COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Union Synthesis Report on the application of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 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 THE REGIONS on the application of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants
Date: 2022-09-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: dangerous substance, environmental protection, exchange of information, market approval, organic chemical, organic pollution, pollution control measures, public health, stock, waste management

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.9.2022  SWD(2022) 291 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Union Synthesis Report on the application of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 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 THE REGIONS on the application of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants {COM(2022) 463 final}  
 
 
Table of contents 

Table of contents ................................................................................................................... 1 

Preface 

 ....................................................................................................................... 5 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Introduction and background ..................................................................................... 6 

Approach to update and structure of this document .................................................. 8 
Structure of the report ................................................................................................ 8 
Sources of information .............................................................................................. 8 

Production ................................................................................................................ 13 

Placing on the market of Annex I and Annex II substances, use and export .......... 15 
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 15 
PFOS – placing on the market, use and export........................................................ 15 
Substances other than PFOS – placing on the market, use and export. ................... 22 
Export of goods ....................................................................................................... 25 

Stockpiles ................................................................................................................ 27 
Stockpiles of PCB-containing equipment ............................................................... 27 
Stockpiles of PFOS .................................................................................................. 33 
Stockpiles of obsolete pesticides ............................................................................. 35 

6. 

Waste Management and Storage ............................................................................. 37 
  Management of waste stockpiles ............................................................................. 38 
Identification of contaminated sites ......................................................................... 41 
Derogations .............................................................................................................. 43 

7. 

Environmental releases ............................................................................................ 44 
  Measures to identify and characterise sources and Steps to identify source inventories
 ................................................................................................................................ 44 
Emission inventory estimates for Annex III substances .......................................... 48 
Environmental monitoring ....................................................................................... 78 

8. 

9. 

Control measures ..................................................................................................... 90 

Activities to promote knowledge exchange............................................................. 97 
Reporting activities .................................................................................................. 97 
Information exchange ............................................................................................ 100 
Financial and Technical assistance ........................................................................ 103 
Public awareness, consultation, and training ......................................................... 109 

10. 

Dissuasive measures: Law infringements and penalties........................................ 122 

11. 

Concluding remarks and recommendations .......................................................... 128 
  Management of POPs substances .......................................................................... 128 
  Environmental releases and environmental concentrations of POPs substances .. 129 
  Mechanisms  for  knowledge  exchange  and  public  involvement  on  the  work 
surrounding POPs substances ............................................................................... 132 

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  Financial and Technical assistance ........................................................................ 132 
  Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 133 

Appendix A  Appendix A – Explanation of how Toxic Equivalent Factors (TEFs) are 

developed for dioxins and Furans, and dioxin-like PCBs ......................... 135 

Appendix B  Technical Annex ........................................................................................ 138 

Tables 

Table 2.1  Structure of this document ................................................................................. 9 
Table 2.2  Reports provided by Member States ............................................................... 10 
Table 2.3  Status of National Implementation Reporting ................................................. 12 
Table 4.1  Summary of PFOS applications in the Union ................................................. 17 
Table 4.2  Summary of PFOS being imported during the 2013-2015 period................... 19 
Table 4.3  Summary of PFOS reported in 2013-2015 and their uses. .............................. 20 
Table 4.4  Summary  of  substances  reported  as  being  placed  on  the  market  or  exported 
during the 2013-2015 period (excluding PFOS) ............................................. 23 
Table 4.5  Summary  of  uses  reported  by  Member  States  for  substances  in  2013-2015 
period (excluding PFOS) ................................................................................. 25 
Table 5.1  Overview of stockpiles of PCBs ...................................................................... 28 
Table 5.2  Overview of stockpiles of PCB included in NIP ............................................. 31 
Table 5.3  Percentage of PCB in use in di-electric equipment in 2015 compared to 1990 
[responses from Member States to request for PCB data, 2017]..................... 32 
Table 5.4  Overview of stockpiles of PFOS reported by Member States ......................... 34 
Table 5.5  Overview of stockpiles of PFOS included in NIP ........................................... 34 
Table 5.6  Overview of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides included in NIP ...................... 36 
Table 6.1  Data on HCH contamination in two landfills in the region of Aragon, Spain  41 
Table 6.2  Discussion  of  contaminated  land  sites  within  recent  national  implementation 
plans (NIPs) ..................................................................................................... 43 
Table 7.1  Status of emission inventories reported for 2013-2015 ................................... 46 
Table 7.2   Emissions reduction for dioxins and furans, and per capita emissions based on 
data reported under the UNECE POP Protocol ............................................... 52 
Table 7.3   Emissions of dioxins and furans to all vectors based on those reported to the EU 
and Stockholm Convention ............................................................................. 53 
Table 7.4   Comparison of emission estimates between inventories ................................. 55 
Table 7.5   Emissions reduction for PCBs and per capita emissions based on data reported 
under the UNECE POP Protocol ..................................................................... 59 
Table 7.6   Emissions  of  PCBs  to  all  vectors  based  on  those  reported  to  the  EU  and 
Stockholm Convention .................................................................................... 60 
Table 7.7   Comparison of PCB emission estimates between inventories ........................ 62 
Table 7.8  Emissions reduction for PAHs (sum of 4 congeners) and per capita emissions ... 66 
Table 7.9  Emissions of PAHs (sum of 4 congeners) to all vectors based on those reported 
to the EU .......................................................................................................... 67 
Table 7.10  Comparison  of  emission  estimates  between  inventories  for  PAHs  (sum  of  4 
congeners) ........................................................................................................ 70 
Table 7.11  Emissions reduction for HCB and per capita emissions.................................. 74 

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Table 7.12  Emissions of HCB and PeCBz to all vectors based on those reported to the EU 
and Stockholm Convention ............................................................................. 75 
Table 7.13  Comparison of emission estimates between inventories for HCB .................. 75 
Table 8.1.  Overview of EU Member States’ National Implementation Plans.................. 92 
Table 8.2  Breakdown of work completed based on Article 12 reports ........................... 94 
Table 9.1 
Information reported by Member States .......................................................... 99 
Table 9.2  Overview of information exchange mechanisms reported by Member States .. 100 
Table 9.3  Annual Financial support provided to the Stockholm Convention Trust Fund in 
the period 2013-2015 (in US$) ...................................................................... 104 
Table 9.4  Annual  Financial  support  provided  to  the  Stockholm  Convention  Special 
Voluntary Trust Fund in the period 2013-2015 (in US$) .............................. 105 
Table 9.5  Financial support provided to the GEF.......................................................... 105 
Table 9.6  Financial support provided to the SAICM .................................................... 106 
Table 9.7  Financial support provided to UN institutions and projects .......................... 107 
Table 9.8  Other international cooperation reported by Member States ........................ 107 
Information reported by Member States on raising public awareness .......... 111 
Table 9.9 
Table 9.10  Information reported by Member States on public information and consultation 115 
Table 9.11  Information reported by Member States on training ..................................... 119 
Table 10.1  Information reported by Member States on penalties and infringements ..... 124 
Table B1   Control Measure (to identify) details based on Article 12 reports for the period 
2013 – 2015 ................................................................................................... 139 
Table B2   Control  Measure  (to  characterise)  details  based  on  Article  12  reports  for  the 
period 2013 – 2015 ........................................................................................ 147 
Table B3   Control Measure (to minimise) details based on Article 12 reports for the period 
2013 – 2015 ................................................................................................... 151 

Figures 

Figure 7.1  Sources of emissions of dioxins and furans to air for the EU 28 in 2015 (UNECE 
reported data) ................................................................................................... 49 
Figure 7.2  Sources of emissions of dioxins and furans to air (EU 28) – Regulated sites only 
(UNECE reported data) ................................................................................... 50 
Figure 7.3  Dioxins and Furans emissions to air by Member State (2013-2015) .............. 51 
Figure 7.4  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of dioxins and furans to air (taken 
from the E-PRTR website on the 17/01/2019) ................................................ 54 
Figure 7.5  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of dioxins and furans to water (taken 
from the E-PRTR website on the 27/01/2019) ................................................ 55 
Figure 7.6  Sources of PCB emissions to air for the EU 28 (UNECE reported data, 2015)... 57 
Figure 7.7  PCBs emissions by Member State (2013-2015) .............................................. 58 
Figure 7.8  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PCBs to air (taken from the E-
PRTR website on the 27/1/2019 ...................................................................... 61 
Figure 7.9  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PCBs to water (taken from the E-
PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) .................................................................... 61 
Figure 7.10  Congener sets for PAHs under different schemes ........................................... 63 
Figure 7.11  Sources of PAH emissions to air for the EU 28 (UNECE reported data) in 2015 .. 64 
Figure 7.12  Quantity of PAH emissions to air for the EU 28 (UNECE reported data) ...... 65 
Figure 7.13  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PAHs to air (taken from the E-
PRTR website on 27/1/2019) .......................................................................... 68 

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Figure 7.14  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PAHs to water (taken from the 
E-PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) ................................................................. 69 
Figure 7.15  Data reported to the E-PRTR for pollutant transfers of PAHs (taken from the E-
PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) .................................................................... 69 
Figure 7.16  Sources of HCB emissions to air for the EU 28 (UNECE reported data) ....... 72 
Figure 7.17  HCB emissions by Member State as reported to the UNECE Aarhus Protocol 
(2013 – 2015). ................................................................................................. 73 
Figure 7.18  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of HCB to water (taken from the E-
PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) .................................................................... 77 
Figure 7.19  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PeCBz to water (taken from the 
E-PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) ................................................................. 77 
Figure 7.20 EMEP monitoring stations operating in 2015. ................................................. 79 
Figure 7.21  Emissions estimates for the sum of 17 PCDD/Fs (TEQ) for EMEP countries in 
(a) 1990 and (b) 2014 as ng TEQ/M2/year – EMEP Status report 2016......... 80 
Figure 7.22  Emissions estimates for the indicator congener PCB-153 for EMEP countries in 
(a) 1990 and (b) 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 ......................................... 81 
Figure 7.23  Emissions estimates for the sum of (4 congeners) PAHs for EMEP countries in 
(a) 1990 and (b) 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 ......................................... 82 
Figure 7.24  Emissions estimates of HCB for EMEP countries in (a) 1990 and (b) 2014  – 
EMEP Status report 2016 ................................................................................ 83 
Figure 7.25  Predicted spatial distribution of ambient  air concentrations for the sum of 17 
PCDD/Fs (fg TEQ/m3) for EMEP countries in 2014...................................... 84 
Figure 7.26  Predicted  spatial  distribution  of  ambient  air  concentrations  for  PCB-153  for 
EMEP countries in 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 ..................................... 85 
Figure 7.27  Comparison  of  predicted  ambient  air  concentrations  for  PCDD/Fs  (TEQ)  for 
EMEP countries and measurement data within Europe  – EMEP Status report 
2016 ................................................................................................................. 85 
Figure 7.28  Comparison  of  monthly  mean  modelled  PCB‐153  air  concentrations  with 
measurements of EMEP monitoring sites for 2014, pg/m3– EMEP Status report 
2016 ................................................................................................................. 86 
Figure 7.29  Spatial  distribution  of  modelled  annual  mean  air  concentrations,  ng/m3  of  4 
PAHs in the EMEP domain for 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 ................. 87 
Figure 7.30  Predicted spatial distribution of ambient air concentrations of HCB for EMEP 
countries in 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 ................................................ 88 
Figure 7.31  Comparison  of  predicted  ambient  air  concentrations  for  HCB  for  EMEP 
countries and measurement data within Europe for 2014 – EMEP Status report 
2016 ................................................................................................................. 88 
Figure A.1  WHO Toxic Equivalent Factors 2005 ........................................................... 136 
Figure A.2  Structural role of PCBs in dioxin-like behaviour .......................................... 136 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Preface 

This  document  presents  the  European  Union  synthesis  report  on  the  application  of 
Regulation (EC) No 850/20041 on persistent organic pollutants in accordance with Article 
12(6).  The  report  will  also  be  the  basis  for  the  reporting  by  the  Union  required  by  the 
Stockholm  Convention  on  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants  (POPs),  of  which  the  European 
Union  (the  “Union”)  is  a  Party.  As  requested  in  Article  12(6)  of  Regulation  (EC)  No 
850/2004,  this  report  integrates  the  information  available  from  the  European  pollutant 
release and transfer register (E-PRTR)2, the CORINAIR Emission Inventory of EMEP3 and 
the  information  provided  by  Member  States  under  Article  12(1-3).  Regulation  (EC)  No 
850/2004  has  been  repealed  and  replaced  by  Regulation  (EU)  2019/1021  on  persistent 
organic pollutants as of 15 July 2019 (entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021), which 
has modified provisions on the monitoring of implementation. 

Three previous synthesis reports were published: 

In 2009 the first synthesis report4, covering the period from 2004 to 2006.  

In 2011 the second synthesis report5, covering the period from 2007 to 2009. 

In 2021 the third synthesis report6, covering the period 2010 to 2012. 

This document presents the fourth synthesis report, covering the period from 2013 to 2015. 
Due  to  the  reporting  period,  the  report  is  still  based  on  the  reporting  obligations  under 
Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 and includes the United Kingdom. The report includes the 
Member States’ triennial reports for 2013-2015, Member States Annual reports for 2013, 
2014,  and  2015  as  well  as  the  most  recent  available  data  from  E-PRTR  and  EMEP 
CORINAIR emission inventories (2013–2015). 

A summary of this synthesis report is submitted to the European Parliament, to the Council 
and is made publicly available. 

