and 
international bodies to, amongst others, communicate priority data needs for management of POPs 
issues. (New action) 

99 

 
 
 
 
Action 25: Commission to promote a more coherent approach to the generation, collection, storage 
and  use  of  chemical  monitoring  data  in  relation  to  humans  and  the  environment,  through  the 
creation  and  maintenance  of  an  information  platform  for  chemical  monitoring  data.  (This  is  a 
continuous action) 

6. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF OTHER COMMITMENTS 

6.1. 

Technical assistance 

Obligations:  Article  12:  To  cooperate,  in  response  to  requests  to  provide  timely  and 
appropriate  technical  assistance  to  developing  Parties  and  Parties  with  economies  in 
transition,  especially  least  developed  countries  and  small  island  developing  states,  to  assist 
them,  to  develop  and  strengthen  their  capacity  to  implement  their  obligations  under  the 
Stockholm  Convention.  Article  12.3  places  an  obligation  on  developed  country  Parties  to 
provide  such  assistance  and  also  mandates  the  establishment  of  regional  and  sub-regional 
centres for capacity-building and transfer of technology. 

COP5 recommendations: 

  To  encourage  developed  countries  to  promote  the  transfer  to  developing  countries  of 

screening and separation techniques. 

  The transfer of knowledge and technology, including capacity-building to identify PFOS 
in articles and applications and monitor PFOS in the environment, should be promoted to 
support full participation in global efforts to reduce PFOS risks. 

  To  encourage  developed  countries  to  promote  the  transfer  to  developing  countries  of 

screening and separation techniques (for PBDE containing materials). 

Implementation  so  far:  Union  technical  assistance  responds  to  requests  and  is  financed 
through  its  aid  programmes  which  are  described  in  sections  2.3.2  and  2.3.3.  The  main 
instrument  for  assessing  developing  countries  and  partner  organisations  was  until  2013  the 
Thematic  Programme  for  Environment  and  Sustainable  Management  of  Natural  Resources 
(ENRTP) within the EuropeAid.  

ENRTP  has  been  replaced  by  the  thematic  programme  on  Global  Public  Goods  and 
Challenges  (GPGC),  which  covers  the  period  2014-2020.  The  initial  programming  for  the 
period  2014-2017  of  the  GPGC  Environment  and  Climate  envelope  included  substantial 
support of the Special Programme on Chemicals and Waste, which aims at strenghthening the 
instutional  capacity  in  chemicals  management  of  developing  countries  and  countries  with 
economies in transition.  

In  addition,  financial  support  was  provided  to  the  Secretariat  of  the  Basel,  Rotterdam  and 
Stockholm  Conventions  through  the  GPGC.  Those  resources  were  used  to  implement  the 
programme  of  work  as  agreed  by  the  Conference  of  the  Parties,  which  also  included  the 
provision of technical assistance. 

Analysis: The technical assistance for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention was 
taken up in the ENRTP “2011-2013 Strategy Paper & Multiannual Indicative Programme” as 
one  point  in  “Priority  2.  Environment  for  Development”  and  it  was  thus  assured  for  the 
period until 2013.  

100 

 
 
 
As of 2014, the GPGC replaced the ENRTP and addressed chemicals management, including 
the  implementation  of  the  Stockholm  Convention,  under  the  Environment  and  Climate 
envelope  and  in  the  envelope  sub-delegated  to  DG  ENV.  The  latter  was  used  to  support 
projects  carried  out  by  the  Secretariat  of  the  BRS  Conventions  that  inter  alia  provided 
targeted technical assistance developing countries and countries with economies in transition. 

Action 26: 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. 
(This is a continuous action) 

6.2. 

Financial Assistance 

Obligations: Article 13: All parties undertake to provide financial support and incentives in 
respect of those national activities that are intended to achieve the objective of the Stockholm 
Convention  in  accordance  with  their  national  plans,  priorities  and  programmes.  Developed 
country  Parties  are  required  to  provide  new  and  additional  financial  resources  through  the 
financial  mechanism  to  enable  developing  country  Parties  and  Parties  with  economies  in 
transition  to  meet  the  agreed  full  incremental  costs  of  implementing  measures  which  fulfil 
their obligations under the Stockholm Convention. 

Implementation so far: Basically, it is for the Member States rather than the Union to fund 
domestic  implementation  in  accordance  with  Article  13.1.  Nevertheless,  the  EU  provides 
significant  amount  of  funding  both  within  the  EU,  in  neighbouring  countries  and  in 
developing  countries,  by  different  funding  instruments  in  order  to  contribute  to  the 
implementation, updating and development of EU (environmental) policy (see section 2.3.1), 
including through relevant international instruments. 

Regarding sound management of chemicals and waste, including the Stockholm Convention, 
the  European  Commission  provides  funding  to  developing  and  neighbouring  countries 
directly and also contributes to multilateral and international programmes, such as the Special 
Programme to support institutional strengthening at the national level for implementation of 
the  Basel,  Rotterdam  and  Stockholm  Conventions,  the  Minamata  Convention  and  the 
Strategic  Approach  to  International  Chemicals  Management  (SAICM)  and  the  Voluntary 
Trust Funds of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (see section 2.3.3).  

Analysis:  The  EU  provides  funding  through  numerous  programmes  and  instruments. 
However, there is no fund exclusively for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention. 
Indeed a specific fund to support partner countries to implement the Convention would not be 
in line with agreed international best practice in aid effectiveness since developing countries 
are in the best position to set their own priorities. Nevertheless the EU does recognise that for 
structural reasons, notably the absence of future generations in decision-making, environment 
tends to get neglected when countries decide on the use of aid allocated to them. It is for this 
reason that the EU has earmarked since 2007 a part of its development cooperation budget for 
environment  through  thematic  programmes:  the  Environment  and  Natural  Rersources 
Thematic  Programme  in  2007-2013,  and  the  current  2014-2020  Multi-annual  Financial 
Framework the Global Public Goods and Challenges (GPGC) Thematic Programme includes 
environment  as  one  of  its  priority  areas.  The  Commission  has  looked  for  opportunites  to 
increase  requests  for  aid  related  to  sound  chemicals  and  wastes  management,  not  least  by 

101 

 
 
 
 
being  the  largest  donor  to  the  Quick  Start  Programme  of  the  Strategic  Approach  to 
International Chemicals Management, which works to raise political awareness and action on 
sound chemicals management in developing countries.  The EU has played a leading role in 
the definition and negotiation of the Integrated approach to financing sound management of 
chemicals  and  waste  adopted  through  UNEA  resolution  1/5  on  chemicals  and  waste.  That 
resolution  launches  the  Special  Programme  to  support  institutional  strengthening  at  the 
national  level  for  implementation  of  the  Basel,  Rotterdam  and  Stockholm  Conventions,  the 
Minamata  Convention  and  the  Strategic  Approach  to  International  Chemicals  Management 
(SAICM) that will complement the support for the Stockholm Convention provided through 
the Global Environment Facility (GEF).  

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. 

Action 27: To consider the scope for funding POPs related assistance when revising and approving 
the Thematic Strategy Paper (TSP) governing the use of the GPGC for the remaining period 2018–
2020 and thereafter when drawing up the Annual Action Programmes (AAP). (This action was also 
listed within the previous implementation plan and is still ongoing) 

6.3. 

Reporting 

Obligations: Article 15: To report to the Conference of the Parties on the measures the Party 
has taken to implement the provisions of the Stockholm Convention and on the effectiveness 
of  such  measures  in  meeting  the  objectives  of  the  Stockholm  Convention.  Reporting  shall 
include data on the total quantity of production, import and export of the chemicals listed in 
Annexes A and B and a list of countries from which it has imported and exported substances.  

Implementation so far: Both the Union and the Member States have to report to the COP 
according to the timetable laid down by the COP. In order to provide the information basis 
for reporting, Member States are obliged by Article 12 of the Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 
to  report  regularly  on  the  implementation  of  the  Regulation  to  the  Commission  and  the 
Commission  should  compile  a  summary  and  synthesis  report  from  these  Member  States 
reports  and  forward  them  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council.  On  issues  which 
belong  to  the  Union  competence,  the  Commission  is  responsible  for  the  joint  reporting  on 
behalf  of  the  Union.  To  date  three  triennial  synthesis  reports  (2004-2006,  2007-2009  and 
2010-2012) have been published based on data submitted by the Member States under Article 
12 of the POP Regulation, further supplemented by other existing data to provide a state of 
the  union  set  of  information  on  progress  towards  the  objectives  of  the  Convention.  These 
reports 
website: 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/international_conventions/index_en.htm  

Commission 

European 

available 

the 

are 

on 

Analysis: 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 and 
also for submitting adequate reports to the Stockholm Convention. However, several Member 
States  have  not  yet  met  their  reporting  obligations  and  the  Commission  should  launch 
infringement procedures in this respect to address the issue.   