1 In 2019 the POP Regulation was recast (EU 2019/1021) with changes made in particular to the reporting 
requirements of both the European Commission and Member States. This report covers the period from 2013-
2015 to fulfil the reporting requirements of the original POP Regulation (EC 850/2004) for obligations under 
Article 12(6) which predate the recast. 
2 https://prtr.eea.europa.eu/ 
3 Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-Range Transmission of Air Pollutants in 
Europe) 
4https://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/international_conventions/pdf/syntesis_report.pdf 
5https://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/international_conventions/pdf/syntesis_report2.pdf 
6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021SC0053 

5 

 
 
 
 
                                           
1.  1. 

Introduction and background 

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. Because of the concern 
posed by POPs, international agreements were established to address their emissions: 

  The  UNECE  Protocol  on  POPs  (“POPs  Protocol”),  adopted  on  24  June  1998  in 
Aarhus  as  part  of  the  Convention  on  Long  Range  Transboundary  Air  Pollution 
(CLRTAP)7;and 

  The Stockholm Convention8 on POPs, adopted in 2001 and which entered into force 

in 2004. 

The European Union (the “Union”) adopted Regulation (EC) No 850/20049 (hereafter called 
the “POP Regulation”) as a legal instrument for the implementation of both the Stockholm 
Convention and the POPs protocol10. 

The POP Regulation contains provisions regarding production, placing on the market and 
use of POPs, management of stockpiles and wastes and measures to reduce unintentional 
releases of POPs. Identified POPs are listed in three Annexes (Annex I – banned, Annex II 
–  restricted,  Annex  III  –  unintentionally  released  POPs).  The  POP  Regulation  contains 
provisions  requiring  the  setting  up  of  emission  inventories  for  unintentionally  produced 
POPs, national and Union implementation plans and monitoring and information exchange 
mechanisms.  It  also  includes  provisions  for  waste  management  and  the  development  of 
thresholds for POPs within waste, which are detailed in Annexes IV and V of the Regulation. 

Since  its  creation,  the  POP  Regulation  has  been  amended  a  number  of  times,  mainly  to 
incorporate new substances into its Annexes. 

 

 

In  2009  Regulation  (EC)  304/200911  amended  the  POP  Regulation  to  update  the 
accepted toxic equivalent factors used for dioxins and furans; and 

In 2010 Regulation (EC) 757/201012 amended the Annexes of the POP Regulation 
to  include  nine  new  substances,  following  their  addition  to  the  Stockholm 
Convention; this notably included poly brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs13) and 
perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives (PFOS).  

7 http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/pops_h1.html 
8 http://www.pops.int/ 
9 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:158:0007:0049:EN:PDF 
10 The two international treaties covering POPs differ slightly on the set of named substances included within 
their Annexes. The key difference is that Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are covered under the POPs 
Protocol but not under the Stockholm Convention. 
11 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:096:0033:0036:EN:PDF 
12 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:223:0029:0036:EN:PDF 
13 Polybrominated diphenyl ethers are a family of chemicals with multiple different species included under the 
same  title.  The  Stockholm  Convention  has  recognised  specific  species  within  this  family  as  meeting  the 
requirements  under  Annex  D  of  the  Convention  for  inclusion  within  the  Convention  Annexes.  Only  these 
named species (tetra, penta, hexa and hepta) are recognised as POPs under both the Stockholm Convention and 

6 

 
 
                                           
 

 

 

 

In 2012 Commission Regulation (EU) No 519/201214 further amended the Annexes 
to  add  another  four  substances,  including  endosulfan  (as  added  to  the  Stockholm 
Convention)  and  hexachlorobutadiene,  polychlorinated  naphthalenes  (PCNs)  and 
short chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) (as added to the POPs Protocol). 

In 2014 Commission Regulation (EU) No 1342/201415 amended Annex V to provide 
new details on the critical thresholds for POPs substances within waste. 

In 2015 Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/203016 amended Annex I to remove the 
exemption for SCCPs in conveyor belts. 

In 2016 Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/29317 further amended Annex I to add 
hexabromocyclododecane to the POPs Regulation; and 

  Also, in 2016, under Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/46018 Annexes IV and V of 
the POPs Regulation were amended to add hexabromocyclododecane to the waste 
annexes, including a critical threshold. 

Article  12  of  Regulation  (EC)  850/2004  covers  the  reporting  requirements  for  Member 
States  under  the  POP  Regulation.  Member  States  need  to  report  annually,  providing 
statistical  data  on  the  production  and  placing  on  the  market  of  Annex  I  and  Annex  II 
substances. Every three years, Member States need to report to the European Commission 
summary information:  

  From stockpiles notifications, received pursuant to Art. 5(2). 

  From release inventories, established pursuant to Art. 6(1); and 

  On dioxins furans and PCBs unintentionally released into the environment, compiled 

pursuant to Art. 9. 

Such information, as received from Member States, is summarised in this report. 

Note that the POP Regulation was recast in June 2019 (Regulation (EU) 2019/1021) of the 
European Parliament and of the Council19). The recast POP Regulation includes changes to 
the reporting requirements of the regulation. This report is provided to fulfil the reporting 
requirements under Regulation (EC) 850/2004 prior to the recast. 

It  should  be  noted  that  Regulation  (EC)  No  850/2004  contains  a  Commission  specific 
reporting  obligation  under  Article  12(6),  which  does  not  exist  anymore,  as  there  is  no 
corresponding  provision  in  Regulation  (EU)  2019/1021.  However,  the  Commission 
nonetheless considers appropriate to adopt a report covering the period 2013-2015 based on 
the Member States reporting in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 since such 
report serves the objectives of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 as regards the monitoring of the 
progress made in eliminating the use and releases of POPs. 

EU POP Regulation. For the purposes of this report, the terms ‘PBDEs’ and ‘polybrominated diphenyl ethers’ 
refer only to those substances included within the Stockholm Convention and EU POP Regulation. 
14 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:159:0001:0004:en:PDF 
15 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32014R1342&from=EN 
16 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32015R2030&from=en  
17 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32016R0293&from=GA 
18 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32016R0460&from=EN 
19 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R1021 

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2.  2.  Approach to update and structure of this 

document 

  2.1  Structure of the report 

The  POP  Regulation  covers  the  cradle  to  grave  management  of  substances  included  in 
Annexes  I,  II  and  III  of  the  Regulation.  It  adopts  a  life-cycle  approach  to  systematically 
manage  the  POPs  at  each  stage  of  their  life.  This  includes  administrative  procedures  for 
assessing the enforcement of the Regulation and exchange of information between different 
Member States. 

Article 12 reporting requirements for Member States largely follow the order of the articles 
set out within the regulation. One possible exception is that the reporting requirements do 
not  specifically  ask  about  plans  to  avoid  POPs  within  wastes  as  per  Article  7  of  the 
regulation. Instead, this information is captured more broadly within the reporting template 
for  minimisation  measures  of  Annex  III  substances  and  questions  around  the  National 
Implementation Plan. In the past, POPs waste mostly covered the legacy of PCB-containing 
di-electric  equipment,  reported  under  the  PCB  directive  96/59/EC,  as  well  as  the  final 
management options for obsolete pesticides. In recent years, the scope of POPs waste started 
to be enlarged due to the listing of new POPs.  

Table 2.1 provides a description of the structure of this report. Each chapter refers to the 
main articles of the POP Regulation. This structure has been chosen to keep continuity with 
the previous synthesis reports for ease of review and comparison. 

  2.2  Sources of information 

The  main  sources  of  information  used  to  compile  information  for  the  period  2013-2015 
include: 

  Annual reports from 2013, 2014, 2015 by Member States; 

  Triennial reports for the period 2013-2015 by Member States; 

  National Implementation Plans by Member States; 

  Notification of derogations (where relevant); 

  Notification of penalties (where relevant); 

  First, Second and Third synthesis reports; 

  E-PRTR data; 

  CORINAIR EMEP data; 

  Monitoring data from EMEP and MSC-East; 

  Monitoring data from the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP);  

  EMEP Webdab data. 

The information submitted by the Member States Competent Authorities (MSCAs) on an 
annual and triennial basis is the core of this report. The additional sources quoted above are 
used as supplementary information.  

Table 2.2 provides a breakdown of the information provided by MSCAs and is used in the 
current synthesis report.  

8 

 
 
9 

 
 
 
 
Table 2.1 

Structure of this document  

Article and title of Regulation  Chapter and title of Synthesis 

Report 

1. Introduction and background 

Description of what each 
chapter contains 

Background to the POP 
Regulation and related 
international work 

- 

- 

2. Approach to update and 
structure of this document 

Structure of this document and 
key reference data used 

Art. 3 Control of production, 
placing on the market and use  

3. Production 

Art 4 Exemptions from control 
measures 

4. Placing on the market 

Art. 5 Stockpiles 

5. Stockpiles 

Production of Annex I and 
Annex II substances 

Placing on the market and use of 
Annex I and Annex II 
substances. Exemptions utilised 
as part of Article 4 of the 
regulation 

Stockpiles of PCB in di-electric 
equipment, obsolete pesticides 
and phase out substances 

Art. 7 Waste Management 

6. Waste management and storage  Waste management options, 

Art. 6 Release reduction, 
minimisation, and elimination; 
Art 9 Monitoring 

7. Environmental releases 

Art. 8 Implementation plans 

8. Control measures 

Art. 10 Information exchange; 
Art 11 Technical assistance 

9. Activities to promote 
knowledge exchange 

Art. 13 Penalties 

10. Dissuasive measures: Law 
infringements and penalties 

contaminated land, and 
derogations under the regulation 

Identification of sources, 
emission inventories, 
environmental monitoring 
programmes and environmental 
concentrations 

Status of national 
implementation plans and action 
on POPs 

Activities for knowledge 
exchange, public awareness and 
involvement and provision of 
technical and financial 
assistance  

Infringements and penalties as 
part of enforcing the regulation 
in Member States 

- 

11 Conclusions and 
recommendations 

Summary of the preceding 
sections and key findings 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
Table 2.2 

Reports provided by Member States 

Annual report 
2013 

Annual report 
2014 

Annual report 
2015 

Triannual report 
2013-2015 

Member State 

(BE) Belgium 

(BG) Bulgaria 

(CZ) Czechia 

(DK) Denmark 

(DE) Germany 

(EE) Estonia 

(IE) Ireland 

(EL) Greece 

(ES) Spain 

(FR) France 

(HR) Croatia 

(IT) Italy 

(CY) Cyprus 

(LV) Latvia 

(LT) Lithuania 

(LU) Luxemburg 

(HU) Hungary 

(MT) Malta 

(NL) Netherlands 

(AT) Austria 

(PL) Poland 

(PT) Portugal 

(RO) Romania 

(SI) Slovenia 

(SK) Slovakia 

(FI) Finland 

(SE) Sweden 

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 

 

 

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 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(UK) United Kingdom   

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 

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 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (2012-2014) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (2012-2014) 

 (2012-2014) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (2012-2014) 

11 

 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alongside  the  Member  States’  reporting,  the  national  implementation  plans  provide 
information on national issues on POPs and the actions foreseen at national level. The POP 
Regulation states in Article 8(2): 

“As soon as a Member State has adopted its national implementation plan in accordance 
with its obligation under the (Stockholm) Convention, it shall communicate it both to the 
Commission and to the other Member States”. 

Moreover,  in  Article  7(1)b  the  Stockholm  Convention  states  that  parties  will  develop  a 
national implementation plan and communicate it to the Secretariat of the Convention within 
two years of entry into force20. Subsequent updates of the national implementation plan are 
required,  but  the  frequency  is  not  specifically  indicated  in  the  POP  Regulation  or  in  the 
Stockholm Convention. 

The  inclusion  of  nine  new  substances  in  the  annexes  of  the  POP  Regulation  in  2010 
(Regulation  (EC)  757/2010)  highlighted  the  importance  of  updating  the  national 
implementation  plans.  This  is  important  because  the  majority  of  the  original  12  POPs 
included in the Convention and in the POP Regulation are obsolete pesticides, while the new 
substances added in 2010 are mainly industrial chemicals. In 2012 a further four substances 
were  added  to  the  annexes  of  the  POP  Regulation,  including  two  pesticides  and  two 
industrial chemicals. 

Table 2.3 provides the details of the current status of the national implementation plans, as 
reported to the Stockholm Convention. This information is used in this report to supplement 
the information in the Member State annual and triannual reports. For those Member States 
that  have  not  provided  reports  under  Article  12  of  the  POP  Regulation,  the  national 
implementation plans have been used as the key reference for their activities on POPs. 

This triannual report focuses on the timeframe 2013-2015. The latest available version of 
the  NIP  is  indicated  within  the  table,  even  if  this  is  outside  of  the  indicated  timeframe. 
Information from the NIPs has been used to develop this report based on the POPs identified 
under the POP Regulation as of the end of 2015. 

20 Note that the POP Regulation EC 850/2004 implements the requirements of the Stockholm Convention into 
Union legislation. This includes the requirement to develop national implementation plans and communicate 
these to the European Commission as well as the Secretariat of the Convention. 

12 

 
 
 
 
                                           
Table 2.3 

Status of National Implementation Reporting 

Member State 

Update of the National 
Implementation Plans  

If Yes, date of 
update 

If No, date of 
original NIP 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Hungary 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

2019 

2012 

2017 

2018 

2017 

2019 

2019 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

No response received 

No response 
received 

No response 
received 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

2019 

2012 

2016 

- 

- 

- 

No response received 

No response 
received 

No response 
received 

Yes 

No  

Yes 

No  

Yes 

2019 

- 

2018 

- 

2015 

2007 

- 

2006 

- 

No response received 

No response 
received 

No response 
received 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No  

Yes 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

2011 

2012 

2017 

- 

2012  

- 

2013 

2012 

2018 

2018 

- 

2006 

- 

2010 

- 

- 

- 

- 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
3.  3.  Production 

Production  covers  all  activities  involved  in  the  manufacture  of  chemical  substances,  or 
articles that contain chemical substances, for the substances in Annexes I and II of the POP 
Regulation. POP Regulation requirements on production are listed under Articles 3 and 4, 
shown in the information box below: 

Article 3 of the POP Regulation foresees that: 

3.1 The production, placing on the market and use of substances listed in Annex I, whether on their own, in 
preparations or as constituents of articles, shall be prohibited. 

3.2 The production, placing on the market and use of substances listed in Annex II, whether on their own, in 
preparations or as constituents of articles, shall be restricted in accordance with the conditions set out in that Annex. 

3.3 Member States and the Commission shall, within the assessment and authorisation schemes for existing and new 
chemicals and pesticides under the relevant Community legislation, take into consideration the criteria set out in 
paragraph 1 of Annex D to the Convention and take appropriate measures to control existing chemicals and 
pesticides and prevent the production, placing on the market and use of new chemicals and  pesticides, which exhibit 
characteristics of persistent organic pollutants  

Article 4 presents the derogations to the rules stated in article 3: 
4.1 Article 3 shall not apply in the case of: 

(a) a substance used for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard. 
(b) a substance occurring as an unintentional trace contaminant in substances, preparations, or articles. 

4.2 Article 3 shall not apply in respect of substances occurring as a constituent of articles produced before or on the 
date of entry into force of this Regulation until six months after the date of its entry into force. 

Article 3 shall not apply in the case of a substance occurring as a constituent of articles already in use before or on 
the date of entry into force of this Regulation. However, immediately upon becoming aware of articles referred to in 
the first and second subparagraph, a Member State shall inform the Commission accordingly. Whenever the 
Commission is so informed or otherwise learns of such articles, it shall, where appropriate, notify the Secretariat of 
the Convention accordingly without further delay.  

4.3 Where a substance is listed in Part A of Annex I or in Part A of Annex II, a Member State wishing to permit, until 
the deadline specified in the relevant Annex, the production and use of that substance as a closed-system site-limited 
intermediate shall notify accordingly the Secretariat of the Convention. However, such notification may be made 
only if the following conditions are satisfied: 

(a) an annotation has been entered in the relevant Annex expressly to the effect that such production and use of 
that substance may be permitted. 
(b) the manufacturing process will transform the substance into one or more other substances that do not exhibit 
the characteristics of a persistent organic pollutant. 
(c) it is not expected that either humans or the environment will be exposed to any significant quantities of the 
substance during its production and use, as shown through assessment of that closed system in accordance with 
Commission Directive 2001/59/EC. 

Member States reported under Article 12 the following information on production: 

Germany  reported  the  manufacture  of  PFOS  in  volumes  around  9  tonnes  per  annum. 
Quantities were exported annually, although a declining trend is indicated, falling from 5.8t 
in 2013, to 2.4t in 2014 and no further exports in 2015. For 2013 and 2014, almost all of the 
PFOS  exported  was  to  non-EU  countries.  A  small  quantity  (200g)  was  shipped  to 
Switzerland (EFTA country) in 2013. The remaining quantities have been used in Germany. 

No other Member States have reported the intentional production of POPs during the 2013-
2015 period. 

Article 3(3) of the POP Regulation requires that Member States prevent the production of 
new chemicals and pesticides which exhibit the characteristics of POPs as defined in Annex 
D of the Stockholm Convention. The EU Regulations that help to control substances with 
POPs characteristics are summarised below. 

14 

 
 
 
 
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and restriction 
of  Chemicals  (REACH)  requires  that  all  parties  producing  or  importing  chemicals  in  the 
Union  submit  a  registration  dossier  to  the  European  Chemicals  Agency  (ECHA).  This 
dossier has sections covering the assessment of substances for persistence, bioaccumulation, 
and toxicity (PBT) properties. The criteria for PBTs identification are detailed in Annex XIII 
of REACH. These criteria largely follow those of Annex D of the Stockholm Convention. 
However, 
the  bioconcentration  criterion 
(Bioconcentration  Factor  (BCF)  greater  than  2000)  at  a  lower  level  than  the  Stockholm 
Convention (BCF greater than 5000). Moreover, REACH is stricter on toxicity and refers to 
thresholds  based  on  No  Observed  Effect  Concentrations  (NOEC),  classification  as  a 
Carcinogenic,  Mutagenic,  or  Reproductive  toxicant  (CMR),  and  other  toxicological 
classification. 

for  bioaccumulation,  Annex  XIII  sets 

The REACH Regulation also sets out provisions for those substances termed ‘substances of 
very  high  concern  (SVHC)’  (which  includes  CMRs)  and  ‘very  persistent  very 
bioaccumulative  (vPvB)’,  which  typically  meet  the  PBT  criteria.  SVHCs  and  vPvBs  are 
subject  to  further  review  and  restriction  as  part  of  the  Authorisation  process,  which 
ultimately aims to remove the use of all SVHCs and vPvBs from the Union market. As of 
the end of 2015, 168 substances were listed on the SVHC candidate list for further review21. 

Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 lays down rules for the placing on the market and use of 
plant  protection  products  (PPPs),  including  for  their  approval.  It  states  that  an  active 
substance, which fulfils the POP, PBT or vPvB criteria, shall not be approved to be placed 
on  the  market.  Similarly,  Regulation  (EU)  No  528/2012  on  the  placing  on  the  market  of 
biocidal products stipulates that active substances that meet the PBT or vPvB criteria shall 
not be approved. 

The  mechanisms  and  processes  of  the  Stockholm  Convention,  POP  Regulation,  REACH 
Regulation and PPP Regulation are ongoing, and it is possible for specific substances to be 
under review within the different systems at the same time. This requires attention to ensure 
consistency.  A  recent  example  of  such  a  case  is  the  brominated  flame  retardant 
hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD). In 2012, the POPs Review Committee, acting under 
the  auspices  of  the  Stockholm  Convention,  recommended  including  HBCDD  in  the 
Convention’s Annex A for elimination and to remove it from the global market in order to 
protect human health and the environment22. The 2013 Conference of the Parties agreed to 
include HBCDD in Annex A of the Convention. Under REACH, HBCDD was identified as 
SVHC and added to  the candidate list  in  2008 and  subsequently to the list  of substances 
subject to authorisation (Annex XIV) in 2011. 

The addition of HBCDD to the Stockholm Convention (which was taken over to the POP 
Regulation) included clauses to allow the continued use of HBCDD as per the requirements 
and  obligations  of  the  REACH  Regulation  in  Europe.  Under  the  REACH  Authorisation 
procedure, the sunset date for HBCDD was August 2015. Applications for authorisation to 
continue with two uses of HBCDD were submitted and authorisations were granted23. 

Finally, it is worth noting that on 17 April 2013, PFOS and PFOS-related substances were 
also listed as a priority substances in the Water Framework Directive. In 2027 Member States 
will have to meet the standards derived for these substances. 

21 European Chemicals Agency, SVHC candidate list: https://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table 
22http://chm.pops.int/Implementation/PublicAwareness/PressReleases/HBCDcontrolunderglobal 
chemicalstreaty/tabid/2895/Default.aspx  
23 The review period for the authorisation expired on 21 August 2017 and no re-application was submitted. 

15 

 
 
                                           
4.  4.  Placing on the market of Annex I and Annex 

II substances, use and export 

  4.1 

Introduction 

The POP Regulation (Article 3) foresees that the production, placing on the market and use 
of substances listed in Annex I is prohibited. The production, placing on the market and use 
of substances listed in Annex II of the Regulation are restricted. According to Article 4 of 
the  POP  Regulation,  certain  substances  can  be  produced  and  used  as  closed-system  site-
limited  intermediates,  provided  they  meet  the  criteria  set  out  in  that  Article.  The  POP 
Regulation  also  states  that  if  an  article  containing  restricted  substances  is  already  on  the 
market or in use at the time of the inclusion of the constituent(s) in the Regulation’s annexes, 
then its use can continue. The Member State has to notify the use to the Commission, which 
in turn will notify the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention. The POP Regulation also 
follows the provisions of the Stockholm Convention for the so-called ‘specific exemptions’ 
for some POPs in Annex I and Annex II. For the period 2013 – 2015, the substances with 
specific  exemptions  were  PFOS  and  SCCPs24.  Endosulfan,  hexachlorobutadiene, 
polychlorinated  napthalenes  and  polychlorinated  biphenyls  had  exemptions  in  place  for 
goods that had already been produced at the time of listing, with planned phase-out dates.  

Based on the Article 12 submissions from the Member States, POPs that were placed on the 
market,  used, or were exported are dominated largely by PFOS  and SCCPs along with  a 
number of other POPs that were produced in small quantities for research purposes. Since 
PFOS in particular has a large number of exemptions under the POP Regulation and also 
under the Stockholm Convention, this section of the report will focus on this substance, with 
substances other than PFOS discussed at the end of the chapter. 

  4.2  PFOS – placing on the market, use and export 

4.2.1  4.2.1  Introduction and background on the substance 
The PFOS definition includes a group of chemical substances used as surfactant, with the 
major uses as stain repellent, in metal plating and fire-fighting foams. In 2009 PFOS was 
included in Annex B of the Stockholm Convention and in Annex I of the POP Regulation in 
2010. 

The following exemptions are applicable in the POP Regulation: 

1.  For concentration of PFOS equal to or below 10 mg/kg in substances or 

preparations. 

2.  For semi-finished products or articles or parts thereof if the concentration of PFOS 

is lower than 0.1% by weight; and 

3.  For textiles or coated materials, if the amount of PFOS is lower than 1µg/m2 of the 

coated material.  

For articles already in use before 25 August 2010 and fire-fighting foam placed on the market 
before December 2006, the use was allowed until 27 June 2011. In addition, Member States 
are required to report every four years on progress made in eliminating PFOS.  

24 Noting that a specific exemption for SCCPs was revoked in December 2015 for new use, although for use 
in  conveyor  belts  and  dam  sealants,  if  these  products  were  already  in  use  before  4  December  2015,  use  is 
permitted to continue. 

16 

 
 
                                           
Additionally, under Annex I (part A) of the POP Regulation for PFOS, item 5 states that the 
following applications have specific exemptions: 

4.  Wetting agents for use in controlled electroplating systems. 
5.  Photoresists or anti-reflective coatings for photolithography processes. 
6.  Photographic coatings applied to films, papers, or printing plates. 
7.  Mist suppressants for non-decorative hard chromium plating in closed loop 

systems; and 

8.  Hydraulic fluids for aviation. 

These uses were permitted until August 2015, providing that the quantity released into the 
environment was minimised. The POP Regulation also foresees that the use of PFOS is to 
be  phased  out  as  soon  as  the  use  of  safer  alternatives  is  technically  and  economically 
feasible25.  

The exemption for wetting agents used in controlled electroplating systems expired in 2015. 
After this date the only specific exemption for use of PFOS in electroplating applied to ’mist 
suppressants for non-decorative hard Cr(VI) plating in closed loop systems’26.  

In  the  Union,  it  is  obligatory  to  apply  a  closed-loop  system  when  using  PFOS-related 
substances as mist suppressants for non-decorative hard Cr(VI) metal plating. In addition, 
the European Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU) is applicable to installations for 
surface  treatment  of  metals  or  plastic  materials  using  an  electrolytic  or  chemical  process 
where the volume of the treatment vats exceeds 30 m³. These installations must apply best 
available  techniques  (BAT)  for  the  prevention  and  minimisation  of  emissions  of  PFOS 
described in the relevant BREF. 

The definition of a closed-loop system has been much discussed in recent years, however, 
so far, there is no harmonised definition for a closed-loop system regarding PFOS or Cr(VI). 
A recent industry survey commissioned by the German Environment Agency27 documented 
that there is a variety of processing equipment and manufacturing processes, such that a “one 
fits  all”  definition  for  closed-loop-system  does  not  exist  for  metal  plating.  UBA  [2017] 
comment that a closed-loop system shows the following characteristics:  

  Process tanks with more efficient extraction to minimise the releases of chromium-

VI aerosols, if required, encapsulated transporters with extraction system.  

  Dedicated exhaust air scrubbers with recirculation of the washing solution into the 

process solution.  

  Exclusively documented PFOS dosage, related to throughput and demand.  
  Recovery of the PFOS-containing chrome electrolyte by rinsing the plated products 

/ components directly above the process baths.  

25 It is of note that the POPRC carried out a study to assess alternatives to PFOS and provided results at the 
10th POPRC meeting held in October 2014. 
26  During  hard  metal  plating,  a  significant  amount  of  gases  may  be  released  from  the  process  tanks.  The 
generated  gases  rise  to  the  surface  as  bubbles  and  form  aerosols.  If  no  mist  suppressant  agents  or  other 
technology is used, aerosols consisting of process liquids containing for instance chromic acid may expose 
workers and the environment. Therefore, a closed-loop system needs to be utilized when using PFOS or PFOS-
related substances as mist suppressants. 
27 UBA (2017) German Environment Agency (UBA). Use of PFOS in chromium plating – Characterisation of 
closed-loop systems, use of alternative substances. Project No. 55 567, Report No. (UBA-FB) 002369/ENG 

17 

 
 
                                           
  Using  multistage  cascade  rinsing  for  extensive  recovery  of  dragged-out  PFOS  to 

achieve a high rinsing ratio with a minimum amount of excess water.  

  Using an evaporator to concentrate the rinsing solution and recovery of the dragged-

out process solution while also using the excess heat of the process.  

  Return of high-concentration rinsing water to compensate for evaporation losses of 

the electrolytes.  

  Extending working lifetime of the PFOS containing chrome electrolyte by using  a 
cation exchange technique to remove accumulated impurities such as contaminating 
metals and Cr (III) (regeneration of cationic exchanger resins with sulphuric acid and 
their reuse in the wastewater treatment process). 