Following-up on national reporting under the POP Regulation and on the still to be delivered 
NIPs  under  the  Stockholm  Convention,  the  Commission  should  assess  which  specific 

102 

 
 
 
exemptions and acceptable purposes are still needed respectively fix a timeline until when a 
complete  phase-out  is  possible.  There  are  hints  that  for  example  the  main  remaining 
acceptable purposes for PFOS are the use in metal plating industry and in aviation fluids (cf. 
section  3.2.4).  For  all  other  registered  applications  PFOS  seems  to  have  been  phased-out. 
However,  this  would  have  to  be  verified  with  data  and  information  reported  by  the  EU’s 
Member States. 

Action  28:  Commission  should  consider  launching  infringement  procedures  against  the  Member 
States in case of non-compliance. (This action was also listed within the previous implementation 
plan and is still ongoing) 

Action  29:  Commission  to  verify  the  need  for  continuation  of  specific  exemptions  and  registered 
acceptable  purposes  for Annex A and Annex B substances. (This action was  also listed within the 
previous implementation plan and is still ongoing) 

6.4. 

Effectiveness evaluation 

Obligations: Article 16: Conference of the Parties to periodically evaluate the effectiveness 
of the Stockholm Convention, starting four years after entry into force. The evaluation will be 
conducted  on  the  basis  of  available  scientific,  environmental,  technical  and  economic 
information.  

Implementation  so  far:  Article  9  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  850/2004  stipulates  that  the 
Commission  and  the  Member  States  shall  establish,  in  close  cooperation,  appropriate 
programmes and mechanisms, consistent with the state of the art, for the regular provision of 
comparable  monitoring  data  on  the  presence  of  dioxins,  furans  and  PCBs  as  identified  in 
Annex III in the environment. 

Harmonised monitoring at EU-level exists for emissions of all by-product POPs through the 
release register E-PRTR.  There is  also  harmonised monitoring in  the  area of feed and food 
where it is recommended that a number of defined food and feed samples are analysed yearly. 
Common methods for sampling and analysis ensure comparability of the results that will be 
compiled by the Commission in a database with the aim of having a clear picture of the time 
trends in background presence of these substances in feed and food. 

Under the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC), Member States are obliged to 
monitor  substances  placed  on  the  priority  list  (many  of  which  have  POP  characteristics),  if 
they  are  discharged  into  the  river  basin  or  sub-basin.  In  addition,  Member  States  have  to 
monitor also other pollutants if they are discharged in significant quantities in the river basin 
or sub-basin.  

In  order  to  check  the  feasibility  of  an  EU  coordinated  approach  to  Human  Biomonitoring 
(HBM),  a  research  project  on  the  development  of  a  coherent  approach  to  human 
biomonitoring  in  Europe235  was  granted  under  the  FP6  that  lead  into  a  concept  to  establish 
biomonitoring as a policy making tool. HBM is a viable tool to evaluate the effectiveness of 
policies  because  it  allows  good  assessment  of  temporal  trends  in  total  human  exposure  to 

235  

http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=proj.document&PJ_RCN=7917953  

103 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
environmental pollutants. In December 2009, under the FP7 funded EU project COPHES, a 
consortium  of  experts  from  nearly  all  EU  countries  began  to  work  towards  an  EU  HBM 
framework. The goals of the work were to harmonise national and local activities on HBM to 
contribute  to  better  data  comparability  across  the  EU  and  to  coordinate  HBM  programmes 
across  the  EU.  This  initiative  has  been  accompanied  by  a  feasibility  study  called 
DEMOCOPHES  which  started  in  September  2010  and  concluded  in  November  2012 
withfinance  from  Life  plus.  Both  projects  have  now  been  finalised  and  their  results 
demonstrated that a more coordinated and harmonised approach to HBM in Europe is useful 
to protect the health of Europeans also in the future 236 

Analysis:  The  Union  and  the  Member  States  will  continue  to  play  an  active  role  in  the 
international  work  regarding  the  effectiveness  evaluation  and  will  continue  to  generate 
exposure data for their territory. An information platform for chemical monitoring data will 
be established, to improve accessibility of the data and coherence in collection, management 
and assessment (see section 5.3). The platform will improve effectiveness evaluation of the 
implementation  of  the  POP  Regulation  and  of  the  Stockholm  Convention  in  the  EU  by 
facilitating access to the chemical monitoring data across EU and by improving comparability 
of the data.  

6.5. 

Addition of Future Chemicals to the Stockholm Convention 

Obligations:  The  Stockholm  Convention  does  not  lay  down  any  particular  obligation 
concerning  addition  of  chemicals  to  it  but  allows  any  Party  to  propose  amendment  of  the 
Stockholm Convention by listing of further substances in it. 

Implementation  so  far:  The  Commission  has  initiated  the  inclusion  of  several  of  the  new 
POPs and supported the proposals submitted by other parties. The Commission has an active 
role in supporting the position of the Member States through review of nominated substances 
at EU level prior to submission to the Stockholm Convention secretariat.   

Analysis:  The  Union  and  the  Member  States  have  put  throughout  the  negotiations  on  the 
Stockholm  Convention  a  lot  of  emphasis  on  the  widening  of  the  initial  list  of  12  POP 
substances to additional POP substances warranting global action. The proper functioning of 
the  POP  Review  Committee  is  of  crucial  importance  in  this  regard.  It  is  evident  that  the 
Commission  and  the  Member  States  need  to  actively  participate  in  and  support  the  POP 
Review  Committee  in  its  work  in  order  to  ensure  timely  and  thoroughevaluation  of  the 
submitted proposals. 

Through  the  implementation  of  the  EU  legislation,  particularly  of  REACH  Regulation  and 
Water  Framework  Directive,  the  EU  is  in  the  possession  of  a  huge  amount  of  valuable 
chemicals  data.  This  data  should  be  used  to  assess  any  further  candidates  for  the  inclusion 
into the Stockholm Convention and the POP Protocol. 

The addition of the new substances to the POP Protocol in 2009 goes along with a restriction 
on  production  and  use  except  for  certain  exemptions.  The  Commission  is  to  verify 
implementation  of  these  provisions  in  the  EU  through  data  gathering  and  exchange  with 
Member States. 

236  

http://www.eu-hbm.info 

104 

 
 
 
                                                           
Action  30:  Commission  and  Member  States  to  continue  work  on  identification  of  potential  POP 
substances warranting international action. Commission to initiate formal proposals by the Union, 
when appropriate. Commission and the Member States to increase and strengthen Union wide and 
international  cooperation  and  information  exchange  concerning  identification  of  potential  POP 
substances and on concentrations of POP-candidate substances especially in remote regions and on 
the extent of trans-boundary dispersion. (This is a continuous action) 

105 

 
 
 
 
7. 

EU RESEARCH PROJECTS SINCE 2007 WITH REFERENCES TO POP ISSUES  

Table 7 

Research Projects with references to POPs funded under FP7 (by June 2011) 

No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

Impact of global change on 
the remobilization and 
Bioaccumulation of organic 
Pollutants in Polar aquatic 
food webs 

FP7-People 
Start date: 2015-05-01 
End date: 2018-04-30 

Optimising the use of 
lichens as biomonitors of 
atmospheric PAHs 

FP7-People 
Start date: 2014-04-01 
End date: 2016-03-31 

Global warming is affecting the Polar Areas, with some of the most rapid changes associated with 
warming in polar terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, associated with changes in sea ice 
dynamics, nutrient loadings and perturbation of sinks of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In 
addition to the direct influence that increasing temperatures will have on the polar ecosystems, 
perturbations of the carbon cycle driven by a warming climate will affect the biogeochemical cycle 
of POPs, and thus their transport, fate and effects along the polar aquatic food webs.  
However, these effects are still far from being well understood. Biogeochemical cycles of POPs and 
C in aquatic ecosystems may be linked in various ways such as for example water-air exchange and 
soil-air exchange processes or metabolic processes such as respiration although there are still 
important gaps in the literature.  
In terms of the understanding of the impacts, the BioPollAr project aims to understand how POPs are 
coupled with the C-cycle in polar aquatic ecosystems and how climate change will affect the fate and 
bioavailability of POPs and their effects through the food webs. 
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have received increased attention in recent decades in air 
pollution studies due to their carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Directive 2004/107/EC recommends 
the use of other monitoring methods (aside from passive samplers), notably biomonitors (living 
organisms), to complement data and to assess spatial deposition of PAHs.  
Biomonitoring methods have been developed during the last decades for this purpose. Within 
biomonitors, lichens are the most used organisms to monitor atmospheric deposition of several air 
pollutants. However, one of the main drawbacks of using lichens to monitor atmospheric PAHs has 
been reported as the impossibility to translate PAH values in lichens into the atmospheric 
equivalents, in order to use this information for regulatory purposes.  
It is also missing an understanding of the mechanisms through which lichens intercept and 
accumulate PAHs, which means it is difficult to assess a critical level for PAHs in lichens – lowest 
level that will affect lichen structures and functions, which will be valuable when identifying areas 
with high ecological/environmental risk. POPLAIR aims to fulfill these gaps of knowledge and to 
study the feasibility of introducing lichens in the market as a well-known tool to be applied in 
environmental monitoring assessments 

http://cordis.europa.eu/
project/rcn/186554_en.
html 

http://cordis.europa.eu/
project/rcn/187821_en.
html 

Impact of polyaromatic 
hydrocarbons on arbuscular 
mycorrhizal fungi and 

FP7-People 
Start date: 2014-04-01 
End date: 2016-03-31 

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are frequently associated to polluted soils. PAHs are harmful for 
human health (carcinogenic and/or mutagenic) and can disrupt the ecosystem functioning. To clean-
up the PAHs-polluted soils, phytoremediation assisted by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) 

http://cordis.europa.eu/
project/rcn/187767_en.
html 

1 

2 

3 

106 

 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 
biochemical and molecular 
mechanisms involved in 
plant protection and 
pollutant dissipation 

Programme, 
Duration time 

4 

5 

6 

Pollutants accumulation 
and effects in relation to 
trophic niches of the high-
arctic ivory gull 

FP7-People 
Start date: 2014-05-01 
End date: 2016-04-30 

Next-Generation 
Electrochemical 
Technology for the 
Treatment of Hospital 
Wastewater: 
Electrogenerated Sulfate 
Radicals for Complete 
Destruction of Persistent 
Pollutants 

FP7-People 
Start date: 2014-11-17 
End date: 2016-11-16 

Sustainable use of Biochar 
in Mediterranean 
Agriculture 

FP7-People 
Start date: 2013-03-01 
End date: 2016-02-29 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

represent an innovative approach, cost-effective and environmental friendly.  
The present project aims to determine the impact of PAHs on AMF having different life history 
strategies, i.e. adapted to grow either under stable (K-strategists) or disturbed (r-strategists) 
environments. We postulate that PAHs may differently affect AMF r/K-strategists which in turn may 
(1) protect the plant from PAHs toxicity in a different way and (2) differently participate in the 
dissipation of PAHs. 
Seabirds living in the Arctic coastal sytems, such as the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea), are 
particularly vulnerable to contaminants from long range transport because they bioaccumulate toxic 
compounds throughout their life and are top predators displaying high levels of contamination 
(through biomagnification).  
This project aims at (1) comparing temporal variations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and 
trace element levels (TEs) in the ivory gull population of Svalbard to evaluate the effect of climate 
change on contaminant loads in this species, (2) assess spatial variations of POPs and TEs along 
gulls circumpolar distribution (Svalbard, Canada, Greenland and Russia), (3) investigating the 
relation between contaminant concentrations and trophic habits of gulls, and (4) evaluating the effect 
of contaminants on wild gull metabolism at the cellular and organism levels.  
Hospital wastewater effluents have been identified as the primary sources of DNA-damaging 
compounds, and are considered as the major source of antibiotic resistance in the environment. There 
is no established technology for the treatment of hospital wastewater. Biological treatment is 
incapable of degrading more persistent contaminants, e.g., organohalogens, cytostatics, and 
antibacterial agents.  
This project proposes a next-generation technology for the treatment of contaminated hospital 
wastewater, based on the electrochemical generation of sulfate and hydroxyl radicals. Highly 
oxidizing sulfate and hydroxyl radicals are formed by applying current to an anode at atmospheric 
temperature and pressure. Excellent preliminary results achieved show an outstanding capacity of the 
electrochemically generated sulfate radicals in removing persistent organic contaminants at up to 80 
times higher rates than with hydroxyl radicals alone. Sulfate radicals react mainly through electron 
transfer and hence are less subject to scavenging by the background matrix, which allows their 
accumulation in the solution and drastically enhances the oxidation efficiency. 
The application of biochar (charcoal or biomass-derived black carbon (BC)) to soil is proposed as a 
novel approach to establish a significant long-term sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial 
ecosystems. Additionally the fertilizing properties of biochar were re-discovered and are nowadays 
divulged and encouraged within the concept of using biochars produced under controlled combustion 
conditions as soil amendment. On the other hand, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), 
persistent organic pollutants formed during biochar production due to incomplete combustion 
process (pyrolysis step), will enter the environment when the biochar is applied as soil conditioner. 

http://cordis.europa.eu/
project/rcn/187663_en.
html 

http://cordis.europa.eu/
project/rcn/185866_en.
html 

http://cordis.europa.eu/
project/rcn/108342_en.
html 

107 

 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

However, an accurate assessment of the impact of biochar addition on the release of PAHs is still 
missing and will constitute the other main objective of this proposal. 
Complex hazardous contamination of soil and water are obstructing sustainable re-development of 
previously industrialized urban land in Europe as well as in China.  

7 

Global contaminated land 
management 

FP7-People 
Start date: 2011-12-01 
End date: 2015-11-30 

The main objective of this program is to strengthen the quality of research by developing 
international collaborations and advance the decision making on complex issues in contaminated 
land management Specifically, in this collaboration UNIVE will involve its expertise on multicriteria 
decision analysis, decision support systems and risk assessment. UmU will bring understanding of 
mobilization processes for persistent organic and inorganic pollutants in soil and ground water. 
CRAES will offer its expertise on ecology, risk assessment and management of contaminated site 
and BNU on environment risk assessment and characteristic of soil pollution. 

http://cordis.europa.eu/
project/rcn/101419_en.
html 

8 

9 

ACROPOLIS, Aggregate 
and cumulative risk of 
pesticides: an on-line 
integrated strategy, EU 
Contribution €3M 

FP7-KBBE 
Start date: 2010-06-01 
End date: 2013-05-31 

ARCRISK, Arctic Health 
Risks: Impacts on health in 
the Arctic and Europe 
owing to climate-induced 
changes in contaminant 
cycling, EU Contribution 
€3.5M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2009-06-01 
End date: 2013-12-31 

This will be done by the organization of several exchange activities in the fields of contaminated soil 
characterization, environmental risk assessment and decision making processes. These exchange 
activities aim to increase quality and mutual benefit of the transfer of knowledge between the 
involved researchers from EU and China. 
Improvement of cumulative exposure assessment and cumulative hazard assessment methodology; 
Development of new models for aggregated exposure assessment addressing different routes of 
exposure; 
Setting up of new toxicological testing for identifying possible synergistic effects and development 
of a strategy for refinement of cumulative assessment groups; 
Integration of cumulative and aggregate risk models integrated in a web-based tool, including 
accessible data for all stakeholders; 
Improvement of the understanding of cumulative risk assessment methodology of different 
stakeholders. 
Exploration and use of selected climate change and chemical usage scenarios, the changing routes 
and mechanisms by which persistent chemical pollutants and air pollutants are delivered to the Arctic 
and the possible role of global climate change. 
Study of the deposition and accumulation of air pollutants and persistent chemical pollutants on 
snow/ice and on ice-free surfaces, their fate and transfer to aquatic food chains with melt-water 
runoff. 
Exploration of the transfer of pollutants from the abiotic Arctic environment into the base of food 
chains and to higher trophic level organisms (e.g., fish, marine mammals, reindeer) consumed by 
humans. 
Comparison of the role of climate change on the transport, fate and food web transfer of pollutants in 

108 

http://acropolis-eu.com/  

http://www.arcrisk.eu/  

 
 
 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

BASELINE, Selection and 
improving of fit-for-
purpose sampling 
procedures for specific 
foods and risks, EU 
Contribution €5.15M 

FP7-KBBE 
Start date: 2009-08-01 
End date: 2013-07-31 

the Arctic to the situation in relevant selected areas with exposed local populations in the EU; 
Identify and quantify the current main health outcomes in relation to exposure to ‘legacy’ 
contaminants in selected populations in the Arctic and exposed local populations in the EU. 
Review of the sampling schemes currently available for food authorities and food producers to 
perform food safety quantitative risk assessment in a European level; 
Assessment of the relevance and suitable limit values of Performance Objectives (POs) and Food 
Safety Objectives (FSOs) for biological and chemical risks; 
Evaluation of the need for new or adapted methods for sampling and testing of the risk factors 
identified. The selected protocols and methods should be able to produce suitable data for risk 
analysis; 
Development of predictive mathematical models for biological risks and investigate and model 
sources and pathways of chemical contaminants to improve sampling schemes; 
Validation and harmonisation of the sampling schemes developed in the project and alternative 
detection methods; 
Sharing and dissemination of the scientific knowledge deriving from the project to stakeholders. 