  Treatment  of  PFOS-containing  wastewater  partial  flows  with  PFOS  specific  ion 

exchangers.  

Due  to  the  space  requirements  of  the  necessary  processing  equipment,  implementing  all 
techniques and/or retrofitting all existing metal plating installations is most likely not suited. 
In  addition,  cost  considerations  and  affordability  factors  may  play  an  important  role28. 
Further, according to UBA (2017), only one out of the five assessed electroplating facilities 
was found to apply, in principle, all nine measures listed above. The other companies were 
found to apply the measures only in part in an effort to close the loop for PFOS and Cr(VI). 

The Assessment of PFOS compounds (European Commission, 201529) presented at the 13th 
Competent  Authority  meeting  for  POPs  provided  further  detail  on  which  Member  States 
were using PFOS for specific applications. Table 4.1 provides details of these uses. 

Table 4.1 

Summary of PFOS applications in the Union 

Uses identified under the Convention 
(included in the POP Regulation) 

PFOS was/is in 
use 

PFOS was/is 
not used 

Information 
not available 

Wetting agents for use in controlled 
electroplating systems 

Photoresists or anti-reflective coatings for 
photolithography processes 

Ireland 

Photographic coatings applied to films, 
papers, or printing plates 

Belgium 
Denmark 
Ireland 
Sweden 
Norway 

Denmark 
Germany 
Ireland 
Poland 
Sweden 
United 
Kingdom 
Denmark 
Germany 
Ireland 
Poland 

Germany 
France 
Romania 
Finland 
United 
Kingdom 
Belgium 
Estonia 
France 
Romania 
Slovenia 
Finland 
Norway 

Belgium 
France 
Romania 
Norway 

28 UNEP (2017) United Nations Environment. Guidance on best available techniques and best environmental 
practices for the use of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and related chemicals listed under the Stockholm 
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Updated January 2017. 
29 European Commission (2015), ‘Assessment of PFOS compounds’, report presented to the 13th Competent 
Authority meeting for POPs March 2015. 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Uses identified under the Convention 
(included in the POP Regulation) 

PFOS was/is in 
use 

PFOS was/is 
not used 

Information 
not available 

Mist suppressants for non-decorative 
hard chromium plating in closed loop 
systems 

Denmark 
Slovenia 
Finland 
Sweden 
Norway 

Hydraulic fluids for aviation 

Norway 

Finland 
Sweden 
United 
Kingdom 
Belgium 
Ireland 
Poland 

Denmark 
Ireland 
Poland 
Sweden 

Germany 
Spain 
France 
Romania 
United 
Kingdom 
Belgium 
Spain 
France 
Romania 
Slovenia 
Finand 

4.2.2  4.2.2  Article 12 information provided by Member States for PFOS 
Placing of PFOS on the market 
The information submitted by the Member States under Article 12 includes data, both for 
placing  PFOS  on  the  market  as  well  as  PFOS  within  applications  following  the  specific 
exemptions set out under the POP Regulation. Details of the further information provided 
by Member States on the placing of PFOS on the market included: 

9.  Austria indicated that, in 2013 and 2014, PFOS was used as a mist suppressant and 
as a photo resist lacquer by a semiconductor company, using approximately 0.3 kg 
per year. No further update was received in 2015 but Austria indicated that use was 
continually being reduced. 

10. Belgium  reported  in  2013  that,  in  accordance  with  the  PIC  regulation,  a  mixture 
containing PFOS (at 0.4%) was imported from Japan for use as anti-reflective coating 
follows: 
for 
Heptadecafluorooctanesulfonic acid (CAS 1763-23-1) = 0.076 kg and CAS 380886-
84-0 = 0.12 kg. However, no PFOS was placed on the market in 2014 or 2015. 
11. Denmark indicated that 40 kg of PFOS had been placed on the market in 2014. This 

lithographic 

Quantities 

processes. 

were 

as 

originated from a Member State for non-decorative hard chromium plating. 

12. Finland  indicate  that  two  PFOS-containing  products  may  have  been  imported  in 
2013.  However,  due  to  the  number  of  importing  companies  the  amounts  or  the 
country of origin cannot be disclosed. The annual use is in the range of tens of kgs. 
The substances in question have been registered for use in metal plating (CAS 56773-
42-3) and manufacture of computers, electronic and optical devices (CAS 2795-39-
3). This same information was provided in 2014 (although still quoting 2013 as the 
date  placed  on  to  the  market)  however,  in  2015  Finland  indicate  that  PFOS 
containing substances were being used in industry, although alternatives were being 
phased in. The amounts are small enough for the companies to not import them every 
year and thus the annual import rates vary. As in 2013, the substances in question 
have been registered for use in metal plating (CAS 56773-42-3) and manufacture of 
computers, electronic and optical devices (CAS 2795-39-3). 

19 

 
 
 
 
13. Germany  indicated  that  9,000  kg  of  PFOS  were  manufactured  annually  between 
2013  and 2015, with  a proportion exported  (largely to non-EU countries)  and the 
remainder used in Germany. No further indication is provided to elaborate on which 
specific sectors would make use of the PFOS retained for use in Germany, but the 
dominant  application  across  Europe  has  been  for  use  in  chrome  metal  plating 
industries, and it can be expected that a significant proportion use in Germany would 
likely be for this purpose. 

14. The Netherlands PFOS inventory showed that in 2013 about 150 kg PFOS was being 
used, mainly for hard chromium plating. The export database did not show any export 
of PFOS from the Netherlands. The same information was submitted in reports for 
2014 and 2015, still referencing the 2013 inventory, so no further update on use is 
available. 

15. Spain  reported  that  PFOS  was  used  in  2013,  2014  and  2015  for  electro/chrome 
plating,  with  the  PFOS  received  from  Germany.  Quantities  were  2013:  2,065l  of 
3.15% PFOS, 2014: 2,470l of 3.06% PFOS, 2015: 85l of 3% PFOS. This was used 
by  one  company  who  have  stated  that  they  have  since  moved  to  PFOS-free 
alternatives. 

16. Sweden indicated that PFOS and perfluorinated alkanes (PFOA) in preparations were 
placed on the market between 2013 and 2015. In 2013, this included 140 kg of PFOS 
(CAS  numbers  56773-42-3,  2795-39-3,  70225-14-8).  In  2014,  ~  79  kg  of 
tetraethylammonium  perfluorooctane  sulfonate  (CAS  56773-42-3)  was  received 
from  and  ~  2  kg  sent  to  other  Member  States.  Finally,  in  2015  ~  55  kg  of 
tetraethylammonium perfluorooctane sulfonate (CAS 56773-42-3) was received and 
~ 1 kg sent off. All related preparations originated from other Member States. 

Table 4.2 provides the quantities of PFOS placed on the market between 2013 and 2015. 
This data are for a small number of Member States (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, 
Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden), who have reported total quantities of PFOS use for the 
Union of up to 6,200 kg/yr in 2013 and up to 2,800 kg/yr in 2014. Most of this is within one 
Member State (Germany). 

Table 4.2 

Summary of PFOS being imported during the 2013-2015 period 

Year  

2013 

2014 

2013 

2014 

2013  

2014 

2015 

2013 

Member State  

Quantity (kg) 

Exported to 

Belgium 

Denmark 

Germany 

0.2 

40 

5,767 

Germany 

2359 

Spain 

Spain 

Spain 

2065l of 3.15% PFOS 

2470l of 3.06% PFOS 

85l of 3% PFOS 

Netherlands 

~150 

- 

Switzerland (0.2 kg) 
and other non-EU 
countries 
Multiple non- EU 
countries 
- 

- 

- 

- 

20 

 
 
 
 
Year  

Member State  

Quantity (kg) 

Exported to 

2014 

2015 

2013 

2014 

2013 

2014 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Netherlands 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Austria 

Finland 

Finland 

Sweden 

Sweden 

Sweden 

~150 

~150 

~ 0.3 

~ 0.3 

Tens of kg 

Tens of kg 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

PFOS (56773-42-3, 2795-39-3, 
70225-14-8): 140 kg. 
Tetraethylammonium 
perfluorooctane sulfonate (CAS 
56773-42-3): ~ 79 kg imported 
and about 2 kg exported 
Tetraethylammonium 
perfluorooctane sulfonate (CAS 
56773-42-3): ~ 55 kg imported 
and about 1 kg exported. 

Within EU 

Within EU 

Within EU 

Use of PFOS within the Union 
The  uses  reported  within  the  Article  12  submissions  for  PFOS  are  in  the  metal  plating 
industry, in the photographic industry and the semiconductor industry. No mention is made 
of its use in hydraulic fluids in the aviation industry. Germany has reported using the most 
PFOS in both 2013 and 2014 (but provide no indication of use in 2015), followed by the 
Netherlands  and  Sweden  which  reported  using  150  kg  and  140  kg  respectively  in  2013. 
During the 2013-2015 reporting period, use has fallen in Sweden; however, the Netherlands 
has report has not been updated since 2014 so present use is unknown, but it would appear 
to have decreased since 2009 (~390 kg).   

Table 4.3 provides a further overview of the uses of PFOS reported within the Article 12 
reports, and details of the quantity of PFOS used in different applications. 

Table 4.3 

Summary of PFOS reported in 2013-2015 and their uses. 

Year  

Member State  Quantity (kg/annum) 

Comments 

2013 

Belgium 

2014 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Denmark 

Germany 

Germany 

Germany 

Heptadecafluorooctanesu
lfonic acid (CAS 1763-
23-1) = 0.076 kg and 
CAS 380886-84-0 = 
0.120 kg. 
40 

3200 (9t produced minus 
5767kg export quantity) 
6600 (9t produced minus 
2359kg export quantity) 
0 

Imported for use as an antireflective coating 
for lithographic processes 

Received in preparation from EU 

For use in surface refinement by surface 
treatment industry 
For use in surface refinement by surface 
treatment industry 

21 

 
 
 
 
Year  

Member State  Quantity (kg/annum) 

Comments 

2013 

2014 

2015 

2013 

2014 

2013 

2014 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Netherlands  

~150 

Mainly used in hard chromium plating 

Netherlands  

~150 

Mainly used in hard chromium plating 

Netherlands  

~150 

Mainly used in hard chromium plating 

Austria 

Austria 

~ 0.3 

~ 0.3 

Finland 

Tens of kg’s 

Finland 

Tens of kg’s 

Sweden  

140 

Sweden  

Sweden  

Tetraethylammonium 
perfluorooctane 
sulfonate: 79 
Tetraethylammonium 
perfluorooctane 
sulfonate: 55 

Used in metal plating as a mist suppressant 
and as a photo resistant lacquer  
Used in metal plating as a mist suppressant 
and as a photo resistant lacquer 
Used in metal plating (CAS 56773-42-3) 
and manufacture of computers, electronic 
and optical devices (CAS 2795-39-3). 
Used in metal plating (CAS 56773-42-3) 
and manufacture of computers, electronic 
and optical devices (CAS 2795-39-3). 
Received in preparation only 

Received in preparation only 

Received in preparation only 

A review of the Member States’ National Implementation Plans provides further information 
on the usage of PFOS:  

In  the  most  recent  Czechia  NIP  (published  in  2017)  the  exemption  for  the  photographic 
industry is used by one company, and the PFOS consumption for 2013-2015 was in the range 
of several tens of kg/year. However, use was expected to terminate by 2017. 

Lithuania indicates in their most recent NIP (2017) that less than 1 kg of PFOS could be in 
use in the semiconductor industry, with small scale usage in the photographic industry and 
an unknown quantity in  use within aviation hydraulic fluids. These uses would also have 
been active in the 2013-2015 period. 
Sweden further reports that the use of PFOS has decreased since 2015 (55 kg), to 25 kg in 
2016  (Swedish  Chemicals  Agency’s  Product  Register,  2017  Sweden  NIP).  The  volume 
refers  to  one  product  used  in  hard  chrome  plating  industry.  Two  of  the  three  industry 
operators have indicated that since 2016 they no longer use PFOS in their process. 
In the United Kingdom 2018 NIP, PFOS-containing stockpiles have been notified for use as 
a wetting agent and mist suppressant in non-decorative hard chrome plating. In 2014 a total 
33,837 kg of PFOS-containing material equating to 135 kg of PFOS were notified by six 
companies. 
Based on the data provided and reviewed, the dominant usage for PFOS within the Union in 
2013-2015 was for metal plating, in particular as a mist suppressant for hard chrome plating, 
which,  based  on  the  data  from  Article  12  reports  and  Member  State  NIPs.  Photographic 
applications are another, minor, use.  

22 

 
 
 
  4.3  Substances other than PFOS – placing on the market, use 

and export 

4.3.1  4.3.1  Substances placed on the market (excluding PFOS) 
Article  12  reports  from  Member  States  highlighted  that  PFOS  was  the  most  commonly 
reported POP  placed on  the market  and used within  the Union. Additionally, some other 
POPs substances were also placed on the market and used during 2013–2015. 
Austria reported that several POPs substances had been placed on the market during 2013 
and 2014 but did not provide specific chemical names. In 2013, Austria report that minimal 
quantities  of  these  substances  were  exported  to  Macedonia,  Belize,  and  Kyrgyzstan  as 
laboratory reference materials. 
Belgium reported in 2013, that HCB was detected in illegal fireworks imported from China 
(concentrations identified were 3,302 ppm and 2,504 ppm). Belgium also imported lindane 
(0.005 kg) as a laboratory  reference standard  in  2013 and exported 0.0003 kg  of PCB to 
Bangladesh in 2015 for research and analysis. 
Denmark imported  two  substances including SCCPs  (14.7 t  in  2013, 4.93 t  in  2014) and 
HBCDD (1.14 t in 2014) in preparations. 
Spain exported small amounts of two substances in 2015 for research and analysis purposes, 
both to Angola: 0.5 kg of Endrin and 1.5 kg of Heptachlor. 
Finland also reported in 2015 that an unknown quantity of HBCDD was imported but the 
companies that previously used this substance are phasing out the use. 
France exported a number of substances to Mali making use of the provisions under article 
14.2 for research purposes in 2014 and 2015. Prior to that, in 2013, 40 kg of Dieldrin was 
exported to Egypt. 
Poland  imported  and  exported  a  number  of  substances  for  laboratory  use  as  reference 
standards  in  2015  (see  Table  4.4)  all  below  1  kg.  However,  20  kg  of  mixtures  and 
preparations  containing  polychlorinated  biphenyls  (PCBs),  polychlorinated  terphenyls 
(PCTs) or polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) were exported to Sweden in 2015. 
Sweden indicated that 2,800 kg of chloroalkanes C10-13 were received in preparations from 
other Member States in 2013. 
Table 4.4 summarises the information reported on placing of POPs on the market and the 
quantities indicated by Member States, other than PFOS. 

23 

 
 
Table 4.4 

Summary of substances reported as being placed on the market or exported during the 2013-2015 period (excluding 
PFOS)30 

Placed on the 
market in the EU 

Exported 

Quantity (kg) 

Exported to 

Substance 

PCBs 

Endrin, Heptachlor 

Year 

2014 

2015 

Member 
State 

Belgium 

Spain 

Dieldrin 

2013 

France 

Aldrin (Aldrine, 
Chlordane and 
Heptachlor) 

Aldrin 

Aldrin, Lindane, 
Dieldrin, Endrin, DDT 

2014, 2015 

France 

2013 

2013 

Austria 

Austria 

HCB 

2013 

Austria 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

2015 

Poland 

Yes 

Aldrin, Dieldrin, 
Endrin, HCB, DDT, 
HCH, Endosulphan, 
Hexachlorobutadine 

Aldrin (ISO), chlordane 
(ISO) and heptachlor 
(ISO) 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

(see rows 
below) 

0.0003 for research and analysis 

Bangladesh 

0.5 (Endrin), 1.5 (Heptachlor) for research 
and analysis 

40 

1kg for research and analysis 

Angola 

Egypt 

Mali 

n.a. (minimal) 

n.a. (minimal) Laboratory reference 
material 

n.a. (minimal) Laboratory reference 
material 

(minimal) Laboratory standards 
Aldrin=2g, Dieldrin=0.5g, Endrin=1g, 
HCB=1g, DDT=2.5g, HCH=3.75g, 
Endosulphan=3g, 
Hexachlorobutadine=0.5g 

Macedonia 

Belize 

Kyrgyzstan 

Not applicable. 

Armenia, 
Kyrgyzstan, Russia 

2015 

Poland 

- 

Yes 

<0.5 

30 The data in this table relates to the annual reports under Article 12 reporting, specifically question 2.2 under section II on control on production, placing on the market. 

24 

 
                                           
Substance 

Year 

Member 
State 

Placed on the 
market in the EU 

Exported 

Quantity (kg) 

Exported to 

2015 

Poland 

2015 

2015 

Poland 

Poland 

- 

- 

- 

Yes 

<0.5 

Kyrgyzstan, Russia, 
Ukraine 

Yes 

Yes 

<0.5 

20 

Russia 

Sweden 

Hexachlorobenzene 
(ISO) in DDT (ISO) 
(clofenotane (INN), 

1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis 
(p-chlorophenyl) 
ethane) 

Dieldrin 

Mixtures and 
preparations containing 
polychlorinated 
biphenyls 

(PCBs), 
polychlorinated 
terphenyls (PCTs) or 

polybrominated 
biphenyls (PBBs) 

Chloroalkanes C10-13 

2013 

Sweden 

yes 

No 

2,800 

Not applicable 

25 

 
4.3.2  4.3.2  Use of POPs substances within the Union (excluding PFOS) 
The  third  POPs  synthesis  report  (2013)  indicated  that  most  of  the  POP  substances  and 
articles that were used were under general exemptions such as uses for research purposes. 
This was also observed for the current (2013-2015) reporting period where the uses reported 
are either for research and calibration purposes or other unknown uses. France notes some 
additional substances are known to be placed on the market/used, but it is not clear which 
ones and for what purpose. Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, and Sweden provide less detail on 
the exact use of substances imported/exported. The position of those Member States that did 
not provide Article 12 reports is unknown and not commented upon further here. Detailed 
information on the uses reported by Member States is shown in Table 4.5.  

Table 4.5 

Summary of uses reported by Member States for substances in 2013-2015 
period (excluding PFOS) 

Substance 

Lindane 

SCCP, HBCDD 

Member State 
reporting the 
use 

Belgium 

Denmark 

Use reported 

Research and calibration 

Substances imported in 
preparations only, no further 
details included 

HBCDD 

Finland 

No further details included 

Chloroalkanes C10-13 

Croatia, Sweden 

Import in preparation only, no 
further details included 

Aldrin, Chlordane, Heptachlor, 
Hexachlorobenzene and DDT, Dieldrin, 
Mixtures and preparations containing 
polychlorinated 

biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated terphenyls 
(PCTs) or 

polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) 

Poland 

Import for research and 
calibration 

  4.4  Export of goods 

Export  of  hazardous  chemicals  for  the  period  2013–2015  was  controlled  by  the  prior 
informed  consent  regulation  (EC)  No  689/2008,  on  the  export  and  import  of  dangerous 
chemicals. This was superseded by Regulation (EU) No 649/2012, which entered into force 
on 1 March 2014. Regulation EU No 649/2012 carries the same provisions as Regulation 
(EC) 689/2008 but better aligned with the REACH Regulation.  

Both the PIC Regulation and its predecessor prohibit the export of POP substances listed in 
Annexes  A  and  B  of  the  Stockholm  Convention31.  Furthermore,  the  PIC  Regulation 
implements,  within  the  EU,  the  Rotterdam  Convention  on  the  prior  informed  consent 
procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade. Finally, the 

31 These are: aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, DDT, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, toxaphene and 
polychlorinated biphenyls. 

26 

 
 
 
 
                                           
parties  to  the  Basel  Convention  on  transboundary  movement  of  hazardous  waste  and  its 
disposal  are  required  to  submit  annual  information  on  movement  of  hazardous  wastes, 
including POP substances. 

The European Chemicals  Agency  (ECHA) keeps a record of  exports and  imports of PIC 
substances.  This  data  is  provided  on  a  quarterly  basis.  Exporters  and  importers  of  PIC 
chemicals  are  required  to  provide  details  to  their  national  competent  authority  with  the 
information regarding the exact quantities of the chemical (as a substance or contained in 
articles or mixtures) which is shipped to or from each non-EU country during the preceding 
year.  

Article 12 of the POP Regulation on reporting asks Member States to provide annual data 
on chemicals listed in Annex I or II of the POP Regulation produced or placed on the market 
during the period covered. 

As already described earlier, the largest export concerns PFOS (5,767 kg in 2013), exported 
mainly from Germany, which includes: 

17. Australia 100 kg. 
18. Brazil 390 kg. 
19. Hong Kong 225 kg. 
20. India 25 kg. 
21. Republic South Korea 1,576 kg. 
22. Singapore 150 kg. 
23. South Africa 350 kg. 
24. Switzerland 0.2 kg. 
25. Taiwan 250 kg. 
26. Thailand 0.1 kg. 
27. Turkey 700 kg; and 
28. USA 2,000 kg. 

Other POP substances were exported as part of articles and waste for final elimination. In 
the second synthesis report, some Member States only considered the export of commercial 
goods, excluding the export of waste for final destruction. It is unclear from the Article 12 
reports submitted for 2010-2012 if there is now a common interpretation of export or if some 
Member State have again not reported waste. More information on POPs in waste is reported 
under ‘stockpiles’ (chapter 5). 

27 

 
 
5.  5.  Stockpiles 

The POP Regulation includes provisions for POPs or products that contain POPs  already 
manufactured and sold but no longer permitted for use. These are considered as ‘stockpiles’ 
of  materials  which  have  to  be  managed  before  their  final  destruction  in  order  to  prevent 
release to the environment. Article 5 of the POP Regulation covers provisions for stockpiles 
as detailed in the information box below: 

Article 5 of the POP Regulation foresees that: 

5.1 The holder of a stockpile, which consists of or contains any substance listed in Annex I or Annex II, 
for which no use is permitted, shall manage that stockpile as waste and in accordance with Article 7. 

5.2The holder of a stockpile greater than 50 kg, consisting of or containing any substance listed in Annex 
I or Annex II, and the use of which is permitted shall provide the competent authority of the Member 
State in which the stockpile is established with information concerning the nature and size of that 
stockpile. Such information shall be provided within 12 months of the entry into force of this Regulation 
and of amendments to Annexes I or II and annually thereafter until the deadline specified in Annex I or II 
for restricted use. The holder shall manage the stockpile in a safe, efficient and environmentally sound 
manner. 

5.3 Member States shall monitor the use and management of notified stockpiles. 

The following main types of stockpiles were reported by Member States during the 2013-
2015 reporting period:   

  PCBs in di-electric equipment.  

  Obsolete pesticides; and 

  PFOS in fire-fighting foams and for surface finishing. 

While the purpose of this report is to analyse the responses from Member States to annual 
and triennial reports covering the 2013-2015 period, reference has been made to the NIPs in 
order to obtain additional details.  

  5.1  Stockpiles of PCB-containing equipment 

PCBs  were  commercially  produced  world-wide  on  a  large  scale  between  the  1930s  and 
1980s.  Given  their  extraordinary  chemical  stability  and  heat  resistance,  they  were 
extensively employed as components in electrical equipment, hydraulic equipment, paints, 
and lubricants. However, since 1985, the marketing and use of PCBs in the Union has been 
very heavily restricted and eventually banned. 

Directive 96/59/EC on the disposal of PCBs and PCTs covers the safe and complete disposal 
of PCBs and equipment containing PCBs and PCTs. Member States are required to develop 
a register of larger size equipment containing PCBs (i.e., over >5 kg) and have to adopt a 
plan for disposal of inventoried equipment. In addition, they have to define processes for the 
collection and disposal of non-inventoried equipment (e.g., small electrical equipment that 
can be present in household appliances). Member States were required to dispose of larger 
equipment  by  the  end  of  2010.  However,  for  the  period  2013-2015  this  work  was  still 
ongoing in many cases.  

28 

 
 
 
 
Following the requirements of directive 96/59/EC, PCB registers must include the following 
data: 

  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 types of treatment planned; and 
  The date of the declaration. 

Any  equipment  which  is  subject  to  PCB  registers  must  be  labelled.  Moreover,  Member 
States must take the necessary measures to ensure that: 

  PCBs, used PCBs and equipment containing PCBs which are 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. 

  All undertakings engaged in the decontamination and/or the disposal of PCBs, used 

PCBs and/or equipment containing PCBs obtain permits; and 

  Transformers containing more than 0.05% by weight of PCBs are decontaminated 

under the conditions specified by the Directive. 

Furthermore, in 2001, the Commission adopted a Strategy on Dioxins, Furans and PCBs32 
aimed at reducing the release of these substances in the environment and their introduction 
in the food chains. 

The  Article  12  information  reported  by  Member  States  on  stockpiles  of  PCB-containing 
equipment is summarised in Table 5.1 shown below. 

Table 5.1 

Overview of stockpiles of PCBs  

Member State  Year 

Ireland 

2013 

Ireland 

2014 

Ireland 

2015 

Type of 
equipment 

Suspect or 
confirmed 
PCB-
contaminated 
liquid 

Suspect or 
confirmed 
PCB-
contaminated 
liquid 

Suspect or 
confirmed 
PCB-
contaminated 
liquid 

Number of 
pieces of 
equipment 

Content 
mg/kg 

Quantity / 
Volume 

- 

- 

- 

50-500 

50-500 

50-500 

24,328 litres 
[liquid 
containing 
PCB] 

21,714 litres 
[liquid 
containing 
PCB] 

13,907 litres 
[liquid 
containing 
PCB] 

32http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=URISERV:l21280&qid=1429105530555&from=EN 

29 

 
                                           
Member State  Year 

Spain 

Spain 

2014 

2014 

Spain 

2014 

Croatia 

2013 

Croatia 

2014 

Croatia 

2015 

Croatia 

2015 

Latvia 

2013-2015 

Latvia 

2013-2015 

Luxembourg 

2014 

Luxembourg 

2014 

Luxembourg 

2014 

Type of 
equipment 

Number of 
pieces of 
equipment 

Content 
mg/kg 

Quantity / 
Volume 

PCB containing 
equipment 

PCB 
contaminated 
equipment 

Suspected PCB 
containing 
equipment 

PCB containing 
equipment 

PCB containing 
equipment 

PCB containing 
equipment 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

Not specified 

Not specified 

177 tonnes 
[equipment] 

25,634 tonnes 
[equipment] 

Not specified 

939 tonnes 
[equipment] 

>50 

>50 

>50 

291 tonnes 
[equipment] 

227 tonnes 
[equipment] 

190 tonnes 
[equipment] 

44.6 tonnes 
[equipment] 

66.3 tonnes 
[equipment] 

9.2 tonnes 
[equipment] 

Not permitted 
PCB containing 
equipment 

956 capacitors 
and 16 
transformers 

Not specified 

Not specified 

Not specified 

PCB containing 
equipment 

1,300 
capacitors 

Not permitted 
PCB containing 
equipment 

200 
transformers 

PCB containing 
equipment 

853 
transformers 

≤50 

22.8 kg [PCB] 

Not permitted 
PCB containing 
equipment 

Not permitted 
PCB containing 
equipment 

23 transformers  51-500 

1.0 kg [PCB] 