BASIS, PAH Anaerobic 
Biodegradation Assessment 
by Stable Isotope 
Technologies, EU 
Contribution €170,000 

BAYEX, Atmospheric 
Exchange of Persistent 
Chemicals in Bothnian Bay, 
Northern Baltic Sea, EU 
Contribution €240,000 

FP7-PEOPLE 
Start date: 2011-05-01 
End date: 2013-04-30 

The main goals of this proposed project are to assess in situ biodegradation of PAHs under anaerobic 
environments in marine and fresh water systems, to describe microbial activities and to identify 
microbial key players 

FP7-PEOPLE 
Start date: 2011-04-15  
End date: 2013-04-14 

Atmospheric deposition and air-sea exchange of persistent chemicals in Bothnian Bay are 
investigated with goals of understanding current atmospheric loadings and how future loadings will 
respond to changes in ice cover and air concentrations 

10 

11 

12 

13 

BRIDGE, Bridging mecha-

FP7-KBBE 

Risk assessment data for exposure to contaminants in milk, particularly during the vulnerable stages 

109 

http://www.baselineeur
ope.eu/  

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ
&QUERY=0130b7057
87f:3ad5:58e8706f&RC
N=98660 
- no project website  
http://eu.project.umu.se/
projectweb/4a851ad5f0
ec5/Baltic%20region.ht
ml 
http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ
&QUERY=0130b701ef
ac:1e64:56f2a86f&RC
N=96896 
- no project website  
http://www.ncp-

 
 
No. 

14 

15 

16 

17 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 
nisms into risk assessment: 
An integrated European 
research network targeting 
contaminants in milk, EU 
Contribution €3.48M 

BROWSE, Exposure 
models to assess the risks to 
operators, workers, 
residents and bystanders 
from exposure to plant 
protection products (PPPs), 
EU Contribution €2M 

CADASTER, Case studies 
on the development and 
application of in silico 
techniques for 
environmental hazard and 
risk assessment, EU 
Contribution €2.69M 

CARBPOL, Investigating 
the role of the carbon cycle 
on the environmental fate 
of semivolatile organic 
pollutants, EU Contribution 
€170,000 

Programme, 
Duration time 
Duration: 36 months 

Short description and main objectives  

of foetal and infant development; characterisation of the endocrine disruptive effects of chemical and 
microbiological toxins in milk and produce novel tools to improve consumer safety and prevent 
disease. 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2011-01-01 
End date: 2013-12-31 

Review, improve and extend the models currently used in the risk assessment of plant protection 
products (PPPs) to evaluate the exposure of operators, workers, residents and bystanders. 
Use the new and improved exposure models to contribute to the implementation of Regulation (EC) 
1107/2009 on authorisation of PPPs, replacing Directive 91/414/EC and the implementation of the 
Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides. 
Involve all relevant stakeholders and end-users and take full account of relevant gender issues in 
developing the exposure models and policy tools. 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2009-01-01 
End date: 2012-12-31 

The project provides a practical guidance to integrated risk assessment by carrying out a full hazard 
and risk assessment for chemicals belonging to four compound classes. 
Collection of data and models; development and validation of QSAR models; integration of QSARs 
within hazard and risk assessment; outreach via development of website, newsletters/workshop(s) 
and standalone tools for dissemination of project results. 

FP7-PEOPLE 
Start date: 2008-04-01 
End date: 2010-03-31 

Semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) are a heterogeneous class of chemicals including many 
ubiquitous toxic pollutants such as the notorious persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The main 
hypothesis behind the present project is that the C cycle controls the global environmental cycling of 
SOCs. 

CLEAR, Climate Change, 
Environmental 
Contaminants and 
Reproductive Health, EU 
Contribution €2.37M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2009-05-01 
End date: 2013-04-30 

Identification and description of mechanisms by which climate change affect the exposure of Arctic 
and other human populations to contaminants through change in chemical use and emissions, 
delivery to the ecosystems as well as processing within the physical environment and human food 
chain; 
Expansion of the existing knowledge database on human contaminant exposure in the Arctic and 
selected European countries by measurements of biopersistent and non-persistent compounds in 
serum samples, namely polybrominated diphenylethers, perfluorinated surfactants, phthalates and 
metals; 
Increase knowledge on links between parental blood levels of environmental contaminants and 

More information 

bio.net/media/document
s/successstories/bridge.
pdf  
- no project website  

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_E
NV_PROJ_EN&ACTI
ON=D&DOC=56&CA
T=PROJ&QUERY=01
29fe7c8e02:8b2f:41abc
192&RCN=97105  
- no project website  

http://www.cadaster.eu/  

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ
&QUERY=0130b706c0
2a:6e26:55bf2629&RC
N=87358 
- no project website 

http://www.inuendo.dk/
clear/  

110 

 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

reproductive health outcomes in terms of functional and biological measures of fertility and child 
development; 
Investigation of mechanisms related to effects of contaminants on reproductive health; 
Integration of data on relative climate induced changes in contaminant mobility and distribution, 
external and internal exposure of humans and links between contaminant exposure and health 
surveys into a risk assessment and risk evaluation. 

111 

 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

18 

CONFFIDENCE, 
Contaminants in food and 
feed: inexpensive detection 
for control of exposure, EU 
Contribution €5.8M 

FP7-KBBE 
Start date: 2008-05-01 
End date: 2012-04-30 

19 

CONTAMED, 
Contaminant mixtures and 
human reproductive health 
– novel strategies for health 
impact and risk assessment 
of endocrine disrupters, EU 
Contribution €3.5M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2008-05-01 
End date: 2011-12-31 

20 

COPHES, Consortium to 
Perform Human 
Biomonitoring on a 
European Scale, EU 
Contribution €4M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2009-12-01 
End date: 2012-11-30 

21 

CYTOTHREAT, Fate and 
effects of cytostatic 
pharmaceuticals in the 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2011-01-01 

Provide long-term solutions to the monitoring of POPs, perfluorinated compounds, pesticides, 
veterinary pharmaceuticals (coccidiostats, antibiotics), heavy metals and biotoxins (alkaloids, marine 
toxins, mycotoxins) in high-risk products such as fish and fish feed; 
Assurance of quality and safety in the European food supply from farm to fork by the development 
of new simplified detection methods for chemical contaminants with effective features; development 
of  new  detection  tools  for  key  and  emerging  risks  as  recognised  by  the  European  Food  Safety 
Agency (EFSA); improvement of consumer exposure assessments to achieve a better understanding 
of contaminant levels in food and feed; contribution to the validation of risk-benefit and predictive 
hazard  behaviour  models  in  accordance  with  the  strategic  agenda  of  the  European  Technology 
Platform (ETP) Food for Life; extensive dissemination and training of new detection methods to all 
relevant  stakeholders,  including  industrial  and  governmental  end-users  and  students,  to  advance 
technology exploitation. 
The project will explore the hypothesis that combined exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals 
(EDC) in foetal life may lead to adverse delayed impacts on human reproductive health. 
Preparation of the ground for epidemiological studies able to capture cumulative EDC exposure by 
developing and evaluating biomarkers for total effective internal EDC load; 
Substantiation of observations from human studies in extended developmental toxicity rat studies by 
investigating the possible role of mixtures of oestrogens, anti-androgens and other classes of EDC in 
producing long-lasting delayed adverse reproductive effects at environmentally relevant levels; 
Bringing together human epidemiology and predictive toxicological risk assessment by comparing 
internal EDC exposures in humans with those resulting from controlled exposures producing clear 
effects in laboratory animal experiments; 
Searching for previously unrecognised EDCs in human tissues. 
The project will develop a coherent approach to human biomonitoring (HBM) in Europe, using 
existing and planned HBM projects and programmes of work and capabilities. It will investigate 
what is needed to advance and improve comparability of HBM data across Europe. 
Definition of priorities for biomonitoring of chemical exposures and effects in the general European 
population; improvement of comparability of HBM data in Europe by developing strategies to 
harmonise recruitment, sampling, quality control, data exchange, data analysis, and reporting 
strategies; guarantee of high scientific standards and use of up-to-date scientific technology and 
approaches in human biomarker development and integration of HBM into health impact assessment; 
provision of a communication strategy and common ethical standards, development of a programme 
for capacity building and of a concept for sustainable organisation and structure of an EU HBM 
network. 
Assess the risks of pharmaceuticals released in the environment, focusing on cytostatic drugs 
because of genotoxic properties which may cause unexpected long term effects. Their release in the 
environment may lead to systemic ecological effects and increased cancer incidence, reduced fertility 

http://www.conffidence
.eu/  

http://www.contamed.e
u/  

http://www.eu-
hbm.info/  

http://www.nib.si/eng/i
ndex.php/aktualno/proje
ct/287-national-

112 

 
 
Programme, 
Duration time 
End date: 2014-12-31 

No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 
environment and 
identification of biomarkers 
for an improved risk 
assessment on 
environmental exposure, 
EU Contribution €2.58M 

Short description and main objectives  

and malformations in the offspring in humans. 
Special emphasis is put on the combined effects of environmentally relevant mixtures; combination 
of state-of-the art analytical chemistry, in vivo and in vitro systems, and ‘OMICS’ technologies is 
applied. Comparisons with the hazardous effects of other groups of pharmaceuticals will provide 
knowledge on the magnitude of the problem; it will generate new knowledge on environmental and 
health risks of cytostatics and provide objective arguments for recommendations and regulations.  

22 

23 

DEER, Developmental 
Effects of Environment on 
Reproduction, EU 
Contribution €3.5M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2008-05-01 
End date: 2012-04-30 

This research project will improve the understanding of the role of environmental factors in the 
development and establishment of human reproductive health. 
Investigation of connections between normal and abnormal foetal and perinatal reproductive 
development and subsequent maturation of reproductive function at puberty and in adulthood; study 
of systemic gene-environment interactions underlying reproductive disorders taking into account 
genetic susceptibility, multiple exposures (mixtures of environmental chemicals and natural 
products) and their timing (perinatal, peripubertal, adult); investigation of connections between 
perinatal reproductive development and obesity/metabolic disorders in later life. 

DEHALORES, Breathing 
chlorinated compounds: 
unravelling the biochem-
istry underpinning 
(de)halorespiration, an 
exciting bacterial metabo-
lism with significant 
bioremediation potential, 
EU Contribution €1.15M  

FP7-IDEAS 
Start date: 2008-09-01 
End date: 2013-08-31 

Seeks to unlock the full potential of bacterial metabolism for bioremediation of persistent 
organohalides, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and tetrachloroethene. However, the 
regulation, mechanism and structure of the reductive dehalogenase (the enzyme responsible for 
delivering electrons to the halogenated substrates) are poorly understood. This ambitious proposal 
seeks to study representatives of the distinct reductive dehalogenase classes as well as key elements 
of the associated regulatory systems. 

24 

DENAMIC, Developmental 
neurotoxicity assessment of 
mixtures in children, EU 
Contribution €6.99M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Duration: 48 months 

Exposure to low doses of environmental biologically active contaminants during human development 
can alter gene expression and have deleterious effects on cognitive development in childhood. 
project is focused on reducing such effects of environmental contamination on learning and 
developmental disorders in children. It aims to study and evaluate environment-health relationships 
in children. 
Develop tools and methods for neurotoxic effects of mixtures of environmental pollutants at low 
levels, possibly resulting in (subclinical) effects on learning (cognitive skills) and developmental 
disorders in children; study mechanisms of disease development and the role of individual 
susceptibility; improve assessment of exposures and effects, focus on combined exposures to 
environmental agents that can interact to enhance adverse effects and reduction of health inequalities 
of children through Europe; dissemination will ensure the project results to arrive at policymakers' 
desks, and will also illustrate the subject for a scientific audience and the public. The very large 
network of the consortium ensures dissemination to European industries, and every other interested 

113 

More information 

institute-of-biology-nib-
is-coordinating-7-
framework-programme-
project-which-has-33-
million-eur-budget-
.html 
- no project website yet 

http://www.eu-
deer.net/index.htm  

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ
&QUERY=0130b2397c
56:cc2a:18356864&RC
N=87942  
- no project website yet  

http://ec.europa.eu/rese
arch/environment/pdf/f
p7_catalogue.pdf  
- no project website yet  

 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

25 

ENFIRO, Life Cycle 
Assessment of 
Environment-Compatible 
Flame Retardants: 
Prototypical Case Study, 
EU Contribution €3.16M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2009-09-01 
End date: 2012-08-31 

26 

ENRIECO, Environmental 
Health Risks in European 
Birth Cohorts, EU 
Contribution €0.91M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2009-03-01 
End date: 2011-02-28 

27 

ENVIROGENOMARKER
S, Genomic Biomakers of 
Environmental Health, EU 
Contribution €3.5M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2009-03-01 
End date: 2013-02-28 

stakeholder. 
The project offers a prototypical case study on substitution options for specific brominated flame 
retardants (BFRs). It delivers a comprehensive dataset on viability of production and application, 
environmental safety, and a life cycle assessment of the alternative flame retardants (FRs). 
Collection of information on the availability of alternative FRs, their characteristics in relation to fire 
safety regulations, environmental behaviour, possible toxic effects, economic aspects, compatibility 
with polymer production and impact on the function and reliability of end products; selection of 
substitution options for specific BFRs for further study in a small number of case studies; technical 
assessment studies on application requirements regarding production properties and application 
functions; technical assessment on five alternative FR/product combinations: printed circuit boards, 
electronic components, injection-moulded products, textile back coatings and intumesent paints; 
determination of toxicological effects and environmental behaviour, performance of risk assessment 
based on all environmental and human hazard information and performance of life-cycle assessment 
(LCA) and a life cycle costing (LCC) analysis of the alternative FRs studied. 
The project will focus on exposure response relationships in environment and health in pregnancy 
and early childhood based and supported of the wealth of data generated by past or ongoing studies 
funded by the EU and national programmes. 
Inventories of birth cohorts, including health and exposure data, biological samples, environmental 
exposure response functions, expertise, and access; assurance of quality and interoperability and 
validation of exposure, health and exposure-response data; extraction and rigorous evaluation of 
quality of the data, including developing protocols; data access, databases and analysis, including 
setting-up of protocols for data access, database building and analyses, and exposure-response 
analyses; conduction of specific analyses on exposure and health data to obtain exposure-response 
functions and specific meta/pooled analyses to obtain exposure-response functions; 
recommendations for data collection in the future to improve environment health linkages and 
information for data collection (exposure, health etc), for possible analyses (laboratory and 
statistical) and for exchange of knowledge between (older and newer) cohorts; dissemination of 
information through the project website, virtual network, workshop(s), easy accessible info and a 
database with exposure-response functions. 
The project will aim at the development and application of a new generation of biomarkers to study 
the role of environmental agents in human disease. 
Discovery and validation of novel biomarkers predictive of increased risks of chronic diseases, in 
which the environment may play an important role (breast cancer, NHL, allergy, neurological and 
immune diseases, thyroid disruption); exploration of the association of such risk biomarkers with 
environmental exposures, including high-priority pollutants (carcinogens and immunotoxicants) and 
emerging exposures (such as phthalates and brominated flame retardants), many of which are also 
endocrine disrupters; discovery and validation of biomarkers of exposure to the above and other 

114 

http://www.enfiro.com/  

http://www.enrieco.org/  

http://www.envirogeno
markers.net/  

 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

high-priority environmental exposures (e.g., water disinfection by-products). 

28 

EXPLOIT-CSIA, 
Exploiting the potential use 
of compound specific 
isotope analysis (CSIA) in 
marine environment, EU 
Contribution €240,000 

FP7-PEOPLE 
Start date: 2010-09-01 
End date: 2012-08-31 

To explore, develop and exploit the potential use of Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) to 
PAHs and POPs compound groups in marine environments in order to unambiguously allocate and 
distinguish their contaminant sources, track their contamination pathways ( environmental forensics), 
identify and quantify transformation reactions, chemical or biological remediation processes as well 
as degradation mechanisms 

29 

FACET, Flavourings, 
Additives and food Contact 
materials Exposure Task, 
EU Contribution €5.88M 

FP7-KBBE 
Start date: 2008-09-01 
End date: 2012-08-31 

The project will estimate exposure to flavours, additives and food contact materials across Europe 
and the creation of a food chemical exposure surveillance system.  
Recording the occurrence levels of targeted chemicals in representative regions of the EU food 
supply. This will include a major survey of food packaging usage in countries representative of the 
regional groupings of FACET; creation of a database of targeted food chemical concentrations in 
foods, working closely with the food and packaging sectors, and the regulatory authorities; 
establishment of a migration modelling framework for complex packaging materials into foods under 
real conditions of use to deliver realistic concentration estimates for consumer exposure modelling; 
construction of a tiered food intake database aimed at foods, which are relevant to the target food 
chemicals; development of a personal computer-based, publicly available software programme, 
taking in to account the variation of national food consumption data, which will draw on limited 
data, build on known laws governing food intake and in particular build on small national surveys 
and local knowledge to model regional intake of target foods; building of new databases, populate 
them with the data generated by the project and to estimate exposure assessment using a probabilistic 
model. 