2 transformers 

501-5,000 

1.3 kg [PCB] 

Romania 

2013 

Transformers - 
in use 

563 

Not specified 

Romania 

2013 

Capacitors - in 
use 

44,253 

Not specified 

Romania 

2013 

Transformers - 
not in service 

1 

Not specified 

Romania 

2013 

Capacitors - 
not in service 

2,608 

Not specified 

689,502 litres 
[liquid 
containing 
PCB] 

347,051 litres 
[liquid 
containing 
PCB] 

854 litres 
[liquid 
containing 
PCB] 

28,343 litres 
[liquid 
containing 
PCB] 

30 

 
Member State  Year 

Slovenia 

2015 

Slovenia 

2015 

Slovenia 

2015 

Slovenia 

2015 

Type of 
equipment 

Number of 
pieces of 
equipment 

Content 
mg/kg 

Quantity / 
Volume 

7 

Not specified 

Not specified 

113 

Not specified 

10 

Not specified 

1,331 kg 
[equipment] 

7,076 kg 
[equipment] 

117 

Not specified 

8,407 kg 
[equipment] 

Transformers - 
not permitted 
PCB containing 
equipment 

Capacitors - 
not permitted 
PCB containing 
equipment 

Other 
equipment - not 
permitted PCB 
containing 
equipment 

Total 
equipment - not 
permitted PCB 
containing 
equipment 

Several  Member  States  reported  a  downward  trend  in  stockpiles  of  PCB-containing 
equipment.  Croatia noted that  until  December 2015 a  constant  increase  of the  amount of 
disposed-of  equipment  containing  PCBs  was  recorded.  In  Ireland,  since  2012,  there 
continues to be a significant decrease in the national PCB inventory volumes which can be 
accredited to the enforcement work undertaken by the EPA and Local Authorities. Compared 
to Ireland’s previous triennial report (2013) the Irish inventory of PCB stocks has declined 
in volume by 43,625 litres of suspect or confirmed PCB liquids, a fall of 76%. The number 
of  transformers  and  capacitors  containing  PCB  as  reported  by  Slovenia  are  significantly 
lower compared to  what was reported for the period 2010-2012,  i.e.,  the number of total 
equipment (not permitted PCB containing equipment) decreased from 232 (2010-2012) to 
117 (2015).  

Further information on PCB stockpiles was included in Member States’ NIPs and has been 
summarised in Table 5.2 below, with a focus on the reporting period 2013-2015. Beyond 
information on di-electric sources, several of the NIPs reported information on additional 
types of stockpiles containing PCBs such as in buildings, sealants, paints etc.  

Table 5.2 only contains information from Member States with an updated NIP compared to 
the  version  referred  to  in  the  third  synthesis  report.  In  addition  to  the  Member  States 
indicated in Table 5.2, other Member States (France, Hungary, Ireland, and Romania) also 
provided information on PCB stockpiles in their NIPs. However, those NIPs date from 2012 
or earlier and were discussed in the third synthesis report. 

31 

 
 
 
 
Table 5.2 

Overview of stockpiles of PCB included in NIP 

Member 
State 

Year (publication of 
NIP) 

Summary 

Czechia 

2017 

Denmark 

2018 

Germany 

2016 

Croatia 

2016 

Lithuania 

2017 

Poland 

2016 

Note: in their previous NIP (2012), CZ provided information on the 
PCB inventory until 2011. In the most recent NIP (2017), the 
situation in 2016 is reported, which is most relevant for the 
reporting period 2013-2015] 

In September 2016 there remained 851 transformers (over 5 litres) 
containing 116,574 tonnes of PCB. For 229 out of these 851 
devices, it is assumed they contain a total amount of 97,554 tonnes 
of PCB.  

There are 2,254 devices with PCB volume below 5 litres with 
14,355 tonnes of liquid containing PCB. 

Transformers containing more than 0.05 % of weight of PCB or 
PCT were decontaminated.  

The NIP indicated that low concentrations of PCB (< 50 ppm) are 
still found in large transformers and capacitors that are being 
disposed of in Denmark. The source of the low concentrations of 
PCB in large transformers and capacitors is believed to be residues 
of PCBs that were not completely removed when transformers were 
decontaminated, PCB-contamination on the production site and/or 
use of regenerated PCB-containing oil. 

In addition, Denmark reported in the NIP on remaining quantities 
of PCB in buildings in 2013, i.e., between 17-87 tonnes. 

As no such stockpiles were reported to the competent authorities of 
the Länder, it is assumed by Germany that PCB stockpiles no 
longer exist in Germany. However, from 2011 to 2015, in total of 
7,042 tonnes of transformers and capacitors containing PCB were 
exported (waste code number: 160209) according to the transborder 
statistics (UBA 2017a - Statistics concerning transfrontier shipment 
of waste). 

In the observed period (2008–2015) 132 holders who own a total of 
639 tonnes of equipment containing PCBs (capacitors and 
transformers) were recorded. 

In December 2015, 92 holders disposed of all the equipment (430 
tonnes; 67%), while 40 holders were in possession of equipment 
that remains to be disposed of (190 tonnes; 30%). Out of the 40 
holders, 9 partially disposed their equipment (19 tonnes, 3%). 

In 2013, 8 transformers containing PCBs < 0,05 % were in 
operation in Lithuania. The NIP indicated that part of the PCB 
containing waste is stored in a long-term storage facility in 
Lithuania. In 2014, 2.1 tonnes of oil containing PCB and 188.5 
tonnes of PCB-containing equipment were stored in long-term 
storage facility. 

In addition, theoretical calculations indicated that in buildings built 
in 1950-1970 there may be an accumulated 400 tonnes of PCBs. 
When demolishing such buildings after 20-50 years construction 
waste containing PCB will be generated. 

The NIP indicated that in Poland there are no stockpiles of products 
containing POPs. The previous NIP (2013) still indicated that by 
the end of 2010 there were 8 waste storage sites with PCBs that 

32 

 
Member 
State 

Year (publication of 
NIP) 

Summary 

Sweden 

2017 

were to be removed, representing 801,676 tonnes of waste 
containing di-electric equipment.  

Sweden indicated that it is likely that PCB can still be found in 
small electronic equipment, like starters for fluorescent tubes. 
However, all electronic waste in Sweden is considered to be 
hazardous waste and is collected for further treatment at a 
hazardous waste treatment facility. Sealants and flooring materials 
will be a source of PCB wastes for a few more years. Estimations 
show there could be 20–50 tonnes PCB still to be removed from 
buildings. 

Note: The UK, in its most recent NIP (2017) included no new information on stockpiles with 
PCB containing equipment compared to the version published in 2012. 

The information reported by Member States included different levels of detail. For example, 
Romania  reported,  in  its  previous  triannual  report,  information  on  whether  the  PCB 
equipment was in use or not and included information on the actual presence of PCBs based 
on  the  minimum/maximum  share  of  PCBs  in  the  contaminated  soil.  Ireland  provided 
information on stockpiles (liquids) which are confirmed or suspected to contain between 50-
500  mg/kg  of  PCBs.  This  is  a  change  compared  to  its  previous  triannual  report,  due  to 
changes in the PCB reporting methodology in Ireland. 

In  order  to  better  understand  and  complement  the  data  on  PCB-containing  equipment,  a 
request for information was sent out to the Member State Competent Authorities in April 
2017. Acknowledging the levels of uncertainty inherent  in the estimates of PCBs in such 
equipment, the request asked for input on the quantities of PCB actively in use in di-electric 
equipment,  both  in  1990  and  in  2015,  as  well  as  the  quantities  of  PCBs  that  have  been 
destroyed between 1990 and 2015. In total, 14 Member States responded to the request. The 
estimates of the fraction of PCBs still in use (%, 2015 compared to 1990) are presented in 
the table below. 

Table 5.3 

Percentage of PCB in use in di-electric equipment in 2015 compared to 
1990 [responses from Member States to request for PCB data, 2017] 

Member State 

Belgium (Flanders) 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Ireland 

Croatia 

Lithuania 

Remaining PCB quantities in 
use in 2015 as a percentage of 
1990 baseline (%) 

Notes 

0.3 

6.0-9.8 

0.5 

<1.0 

19 

30 

3 

Based on the number of units 

Based on number of units, 
reference year is 2008 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Member State 

Netherlands 

Portugal 

Romania 

Finland 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

Remaining PCB quantities in 
use in 2015 as a percentage of 
1990 baseline (%) 

Notes 

8 

3 

49 

0.0 

0.3 

7 

Based on waste data (containing 
PCB) 

Reference year is 2005 

the data for the United Kingdom 
are calculations made by the 
contractor based on the POPs 
inventory 

Note: Poland also responded to the survey, indicating that no data was available.  

The majority of the Member States reported that in 2015 <10% of the PCBs were in use, 
compared to the reference year, i.e., 1990. Five of these Member States estimated a fraction 
of PCB in use below 1%. Croatia and Romania reported significantly higher PCB fractions 
in use, 30% and 49%, respectively.  It should be noted that their estimates were based on 
different reference years, i.e., 2008 for Croatia and 2005 for Romania. 

  5.2  Stockpiles of PFOS 

PFOS, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF) were added to Annex B of 
the  Stockholm  Convention  in  2009.  In  accordance  with  Part  III  of  Annex  B  to  the 
Convention, acceptable purposes and specific exemptions are defined for the production and 
use of PFOS, its salts and PFOSF.  After PFOS  was added to Annex B of the Stockholm 
Convention, PFOS was removed from REACH Annex XVII and added to Annex I of the 
POP regulation33.  

Four Member States reported stockpiles of PFOS in their triannual reports (covering 2013-
2015). This mainly related to fire-fighting foams containing PFOS and the use of PFOS in 
surface finishing processes (chromium plating).  

Fire-fighting  foams  (Class  B  foams34)  can  be  synthetic  foams,  including  aqueous  film-
forming  foam  (AFFF)  or  alcohol-resistant  aqueous  film-forming  foam  (AR-AFFF),  or 
protein foams. The vast majority of the fire-fighting foams currently in stock (or service) are 
AFFF or AR-AFFF. Fluorosurfactants are considered a key ingredient in AFFFs, providing 
unique performance attributes, enabling them to be effective in preventing and extinguishing 
fires. 

PFOS  salts  are  or  have  been  commonly  used  as  a  surfactant,  wetting  agent  and  mist 
suppressing  agent  for  chrome  metal  plating  processes  to  create  a  protective  barrier  from 
aerosol  emissions.  PFOS  has  been  used  in  the  chromic  acid  solution,  as  other  mist 

33 As amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 757/2010 of 24 August 2010 
34 Class B fire-fighting foams are categorised as those foams for use on class B fires (liquid fuel or liquefied 
solid fires). 

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
suppressants  degrade  more  rapidly  under  the  strongly  acidic  and  oxidizing  conditions. 
Fluorinated surfactants (including PFOS) are not reported to be used in other metal plating 
applications  (e.g.,  copper  plating,  nickel  plating,  tin  plating,  zinc,  and  zinc  alloy  plating, 
electroplating  of  polymers)  besides  metal  plating  with  chromium  (VI)35.  Table  5.4 
summarises the information on PFOS stockpiles provided by the Member States. 

Table 5.4 

Overview of stockpiles of PFOS reported by Member States 

Member 
State 

Year 

Types of product / 
application 

Quantity 

Germany 

2013-2015 

Not specified 

Spain 

2013 

Chromium plating 

Spain 

2014 

Chromium plating 

Spain 

2015 

Chromium plating 

Luxembourg  2013-2015 

Fire-fighting foams 

35,644 kg (45% solution, stored at three 
sites) 

41,223 kg (100% solution, stored at one site) 

2,065 litres (3.15% PFOS, received from 
Germany) 

2,470 litres (3.06% PFOS, received from 
Germany) 

85 litres (3.00% PFOS, received from 
Germany) 

13,000 litres (no info on PFOS 
concentrations) 

United 
Kingdom 

United 
Kingdom 

United 
Kingdom 

2012 

Chromium plating 

3,654 kg (88 kg of PFOS) 

2013 

Chromium plating 

34,050 kg (109 kg of PFOS) 

2014 

Chromium plating 

31,796 kg (132 kg of PFOS) 

A  review  of  the  available  NIPs  (which  had  been  updated  to  include  PFOS)  highlighted 
additional information for Member States. Table 5.5 summarises the information included 
on stockpiles of PFOS for the years covered by this report (2013-2015).  

Table 5.5 

Overview of stockpiles of PFOS included in NIP 

Member 
State 

Year 
(publication of 
NIP) 

Summary 

Czechia 

2017 

Stocks of such substances in Czechia are not expected. No information for 
the period 2013-2015 was reported. 

Reassessment of the need for acceptable purposes is carried out so that the 
Czechia can terminate the use of PFOS in the photographic industry, 
photolithography and for hydraulic fluids for aviation. 

35 UNEP/POPS/POPRC.14/INF/8 

35 

 
 
 
 
                                           
Member 
State 

Year 
(publication of 
NIP) 

Summary 

Denmark 

2018 

Croatia 

2016 

Poland 

2016 

Sweden 

2017 

United 
Kingdom 

2017 

In 2014, four products with the substance tetraethylammonium 
perfluorooctanesulfonate (CAS no. 56773-42-3) were registered in the 
Danish Product Register. For 2015 the number of products is indicated as 
"0", meaning that fewer than three products were used. 

For information, for 2016 no products were indicated, indicating that the 
substance is no longer used in Denmark. All uses of the substance have 
been phased out. 

There is no data in the NIP for the period 2013-2015 on existing stocks or 
the quantities of foams used during fire drills. There is a considerable 
number of small quantities of foams about which little is known. Often, 
they are left by ships during repair. All foams used today contain only 
fluorotelomers. 