FOODSEG, Safe food for 
Europe – Coordination of 
research activities and 
dissemination of research 
results of EU funded 
research on food safety, EU 
Contribution €1M 

HEROIC, Health and 
environmental risks: 
organisation, integration 
and cross-fertilisation of 
scientific knowledge, EU 

30 

31 

FP7-KBBE 
Start date: 2011-05-01 
End date: 2014-04-30 

The project will disseminate state-of-the-art research results in food safety and quality topics through 
a series of symposia, expert working group meetings, an online platform with best practise examples 
and coordination of cooperation and a plan for the preparation of future activities. 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Duration: 36 months 

Due to the lack of mutual understanding between experts of individual disciplines, data from 
toxicological and ecotoxicological studies is not readily accessible by risk assessors across 
disciplines. However, the need for risk assessment (RA) will continue to along with budget 
restrictions and political and public pressure to reduce the number of animal tests.  
More cost effective, predictive and rapid tests for high quality sustainable RA are needed including a 

115 

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ
&QUERY=0130b7126
2d3:c74c:56e3be5f&R
CN=96372 
- no project website yet  

http://www.ucd.ie/facet/  

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ
&QUERY=0130b6fc6a
a8:2f48:57083f56&RC
N=98810  
- no project website yet  

http://ec.europa.eu/rese
arch/environment/pdf/f
p7_catalogue.pdf  
- no project website yet 

 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 
Contribution €0.98M 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

better exploitation of existing data. Better risk communication to regain consumer/public trust and to 
give unambiguous guidance for improved risk management. Divergence often arises on risk policies 
and measures, sometimes due to different RA approaches. 
The project will establish and co-ordinate a global network of European and international experts and 
stakeholders from different disciplines to establish stronger interfaces between human and 
environmental RA, between RA and risk management, between the various agencies and countries 
within the EU and between agencies and industry. 

32 

33 

34 

INTERNAL EXPOSURE, 
Internal exposure in tissue 
equilibrium sampling to 
bridge the missing link 
between bioavailability and 
bioaccumulation, EU 
Contribution €180,000 

MARPAH, Marine micro-
algae as global reservoir of 
polycyclic aromatic 
hydrocarbon degraders, EU 
Contribution €330,000  

FP7-PEOPLE 
Start date: 2008-04-15 
End date: 2011-10-14 

The overall goal of this application is to improve the understanding of the link between 
concentrations of organic contaminants in the marine environment and the contaminant levels in the 
tissues of higher organisms where adverse effects are occurring, analysing internal exposure, 
bioaccumulation and bioavailability of organic contaminants. Investigation in the missing link 
between external concentrations of POPs and their levels at target sites in organisms where adverse 
effects occur. 

FP7-PEOPLE 
Start date: 2008-10-20 
End date: 2011-10-19 

To manage and mitigate the impacts of PAH pollution in the marine environment, it is necessary that 
we understand the mechanisms involved in their biodegradation. 

OBELIX, Obesogenic 
Endocrine disrupting 
chemicals: Linking prenatal 
exposure to the 
development of obesity 
later in life, EU 
Contribution €3M 

FP7-KBBE 
Start date: 2009-05-01 
End date: 2013-04-30 

It will investigate if prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds in food plays a role in the 
development of obesity and related disorders later in life.  
Assessment of prenatal exposure in humans to major classes of ECDs in food identified as potential 
inducers of obesity and related disorders later in life, sing mother-child cohorts from various 
European regions with different food contaminant exposure patterns; 
Relating markers for early life exposure to EDCs with effect biomarkers, novel biomarkers and 
health outcome data, which are related to risk for obesity and related disorders later in life; 
Performing hazard characterization of in utero exposure to representatives of major classes of EDCs 
in food with respect to the development of obesity later in life, using dose-response analysis in a 
rodent (mouse) model;  
Determination of mechanisms of action of obesogenic EDCs using analysis of effect biomarkers, 
gene expression and epigenetic analysis. Mouse models, in vitro models and analysis in peripheral 
mononuclear cells of biological samples from the cohorts, will be used as complementary tools; 
Performing risk assessment of prenatal exposure to besogenic EDCs in food, by integrating maternal 
exposure through food, contaminant exposure and health effect data in children, and hazard 

116 

http://www.itm.su.se/pa
ge.php?pid=492  

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ
&QUERY=0130b236ed
ee:17bb:77108fab&RC
N=88345 
- no project website yet  

http://www.theobelixpr
oject.org/  

 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

35 

OPENTOX, An open 
source predictive 
toxicology framework, EU 
Contribution €2.97M 

FP7-HEALTH 
Start date: 2009-07-01 
End date: 2014-06-30 

36 

OUTREACH, Overlooked 
Unresolved Toxic Organic 
Pollutants: Resolution, 
Identification, 
Measurement and Toxicity, 
EU Contribution €2M 

FP7-IDEAS 
Start date: 2009-07-01 
End date: 2014-06-30 

37 

PERFOOD, Perflourinated 
organic in our diet, EU 
Contribution €3M 

FP7-KBBE 
Start date: 2009-08-01 
End date: 2012-07-31 

characterization and mechanistic information in animal and in in-vitro studies. 
The project will create a unified access framework to toxicological data, quantitative models and 
supporting information and it will provide tools for the integration of data from various sources. 
Development of a framework providing a unified access to toxicity data, (Q)SAR models, procedures 
supporting validation and additional information that helps with the interpretation of (Q)SAR 
predictions; 
Provision of accessibility at three levels: (i) A simple and intuitive interface for toxicological experts 
that provides unified access to (Q)SAR predictions, toxicological data, (Q)SAR models and 
supporting information; (ii) An expert interface for the streamlined development and validation of 
new (Q)SAR models; (iii) An application programming interface for the development, integration 
and validation of new (Q)SAR algorithms; 
Development as an open source project to optimise the dissemination and impact, to allow the 
inspection and review of algorithms and to attract external contributors; 
Close collaboration with related projects (e.g., OECD QSAR toolbox) and relevant authorities to 
agree on common standards and to avoid duplicated and redundant work. 

Identification, measurement and study of the effects of unresolved and unidentified, complex 
mixtures (UCMs) of organic chemicals 

The project focuses on the development of robust and reliable analytical tools, including reference 
materials for the determination of PFCs in food items. The aim is to qualify and quantify PFCs in our 
diet, understand how PFCs are transferred from the environment into dietary items, and quantify the 
possible contribution of food/beverage contact materials and food and water processing to the overall 
PFC levels in our diet. 
Assessment of the origin of PFCs in our diet and the contribution of the diet to the total human 
exposure to PFCs; development of robust and reliable analytical tools for the determination of PFCs, 
and using of these to (i) qualify and quantify PFCs in our diet; (ii) understand how PFCs are 
transferred from the environment into dietary items, and (iii) quantify the possible contribution of 
food/beverage contact materials and food and water processing to the overall PFC levels in our diet; 
evaluation of the possible routes, including their relative importance, of human exposure to PFCs via 
our diet; assessment of the role of the technosphere in the contamination of our food; identification 
of ways to reduce the PFC contamination of dietary articles. 

117 

http://www.opentox.org
/  

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=13&CAT=PRO
J&QUERY=0130b2290
de1:7015:28acdc28&R
CN=91068 
- no project website yet  

http://www.perfood.eu/  

 
 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

38 

PHARMAS, Ecological and 
human health risk 
assessments of antibiotics 
and anti-cancer drugs found 
in the environment, EU 
Contribution €2.8M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2011-01-01 
End date: 2013-12-31 

Assess the risks to wild animals and humans posed by environmental exposure to pharmaceuticals.  
This project will concentrate on two classes of human pharmaceuticals, namely antibiotics and anti-
cancer drugs, considering uncertainty to obtain accurate data on both exposure concentrations and 
effects levels.  

39 

QSAFFE, Quality and 
safety of feeds and food for 
Europe, EU Contribution 
€2.99M 

FP7-KBBE 
Start date: 2011-03-01 
End date: 2014-08-31 

40 

41 

REEF, Reproductive effects 
of environmental chemicals 
in females, EU 
Contribution €2,92M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2008-05-01 
End date: 2011-04-30 

SYSTEQ, The 
development, validation 
and implementation of 
human systemic Toxic 
Equivalencies (TEQs) as 
biomarkers for dioxin-like 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2009-02-01 
End date: 2013-01-31 

The project will deliver better, faster and economically viable means of ensuring the quality and 
safety of animal feeds in Europe. Provide an integrated approach to the reduction and management of 
chemical and microbiological contamination in animal feeds, better ways of preventing 
contamination and fraud, identifying and assessing new risks and providing scientific evidence of the 
risks of transfer of microbiological and chemical contaminants from feed to food.  
Development of new strategies for quality and safety assurance in the feed chain using existing 
testing methods and emerging technologies; development and improvement of systems of traceability 
and authenticity monitoring of the major feed materials used in Europe; identify the emerging risks 
(chemical and microbiological) from new sources of animal feed materials that may arise from 
changes to the formulation/composition of animal feeds and due to economic factors; undertake 
optimization and application of pharmaco-kinetic models focussing on a number of carefully selected 
transfer problems such as dioxins and PCBs, melamine and related compounds, Salmonella spp. and 
Listeria monocytogenes based on existing data and data generated in the studies performed within 
the project. 
The project will use a pattern of gestational development similar to humans, exposed long-term to a 
broad range of environmental chemicals (ECs) at low/environmental concentrations. This will 
provide a real-life model for human exposure. 
Examination of the effects of sewage sludge exposure during specific periods of foetal ovarian 
development in the sheep; examination of the effects of environmental concentrations of bis(2-
ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on female reproductive 
development in the sheep and mouse; investigation of the transgenerational effects of DEHP and 
PCB exposure on F2 sheep and mouse ovaries; examination of the effects of DEHP and PCBs on 
cultured human and sheep foetal ovaries; integration of human and animal models.  
TEQs are developed as biomarkers for exposure and risk of dioxin-like compounds, since chlorinated 
dioxins and biphenyls (PCBs) commonly occur in the human food chain and can still be detected at 
levels that might cause long term health effects.  
Establishment of possible differences between ‘uptake’ and ‘systemic’ TEFs; study of novel 
quantifiable biomarkers in in-vitro experiments; exploration of the possibility to use effects in 
peripheral lymphocytes as novel biomarkers; study of differences in TEFs between humans and 

118 

More information 

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=7&CAT=PROJ
&QUERY=012d5027c1
d5:b8ab:4d39d878&RC
N=97551  
- no project website  

http://www.qsaffe.eu/  

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/r
eef/  

http://www.systeqproje
ct.eu/  

 
 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 
compounds, EU 
Contribution €2.7M 

Programme, 
Duration time 

Short description and main objectives  

More information 

experimental animal species in in-vitro experiments; testing of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins 
(PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in different 
in vitro systems; comparison of systemic TEFs (rodent models) and in vitro TEFs (rodent and human 
models) by applying multivariate statistical techniques; contribution to risk assessment; validation of 
biomarkers; contribution to establishing international consensus values of human ‘systemic’ TEF 
values for dioxin-like compounds, including some highly toxic PCBs. 

FP7-ICT 
Start date: 2010-01-01 
End date: 2012-12-31 

To set up a semantic web solution to close the discovery gap that prevents a full and easy access to 
environmental resources on the web. The Central and Eastern European Centre for Persistent 
Organic Pollutants will participate in the project of validation. 

http://www.tatoo-
fp7.eu/tatooweb/  

TATOO, Tagging Tool 
based on a Semantic 
Discovery Framework, EU 
Contribution €2.52M 

TMP53COMPMIX, 
Transcriptional mutagenesis 
in mammalian cell systems: 
p53 signaling as a probe of 
cellular effects, EU 
Contribution €100,000 

42 

43 

44 

FP7-PEOPLE 
Start date: 2010-05-01 
End date: 2014-04-30 

The model is based on the central role of p53 in the cellular response to DNA damages derived from 
carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). 

TRANSPHORM, Transport 
related Air Pollution and 
Health impacts - Integrated 
Methodologies for 
Assessing Particulate 
Matter, EU Contribution 
€6.91M 

FP7-ENVIRONMENT 
Start date: 2010-03-01 
End date: 2014-02-28 

The project will develop and implement an integrated methodology to assess the health impacts of 
particulate matter (PM) resulting from transport related air pollution. 
Quantification of pollutant-specific human exposure to airborne particulate matter in urban 
environments resulting from emissions from the main transport sectors; conduction of measurement 
campaigns in Rotterdam, Helsinki and Thessaloniki for source apportionment, exposure assessment 
and model evaluation purposes establishing new and unique datasets to better reflect actual exposure 
to air pollution caused by the transport sector; development, improvement and integration of air 
quality dispersion and exposure models for urban and regional scales; determination of improved 
and, where necessary, new emission factors of ultrafine particle number expressed as PN0.1 and 
mass fractions of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 for key transport sources; development of an integrated 
assessment methodology to connect the various transport sources to human exposure to air pollution; 
development of new concentration-response or exposure-response functions linking long and short-
term ambient residential exposure to size-resolved and speciated PM with key health endpoints; 
application of the full chain integrated health assessment method to a number of selected European 
cities experiencing pollution from road traffic, harbours and shipping, airports and other sources such 
as railways. 

119 

http://cordis.europa.eu/f
etch?CALLER=FP7_P
ROJ_EN&ACTION=D
&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ
&QUERY=0130b2381
20e:ba93:06e913f6&R
CN=94459 
- no project website yet 

http://www.transphorm.
eu/  

 
 
 
 
 
Table 8 

Research Projects with references to POPs funded under the FP6 and by other programmes, focusing on projects with 

No. 

1 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, Duration 
time 

ATHON, Assessing the 
toxicity and hazard of non-
dioxin-like (NDL)-PCBs 
present in food, EU 
Contribution €4.61M 

FP6-FOOD 
Start date: 2006-04-01 
End date: 2010-03-31 

2 

BENERIS, Benefit-risk 
assessment for food: an 
iterative value-of 
information approach, EU 
Contribution €0.64M 

FP6-FOOD 
Start date: 2006-04-01 
End date: 2009-09-30 

starting date from 2007 on.  

Short description and main objectives 

More information 

NDL-PCBs are poorly characterised from a toxicological point of view and constitute a 
major part of the PCBs found in food and human tissues.  It aims to provide missing 
critical information for hazard characterisation, to clarify biological mechanisms 
underlying the various types of toxicity of NDL-PCBs and to evaluate these data from a 
regulatory toxicology point-of-view. 
Establish quality-controlled experimental in vivo and in vitro models for studies of 
NDL-PCBs; provide toxicokinetic data of for NDL-PCBs and quantitative and 
qualitative toxicity profiles for NDL-PCBs; provide a new classification strategy for 
NDL-PCB congeners based on effect biomarker information; provide an up-to-date 
compilation and evaluation of toxicological effect and exposure data on NDL-PCBs 
and PCB metabolites. 
Food safety and risks are highly sensitive issues, sometimes resulting in crises. This 
project will undertake a benefit/risk assessment with an iterative top-down approach to 
explore risks of food and its contaminants.  
Develop and use integrated methods to evaluate both the risks and health benefits 
related to any given food item. Decision analytical methods will be used to find out the 
critical uncertainties for decision-making; work on existing databases of food intake 
and nutrients, and food consumption studies in several European countries and its 
applicability to other countries; estimation of health effects of contaminants and 
nutrients by using new methods, integrating both epidemiological and toxicological 
data.  

http://www.cascadenet.org/~athon  

http://www.ist-
world.org/ProjectDetails.aspx?ProjectId
=3cef10b6d8c74fbb8291eb7c4a1d005e
&SourceDatabaseId=7cff9226e5824408
94200b751bab883f 
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=
FP6_PROJ&ACTION=D&DOC=2&CA
T=PROJ&QUERY=0130b7231180:68af
:57db2ab4&RCN=79852  

120 

 
 
 
 
 
No. 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, Duration 
time 

Short description and main objectives 

More information 

CASCADE, Chemicals as 
contaminants in the food 
chain: a Network of 
Excellence (NoE) for 
research, risk assessment 
and education, EU 
Contribution €14.4M 

CAT-DEC, New catalysts 
prepared from LDH for 
reductive dechlorination: 
towards an alternative POP 
destruction system, EU 
Contribution €150,000 
DELAC, Engineering 
fungal laccases by directed 
molecular evolution and 
semi-rational approaches: 
application in bioremedia-
tion of polycyclic aromatic 
hydrocarbons (pahs), EU 
Contribution €150,000 
ENDURE, European 
Network for the Durable 
Exploitation of crop 
protection strategies, EU 
Contribution €11.2M 
ENVIRISK, Assessing the 
risks of environmental 
stressors: Contribution to 
the development of 
integrating methodology, 
EU Contribution €0.9M  

FP6-FOOD 
Start date: 2004-02-01 
End date: 2010-01-31 

FP6-MOBILITY 
Start date: 2007-01-01 
End date: 2008-12-31 

The harmful effects of dietary chemical contaminants represent a major health problem 
in every society. However since there is insufficient information it has proved difficult 
to assess the health risks they constitute for humans. Europe has recognized this threat 
and extensive research efforts have been undertaken to identify the problems caused by 
food borne contaminants. 
A European wide Network of Excellence (NoE) under the leadership of the Karolinska 
Institutet has been established to enhance coordination and integration of information, 
procedures and measures in the European level on the human health effects of chemical 
residues in food.  
Alternative approach for destruction of polychlorinated chemicals via catalytic 
reduction. The main objective is to develop a new dechlorination system based on the 
supported metal catalysts prepared from layered double hydroxides 

FP6-MOBILITY 
Start date: 2007-09-24 
End date: 2009-09-23 

The current research proposal claims to carry out the technology of the enzymatic 
bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by using biocatalysts 
(both native and tailored by directed molecular evolution). 

FP6-FOOD 
Start date: 2007-01-01 
End date: 2010-12-31 

Cross-disciplinary project for the development and implementation of pest control 
strategies, reduction of pesticides inputs and the creation of supporting network 
institutions for training and services. 