The NIP recommends that firefighting organisations carry out detailed 
assessment/analysis of firefighting foams in use in order to remove doubts 
regarding the possibility of the presence of stock, and to inform users 
about the potential risks to health and the environment. 

In Poland, there are no stockpiles of products containing POPs. No 
information for the period 2013-2015 was reported. 

There are no known stockpiles of PFOS or any known recycling of carpets 
or other textiles containing PFOS in Sweden. No information for the 
period 2013-2015 was reported. 

In 2014 a total 33,837 kg of PFOS-containing material equating to 135 kg 
of PFOS were notified by six companies. Information from the 
manufacturer suggests that these quantities will diminish as alternatives 
are now being used and products reformulated. 

The NIP indicated that PFOS-foams are no longer in use and several 
industrial holders of foams notified disposal of the material following a 
communications campaign. 

The use and disposal of PFOS-foams are no longer considered to be a 
current concern. However, the substance may be present in residual forms 
in land. 

From the information provided by the Member States, it can be concluded that only a few 
stockpiles of PFOS existed in the period 2013-2015 (e.g., Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, 
United Kingdom), and that most Member States expect that the quantities will decrease over 
the next years as alternatives are available.  

  5.3  Stockpiles of obsolete pesticides 

Member  States  are  required  to  manage  stockpiles  of  obsolete  pesticides,  i.e.  pesticides 
containing POP substances whose production, placing on the market or use are prohibited. 
While the Member State reports submitted for the 2013-2015 period do identify stocks of 
industrial chemicals (primarily PFOS and PCBs), no stockpiles of obsolete pesticides were 
reported by the Member States for this period.  

As a means of comparison towards progress for elimination of pesticide stockpiles, the third 
synthesis  report  (covering  the  period  2010-2012)  identified  four  Member  States  who 

36 

 
 
 
provided information on stockpiles of obsolete pesticides, i.e. Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania 
and  the  United  Kingdom.  The  reported  quantities  varied  between  88  kg  in  the  United 
Kingdom to 200 tonnes in Hungary.  

A review of the available NIPs highlighted additional information. Table 5.6 summarises the 
information included on stockpiles of pesticides for the years covered by this synthesis report 
(2013-2015). Member States indicated that no stockpiles were reported for the period 2013-
2015 and/or that all identified stockpiles have been disposed of.  

Table 5.6 

Overview of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides included in NIP 

Member 
State 

Year 
(publication of 
NIP) 

Summary 

Czechia 

2017 

Denmark 

2018 

Croatia 

2016 

Cyprus 

2014 

Lithuania 

2017 

Poland 

2016 

Sweden 

2017 

In relation to the obsolete pesticides, there were/are activities addressed 
that are associated primarily with ensuring the proper disposal of 
unused stocks, respectively waste and addressing sites contaminated by 
these compounds. Disposal of unused stocks was carried out in the 
early 1990s (carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture). 

No stockpiles of obsolete POPs pesticides exist in Denmark. No 
stockpiles for the period 2013-2015 were reported. 

During preparation of the POPs inventory, no major POPs stockpiles or 
waste containing POPs were recorded. No stockpiles for the period 
2013-2015 were reported. 

In their NIP (2014) Cyprus reported that according to the records and 
inspections carried out by the Department of Agriculture in factories 
and stores of agricultural products, there are no stockpiles of the 
chemicals listed in Annexes A and B of the Convention. It is assumed 
that this is also valid for the reporting period, i.e., 2013-2015. 

Until late 2014, 1379 warehouses of old pesticide or contaminated sites 
containing POPs pesticides were identified within Lithuania. 
According to the Ministry of the Environment, all identified obsolete 
pesticides warehouse and stockpiles have been disposed of. 

In Poland, there are no stockpiles of products containing POPs. No 
stockpiles for the period 2013-2015 were reported. 

It is estimated that no stockpiles or wastes of these pesticides remain in 
Sweden. No stockpiles for the period 2013-2015 were reported. 

37 

 
 
6.  6.  Waste Management and Storage 

The end-of-life management of stockpiled POPs goods, as well as waste management for 
POPs within waste streams are covered by Article 7 of the POP regulation.  Annex IV and 
V provide maximum thresholds and accepted means of disposal. The requirements of Article 
7 of the POP regulation are provided in the information box below:  

Article 7 of the POP Regulation covers the management of waste materials, so that 

7.1 Producers and holders of waste shall undertake all reasonable efforts to avoid, where feasible, contamination of 
this waste with substances listed in Annex IV. 

7.2 Notwithstanding Directive 96/58/EC, waste consisting of, containing or contaminated by any substance listed in 
Annex IV shall be disposed of or recovered, without undue delay and in accordance with Annex V, part 1 in such a 
way as to ensure that the persistent organic pollutant content is destroyed or irreversibly transformed so that the 
remaining waste and releases do not exhibit the characteristics of persistent organic pollutants. In carrying out such a 
disposal or recovery, any substance listed in Annex IV may be isolated from the waste, provided that this substance is 
subsequently disposed of in accordance with the first subparagraph. 

7.3 Disposal or recovery operations that may lead to recovery, recycling, reclamation or re-use of the substances 
listed in Annex IV shall be prohibited. 

7.5 Concentration limits in Annex V, part 2 shall be established for the purposes of paragraph 4(b) before 31 
December 2005 in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 17(2). 

7.6 The Commission may, where appropriate, and taking into consideration technical developments and relevant 
international guidelines and decisions and any authorisations granted by a Member State, or the competent authority 
designated by that Member State in accordance with paragraph 4 and Annex V, adopt additional measures relating to 
the implementation of this Article. The Commission shall define a format for the submission of the information by 
Member States in accordance with paragraph 4(b)(iii). Such measures shall be decided in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 17(2). 

7.7 The Commission shall, before 31 December 2009, review the derogations in paragraph 7(4) in the light of 
international and technical developments, in particular with regard to their environmental preferability. 

Article 7 (4) on derogations states: 

waste containing or contaminated by any substance listed in Annex IV may be otherwise disposed of or recovered in 
accordance with the relevant Community legislation, provided that the content of the listed substances in the waste is 
below the concentration limits to be specified in Annex IV before 31 December 2005, in accordance with the 
procedure referred to in Article 17(2). Until such time as concentration limits are specified in accordance with such 
procedure, the competent authority of a Member State may adopt or apply concentration limits or specific technical 
requirements in respect of the disposal or recovery of waste under this subparagraph; the substances listed in Annex 
IV shall be prohibited. 

a Member State or the competent authority designated by that Member State may, in exceptional cases, allow wastes 
listed in Annex V, part 2 containing or contaminated by any substance listed in Annex IV up to concentration limits 
to be specified in Annex V, part 2, to be otherwise dealt with in accordance with a method listed in Annex V, part 2 
provided that: 

 

 

 

(i) the holder concerned has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the competent authority of the Member 
State concerned that decontamination of the waste in relation to substances listed in Annex IV was not 
feasible, and that destruction or irreversible transformation of the persistent organic pollutant content, 
performed in accordance with best environmental practice or best available techniques, does not represent 
the environmentally preferable option and the competent authority has subsequently authorised the 
alternative operation; 

(ii) this operation is in accordance with the relevant Community legislation and the conditions laid down in 
relevant additional measures referred to in paragraph 6; and 

(iii) the Member State concerned has informed the other Member States and the Commission of its 
authorisation and the justification for it. 

38 

 
 
  6.1  Management of waste stockpiles  

6.1.1  6.1.1  Introduction and background 
Annex  IV  of  the  POP  Regulation  sets  out  the  list  of  named  substances  subject  to  waste 
management provisions; these are the same substances listed within Annexes I, II and III 
(Banned, Restricted, unintentionally produced) of the regulation. Annex IV also includes the 
concentration limits above which the provisions of Article 7 apply, including the destruction 
or irreversible change of the waste to remove the POPs characteristics. Annex V provides 
the appropriate waste management options for meeting the obligations of Article 7 of the 
POP Regulation.  

In 2007 the POP Regulation was amended by Council Regulation (EC) 172/2007 to include 
the  concentration  limits  in  Annex  IV.  The  POP  Regulation  was  further  amended  by 
Commission Regulation (EC) 323/2007 and Commission Regulation (EC) 304/2009, which 
included additional measures for pre-treatment of waste and aligned the waste management 
options in Annex V with the requirements of the Basel Convention for metals production. 
The POP  Regulation  was further updated by Commission  Regulation  (EU) 1342/2014  to 
expand the list of substances in Annex IV (in line with  Annexes I, II and III) and also to 
expand the number of management options in Annex V. 

Alongside  the  POP  Regulation,  to  further  align  with  the  Rotterdam  Convention  on 
transboundary movements of hazardous waste, the EU created the ‘Prior Informed Consent’ 
Regulation (EU) 649/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council36. This regulation 
contains  annexes  of  named  substances  which  include  those  substances  named  within  the 
Annexes of the POP regulation. Where such wastes are moved across political borders for 
final destruction only, consent is required by the receiving country first. For those substances 
within  Annex  III  of  the  Prior  Informed  Consent  regulation  it  is  also  a  requirement  for 
operators to notify the European Commission via their national competent authority. 

6.1.2  6.1.2  Management of old stockpiles 
In line with the nature of the substances in Annexes I - III of the POP Regulation, waste 
stockpiles for final destruction / irreversible transformation in the period 2013-2015 concern 
three key sources: 

  PCBs within the heat transfer fluids of di-electric equipment. 

  PFOS containing products; and 

  Flame-retardants (PBDEs) used in plastics and foams, particularly those plastics 

involved with electronics / end of life vehicles. 

The Article 12 reports submitted by Member States focused on information on stockpiles 
themselves (as discussed in chapter 5 on stockpiles). There is less information on how they 
have  been  managed  (for  example,  via  destruction).  However,  some  information  can  be 
gathered from review of the national implementation plans. 

PCB containing di-electric 
The EU directive on PCBs, i.e. Directive 96/59/EC37, places requirements on Member States 
to develop and maintain inventories of PCB containing equipment. The same directive also 
placed  obligations  on  Member  States  to  remove  and  decontaminate  all  di-electrical 

36 ECHA website, details on the Prior Informed Consent regulation and access to original legislation under 
EURLEX: https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/prior-informed-consent/understanding-pic 
37 Council Directive 96/59/EC of 16 September 1996 on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and 
polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT). OJ L 243, 24.9.1996, p. 31–35 

39 

 
                                           
equipment  containing  PCB  of  volumes  ≥5  dm3  before  1  January  2010.  Review  of  the 
previous synthesis reports and national implementation plans suggests that a great deal of 
work  has  already  been  completed  for  the  identification,  removal  and  destruction  of  PCB 
containing  equipment,  but  that  as  of  2013-2015  work  was  still  ongoing  to  identify  and 
remove PCB volumes from large (≥5 dm3) equipment. 

Stockpiles of equipment contaminated with PCBs (see Section 5) remain in eight Member 
States  (Croatia,  Czechia,  Ireland,  Latvia,  Luxembourg,  Slovenia,  Spain,  and  Romania). 
These  quantities  are  likely  covered  within  active  programmes  of  final  destruction.  The 
Article 12 reports provide more limited information on how this work is being completed.  

In its triannual report, Luxembourg referred to a specific action plan, "SuperDrecksKëscht" 
for the collection and destruction of PCBs from  households. This  mainly concerns waste 
capacitors and electric radiators oils. 

Germany stated in their NIP (2016) that all remaining PCB-containing waste was disposed 
of by the end of 2010. Nonetheless, for the period 2013-2015, PCB from unknown sources 
was identified. This concerns PCB from electronic equipment with parts containing PCB, 
PCB-containing  wastes  from  construction  and  demolition  projects,  sealants,  and  PCB-
containing parts from scrap cars. Appropriate disposal plans have been drawn up in Germany 
for equipment containing PCB. Transformers containing PCB were stored in underground 
storage facilities from 1983 and were partly drained before being placed underground. From 
2004  to  2010,  around  14,000  tonnes  of  the  stored  equipment  were  dismantled,  drained, 
decontaminated and the metals were recovered. Small capacitors were stored in underground 
storage  facilities  until  2004.  Since  2005,  small  capacitors  containing  PCB  have  been 
disposed  of  in  high-temperature  incineration  plants.  The  quantity  of  PCB  in  still  active 
applications such as sealing compounds or fluorescent lamp capacitors cannot be estimated. 
Information  on  proper  disposal  for  the  owners  of  electrical  equipment  and  components 
containing PCB is partly issued.  

Slovenia  indicated  that  there  are  no  technical  facilities  for  disposing  of  PCB  and  PCB-
containing  equipment  (with  final  disposal  or  destruction  of  PCB)  in  an  environmentally 
sound manner, and that therefore the waste PCB and waste PCB equipment is exported to 
other Member States, i.e., France, Germany and Austria, for disposal in an environmentally 
sound manner. 

Czechia listed in their NIP (2017) the capacity of seven facilities for the disposal of wastes 
containing POPs and PCBs. However, no information is provided on the amount of PCB 
destroyed between 2013 and 2015. 

PFOS containing products 

Four Member States reported stockpiles of PFOS (e.g., Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, and 
the United Kingdom (see section 5 for further detail), with the expectation that stockpiles 
will decrease over the next years as alternatives are available.  

Fire-fighting foams containing PFOS, which were placed on the market before 27 December 
2006, had to be used up by 27 June 2011. According to Article 7 of the POP regulation, after 
27 June 2011 they must be treated as waste and disposed of.  

Germany  indicated  in  their  NIP  that  the  remaining  stockpiles  were  incinerated,  whereby 
PFOS was thermally decomposed and no emissions were produced. 