FP6-POLICIES 
Start date: 2007-03-01 
End date: 2009-02-28 

Develops an integrated methodological framework to identify health risks caused by 
exposures to environmental factors, with a view to provide for quantitative assessment 
and comparison of the benefits of alternative prevention and targeted policy measures 
against their respective costs 
It  includes  assessment  of  existing  information  on  exposure  and  health  effects, 
establishment of links between exposure and health including framework and protocol 
development,  and  contribution  to  the  WHO  ECEH  Environment  and  Health 
Information System (ENHIS-2).  
A framework for assessment of exposure and of relations between exposure and health 

121 

http://www.cascadenet.org/  

http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=
FP6_PROJ&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CA
T=PROJ&QUERY=0130b280aa74:cf18:
5bcab2fa&RCN=82650  

http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=
FP6_PROJ&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CA
T=PROJ&QUERY=0130b286d0a6:0fc3
:69e600d5&RCN=82587  

http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=
FP6_PROJ&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CA
T=PROJ&QUERY=0130b287d1d5:385
8:25a8d3d2&RCN=81525  

http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=
FP6_PROJ&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CA
T=PROJ&QUERY=0130b286184d:f479
:322c724b&RCN=84078  

 
 
 
No. 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, Duration 
time 

Short description and main objectives 

More information 

INTAS 237 
Start date: 2007-01-01 
End date: 2009-06-30 

will  be  developed,  and  piloted  on  studies  on  several  exposure  and  health  indicator 
relationships:  exposure  to  atmospheric  PAH  and  pregnancy  outcome,  exposure  to 
PCBs, dibenzofurans and dioxins and neuro developmental and endocrine effects, and 
exposure to atmospheric particulate matter and other irritants and respiratory morbidity 
and mortality. 
Comprehensive investigation on the chemical nature of the main components of humic 
substances (HS) or humic-like substances (HLS) regarding photochemical activity and 
the photosensitising properties toward herbicides. Composted organic wastes 
containing HLS with high photo-inductive activity towards pollutants of the 
environment will be useful for a considerable improvement of wastes management 
especially in the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on POPs. 

FP6-MOBILITY 
Start date: 2008-11-01 
End date: 2009-10-31 

Understanding of chemical mechanisms and catalyst design factors that influence 
photocatalysed degradation of selected pesticides in aqueous solution 

FP6-FOOD 
Start date: 2006-02-01 
End date: 2011-07-31 

The project will test the hypothesis that maternal exposure to dietary compounds with 
carcinogenic and immunotoxic properties results in in-utero exposure and molecular 
events in the unborn child leading to increased risk of cancer and immune disorders in 
later childhood. 

http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm
?fuseaction=proj.document&PJ_LANG=
EN&PJ_RCN=9948460&pid=36&q=71
C62A94D00BAB5E46E5AE6743DE415
A&type=sim  

http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=
FP6_PROJ&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CA
T=PROJ&QUERY=0130b2874bea:7362
:14e1413a&RCN=81101 

http://www.newgeneris.org/  

8 

9 

10 

INTAS 2005, Soil and 
compost organic matter 
structural compounds to 
promote the photo-
degradation of pesticides in 
the environment: for a better 
knowledge of photoactive 
components, EU 
Contribution €150,000 
MESOCAT, Mesoporous 
Photocatalysts for the 
degradation of persistent 
organic pollutants, EU 
Contribution €35,000 
NEWGENERIS, 
Development and 
application of biomarkers of 
dietary exposure to 
genotoxic and immunotoxic 
chemicals and of 
biomarkers of early effects, 
using mother-child birth 
cohorts and biobanks, EU 
Contribution €13.59M 

237  

International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union 

122 

 
 
                                                           
No. 

11 

12 

13 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, Duration 
time 

NORMAN, Network of 
reference laboratories for 
monitoring of emerging 
environmental pollutants, 
EU Contribution €1.9M  

FP6-SUSTDEV 
Start date: 2005-09-01 
End date: 2008-11-30 

OSIRIS, Optimized 
Strategies for Risk 
assessment of chemicals 
based on Intelligent testing, 
EU Contribution €10M 

FP6-SUSTDEV 
Start date: 2007-04-01 
End date: 2011-09-30 

PHIME, Public health 
impact of long-term, low-
level mixed element 
exposure in susceptible 
population strata, EU 
Contribution €13.43M 

FP6-FOOD 
Start date: 2006-02-25 
End date: 2011-08-24 

Short description and main objectives 

More information 

It is a permanent self-sustaining network, of reference laboratories, research centres and 
related organisations for the monitoring and biomonitoring of emerging environmental 
substances.  
Enhance the exchange of information and collection of data on emerging environmental 
substances;  encourage  the  validation  and  harmonisation  of  common  measurement 
methods and monitoring tools so that the demands of risk assessors can be better met; 
ensure  that  knowledge  on  emerging  pollutants  is  maintained  and  developed  by 
stimulating  coordinated,  interdisciplinary  projects  on  problem-oriented  research  and 
knowledge transfer to address identified needs. 
A strong need to strengthen and advance human and environmental risk assessment 
knowledge and practices with regard to chemicals, in accord with the precautionary 
principle, for the safe manufacture and use of chemicals.  
Develop integrated testing strategies (ITS) fit for REACH that enable to significantly 
increase the use of non-testing information for regulatory decision making, and thus 
minimise the need for animal testing.  
The framework includes alternative methods such as chemical and biological read-
across, in vitro results, in vivo information on analogues, qualitative and quantitative 
structure-activity relationships, thresholds of toxicological concern and exposure-based 
waiving, and takes into account cost-benefit analyses as well as societal risk perception.  
The project will epidemiologically assess the impact of toxic metals exposure through 
foods on diseases of public health. Some studies will utilize unique biobank material.  
Particular interest will be paid to interaction between toxic elements in mixed, benefits 
of exposures to essential elements and other dietary components and describe some 
aspects of risk/benefit relationships; new methods for biomonitoring of exposures will 
be developed and validated; define geographical patterns/sources of exposure in EU 
Member States, especially in children and women; assess time trends of exposure, 
retrospective and prospectively; explore mechanisms of uptake and distribution of toxic 
and essential elements in plants, which will make it possible to breed species with low 
concentrations of toxic elements and high of essential. This gives a possibility to 
change the intakes through plant foods and the transportation into animal foods. 

http://www.norman-
network.com/index_php.php  

http://www.osiris.ufz.de  

http://www.phime.org/  

123 

 
 
No. 

14 

Acronym, Project Title, 
EU contribution 

Programme, Duration 
time 

PIONEER, Puberty onset – 
influence of nutritional, 
environmental and 
endogenous regulators, EU 
Contribution €3M 

FP6-FOOD 
Start date: 2005-03-01 
End date: 2008-02-29 

15 

REP-LECOTOX, 
Reinforcement of research 
potential of laboratory for 
ecotoxicology, EU 
Contribution €290,000 

FP6-INCO 
Start date: 2007-01-01 
End date: 2009-12-31 

Short description and main objectives 

More information 

The project will help to identify genetic subpopulations that may be at high risk for 
early sexual maturation and develop novel experimental test models, needed for the 
development of preventive strategies and will study the multifaceted interactions 
between genetic and nutritional factors that may influence sexual maturation.  
Obtain updated scientific data on the age of puberty onset in the different regions of 
Europe; identify some genetic and nutritional factors involved in the regulation of the 
onset of puberty, with special reference to their interactions; develop novel 
experimental test models, including in vivo animal models, optimized for the 
investigation of genetic and nutritional factors regulating onset of puberty; define if 
specific actions are necessary within EU, to avoid children from maturing too early 
sexually.  
An understanding role of nutritional factors, it is of paramount importance to know, 
which individuals have the genetic susceptibility to environmental factors, which may 
cause early maturation.  
Research focused on toxic impact of persistent organic pollutants on biota with special 
emphases on fresh water ecosystem The research activities are identification and 
characterization of aquatic ecotoxicity. 

http://cascade.projectcoordinator.net/~pi
oneer  

http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=
FP6_PROJ&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CA
T=PROJ&QUERY=0130b2852405:0c35
:42addb19&RCN=90042  

124 

 
 
 
 
 
 
No. 

1 

2 

Acronym, Title, EU 
contribution 

WOMENBIOPOP, Linking 
Environment and Health: a 
Country-based Human 
Biomonitoring Study on 
Persistent Organic Pollutants in 
Women of Reproductive Age, 
€0,8M 
EXPAH, Population Exposure to 
PAH, €2M 

Table 9 

Research Projects with references to POPs funded by LIFE+ 

Programme, Duration 
time 

Start date: 2010-04-01 
End date: 2010-10-01 

Project reference, Objectives or Main results 

More information 

LIFE08/ENV/IT/000423, To respond to the increasing 
demand for information on the level of exposure to 
POPs of environmental origin. It will focus on the 
subpopulation of women of reproductive age (20-40 
years), whose exposure to POPs will be assessed 
through biomonitoring. 

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/ind
ex.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=3433  

Start date: 2010-10-01 
End date: 2013-12-31 

LIFE09 ENV/IT/000082, To address the 
environmental and health problems caused by the 
emission, dispersion and transformation of PAH 
compounds. 

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/ind
ex.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=3756 

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