40 

 
In their NIP (2018), Denmark indicated that virtually all PFOS-containing waste would be 
disposed of by 2016, i.e., at the end of the period 2013-2015. However, it cannot be ruled 
out that some PFOS would still enter the waste stream after this date, as the service life of 
some articles may be longer than expected. Furthermore, it is stated that the Danish EPA is 
undertaking a desk study on destruction efficiencies for PFOS (as well as for SCCP, PBDEs 
and HBCDD).  

The  United  Kingdom  (NIP,  2017)  stated  that  all  use  of  PFOS-foams  had  ceased,  with 
appropriate disposal for stockpiles also completed. This was based on a communications and 
compliance campaign in 2011 by the Environment Agency. However, the substance may be 
present in residual forms in land resulting from PFOS-foam/water run-off occurring during 
past industrial incidents.  

Flame-retardants (PBDEs) used in plastics and foams 

Globally  C-PentaBDE  and  C-OctaBDE  were  phased  out  in  2004  but  based  on  their  use 
within plastics and the polyurethane (PUR) foams used in soft furnishings they represent a 
significant legacy issue for waste processes. 

The use of C-OctaBDE within plastics for electrical goods, in particular, is of interest and is 
covered at EU level by the directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) 
(2012/19/EU)38.  The  Article  12  reports  submitted  by  Member  States  contain  little  or  no 
information with regard to PBDEs and final destruction. 

Germany provided information in their NIP (2016) and stated that on 1 January 2016, i.e., 
at the end of the reporting period 2013-2015, there were 6.5 million cars in Germany that 
were first registered before 2000, potentially containing polybromodiphenyl ethers identified 
under the Stockholm Convention (POP-BDE). These accounted for a 14% share of the total 
car  stocks  of  45.1  million  cars.  Germany  provided  data,  which  indicated,  in  2012,  the 
proportion of cars that could potentially contain POP-BDE was 26% (compared to 46% or 
18.9 million cars in 2008). This shows that the potential for vehicles containing POP-BDE 
is  reducing  over  time.  Germany  confirmed  that  2004  was  considered  the  latest  time  that 
POP-PBDEs would have been used in products39. Assuming a lifetime of 10-16 years of cars 
and the phase out in 2004, the majority of C-PentaBDE in automotive applications would be 
disposed of around latest 2020. 

Article  7(2)  of  the  POP  Regulation  requires  that  waste  that  contains  above  1000  mg/kg 
PBDE (sum of tetra, penta, hexa, and hepta homologues) must be treated so that the PBDEs 
are  destroyed  or  irreversibly  transformed.  In  Germany,  brominated  and  thus  PBDE-
containing plastics are usually treated in thermal recovery and removal / disposal methods, 
in which PBDE is destroyed. Placing waste containing POPs on above-ground landfill sites 
is not permitted under the Landfill Regulations (Deponieverordnung). However, historically, 
articles from the electrical sector were also used in landfill construction and accordingly are 
currently present there. 

Obsolete pesticide products, particularly lindane 

In  the  triannual  reports  (2013-2015),  Member  States  did  not  report  information  on  the 
management  or  destruction  of  obsolete  pesticides.  For  comparison,  in  the  third  synthesis 
report, covering (2010-2012), seven Member States (Croatia, Cyprus,  Czechia, Denmark, 

38 WEEE Directive: http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:197:0038:0071:en:PDF  
39 EU Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants – SWD(2018) 495 
final 

41 

 
                                           
Netherlands,  Poland,  and  Sweden)  reported  that  no  remaining  stockpiles  of  obsolete 
pesticides existed within their country. For another five Member States (Finland, Germany, 
Greece, Portugal, and Romania) the position was unknown. 

  6.2 

Identification of contaminated sites 

Article  7  of  the  POP  regulation  covers  management  of  wastes  contaminated  with  named 
substances but does not specifically cover contaminated land as an issue to be addressed. 
However, where POPs substances have previously been manufactured and used within the 
Union the potential for contamination of soil does exist.  

In their triannual report (2013-2015), Spain provided information on sites contaminated by 
HCH in four regions, i.e., Aragón, Castilla y León, País Vasco, and Galicia. In the region of 
Aragón, gamma-HCH was manufactured between 1975 and 1989, with the generated solid 
and liquid waste disposed in the landfills of Sardas and Bailin (see table below).  

Table 6.1 

Data on HCH contamination in two landfills in the region of Aragon, Spain 

HCH – solid 

HCH – DNAPL* 

Contaminated land 

* Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid 

Landfill of Sardas 

Landfill of Bailin 

60,000 m3 

30 m3 

350,000 m3 (mixed with other 
hazardous waste) 

65,000 t 

25 t 

342,000 t 

From 1992 to 2015, €54 million have been invested in decontamination in Spain (9% EU, 
21% Ministry and 70% of the Government of Aragon). Many decontamination actions have 
been undertaken and actions are still planned, such as hydrogeological monitoring or further 
testing activities. 

In Castilla y León analyses of water samples near the historically contaminated site indicated 
that no detection of lindane in any of the samples during 2013-2015. Works to carry out a 
detailed characterization of the soil of the area are currently planned.   

Controls and monitoring are carried out in the historically contaminated areas in País Vasco. 
From the annual follow-up reports it is noted that during 2013-2015, as well as in previous 
periods, there has been no incident related to lindane contamination. 

A number of the NIPs presented by EU Member States cover the topic of contaminated land 
and  activities  to  address  the  issue  which  usually  involves  excavation  and  creation  of 
contaminated waste which must be managed following Article 7 of the regulation. 

Denmark  stated  within  their  NIP  (2018)  that  a  literature  review  of  soil  and  groundwater 
contamination by PFAS (Nikolaisen and Tsitonaki, 2016) and a screening investigation of 
groundwater  of  a  number  of  potentially  contaminated  sites  in  Denmark  were  undertaken 
(Tsitonaki et al., 2014). In the screening study from 2014, PFAS compounds were detected 
in five out of eight investigated fire-fighting training grounds. The soil levels varied from a 
few  to  several  thousand  ng/l.  PFOS  was  detected  at  three  of  the  sites  in  concentrations 

42 

 
   
 
ranging  from  15  to  980  ng/l.  There  are  at  least  38  large  fire-fighting  training  grounds  in 
Denmark. A high concentration of PFAS compounds of approximately 1,400 ng/l was found 
in  one  sample  from  the  carpet  industry  in  Denmark.  PFOS  accounted  for  870  ng/l.  The 
sample originated from a random shallow groundwater well at the site, not situated directly 
in an area where there was any knowledge of use, storage, or spill of PFAS.  

The  German  NIP  (2016)  indicated  that  in  2016  more  than  271,000  sites  are  recorded  as 
potentially contaminated. Similar numbers may be expected for 2013-2015. Details of the 
number  of  recorded  sites  are  given  for  the  respective  Länder  in  the  corresponding 
contaminated land registers or by the German Environment Agency. These usually provide 
information  about  all  uses  of  the  land  to  date,  their  technological  orientation  and 
contamination typical for the industries concerned. During production of lindane (γ-HCH), 
large quantities of α- and β-HCH were created as “by-products”, which used to be stored 
above ground, including in Germany. With the inclusion of the compounds as POPs, these 
landfill sites are to be viewed as being POP contaminated sites.  

The Lithuanian NIP (2017) reports that until late 2014, 1,379 warehouses of old pesticide or 
contaminated sites containing POPs pesticides were identified within the country. It is stated 
that the soil and the groundwater in these territories are likely to be contaminated with POPs. 

The Swedish NIP (2017) states that due to its broad spectra of previous use, PCP could be 
found in a wide range of contaminated sites, for example garden centres, pulp mills, wood 
impregnation sites and marinas. It has been identified that treatment of wood has occurred 
at  approximately  1,200  sites  in  Sweden,  according  to  what  is  registered  in  the  national 
database. Similar numbers may be expected for 2013-2015. At these sites PCP or similar 
chemicals have been used as impregnation agents. Almost half of the sites are classified with 
high or very high risk for negative impacts on human health or the environment. This means 
they are prioritised for further investigations and remediation. 

Furthermore, 2,700 sites were identified where market gardens could have used pesticides. 
750 of these sites are estimated to have high risk or very high risk according to the national 
risk  classification  system.  Sweden  also  reported  that  several  sites  are  known  to  be 
contaminated with PFOS, such as military and civilian airports and their surrounding water 
areas, industrial sites, discharge from waste treatment facilities and landfills and other areas 
where fire-fighting foams have been used. 

Based on the review of national implementation plans, Table 6.2 provides information on 
where  specific  POPs  are  mentioned  with  regard  to  contaminated  sites.  Table  6.2  only 
contains  information  from  Member  States  with  an  updated  NIP  compared  to  the  version 
referred to in the third synthesis report. Information from the other Member States dates back 
from before 2013 and is reported in the third synthesis report.  

43 

 
 
 
Table 6.2 

Discussion of contaminated land sites within recent national 
implementation plans (NIPs) 

Member State 

Date of NIP 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Croatia 

Lithuania 

Poland 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

2017 

2018 

2016 

2016 

2017 

2016 

2017 

2017 

POPs named in relation to contaminated 
land sites 

PCB, PAH, pesticides 

PFOS, PCB 

α- and β-HCH 

None reported 

Pesticides 

PCP, pesticides, PFOS 

PCP 

PCP 

  6.3  Derogations 

Article 7 of the POP Regulation sets out how waste containing POPs should be managed, in 
particular by prohibiting the re-use/recycling and requiring destruction or irreversible change 
of POPs contained in the waste. Article 7(4) however sets a derogation for management and 
disposal  of  such  waste  for  the  activities  included  in  Annex  V  part  2,  provided  the  POPs 
concentration in the waste does not exceed the limits set in Annex IV. The derogation mostly 
applies to ashes, slags, and combustion materials from a range of different processes. The 
alternative method of disposal in Annex V part 2 is described as: 

“Permanent storage only in: – safe, deep, underground, hard rock formations, – salt mines 
or – a landfill site for hazardous waste (provided that the waste is solidified or stabilised 
where technically feasible as required for classification of the waste in subchapter 19 03 of 
Decision 2000/532/EC)” 

In order to apply this derogation, Member States are required to provide notifications and 
their  justification  concerning  the  use  of  this  derogation  to  the  Commission.  In  the  third 
synthesis report, covering the period 2010-2013, it was stated that no information on new 
derogations had been identified for that period. 

Similarly,  no  Member  States  reported  a  derogation  in  their  Article  12  triannual  reports 
covering the period 2013-2015.  

44 

 
 
 
 
 
7.  7.  Environmental releases 

The  release  of  POPs,  particularly  of  those  substances  included  in  Annex  III  as 
unintentionally produced POPs,  represents  a key  issue for management  of environmental 
concentrations.  The  development  of  emission  estimates  for  specific  sources  provides  to 
Member  State  Competent  Authorities  a  key  evidence  base  for  addressing  environmental 
emissions of POPs. Article 6 of the POP Regulation details what action Member States need 
to take to reduce, minimise and eliminate POPs emissions (see information box below). 

Article 6 - Release reduction, minimisation and elimination:  

6.1 Within two years of the date of entry into force of this 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. 

6.2 A Member State shall communicate its action plan on measures to identify, characterise and minimise 
with a view to eliminating where feasible as soon as possible the total releases developed in accordance 
with its obligations under the Convention, to both the Commission and the other Member States as part of 
its national implementation plan, pursuant to Article 8. 

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. 

6.3 Member States shall, when considering proposals to construct new facilities or significantly to modify 
existing facilities using processes that release chemicals listed in Annex III, without prejudice to Council 
Directive 1996/61/EC 1, 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. 

Article 9 - Monitoring:  

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. When 
establishing such programmes and mechanisms, due account shall be taken of developments under the 
Protocol and the Convention. 

  7.1  Measures to identify and characterise sources and Steps to 

identify source inventories 

A core requirement of the POP regulation has been the development  and maintenance of 
emission  inventories  for  those  substances  within  Annex  III  of  the  regulation.  These 
inventories  are  intended  to  provide  information  on  source  characterisation  and  emission 
trends for releases to air, land and water. The development of such inventories acts as an 
important evidence base to support the work included within national implementation plans 
for the identification of sources and minimisation of emissions to the environment.  

Reporting  of  emission  inventories  is  covered  by  Article  12  paragraph  3(b)  of  the  POP 
Regulation, as part of the triennial reporting that Member States are required to complete. 
The development and reporting of emission inventories is also a core part of the Stockholm 
Convention (releases to five vectors: air, land, water, residue, and product) and the Arhus 
protocol of the Convention on Long range Transboundary Air Pollution (releases to air only). 
Development of such inventories requires the use of a range of approaches, such as:  

  Monitoring at release,  
  Development of estimates using ‘activity’ data combined with emission factors, 
  Source flow modelling for aquatic environments.  

45 

 
 
 
 
To help in the development of inventories, international tools have been developed, such as 
the UNEP standardised toolkit for dioxins  and furans40, and the  EMEP guidebook41. The 
latter provides both  emission factors by activity  and guidance  on how inventories can be 
developed dependent on the level of detailed information available.   

In addition to the international tools described  above, a number of databases of emission 
estimate  information  exist  to  help  assess,  compare,  and  benchmark  the  work  completed 
under their own inventory development. In particular these include: 

CORINAIR Emission Inventory database: EMEP Webdab 
The  UNECE  Convention  on  Long  range  transboundary  air  pollution  (CLRTAP)  covers 
multiple  air  pollutants.  POPs  are  specifically  covered  by  the  Aarhus  protocol  to  the 
Convention. Ratifying countries are required to submit emission estimates annually to the 
Centre on Emissions and Projections (CEIP), which is a part of the European Environment 
Agency. This data is collated and managed as a central pool of information, which is publicly 
available through the EMEP Webdab website. The information provided covers the period 
from 1990 to present. It is a valuable source for Member States to compare their emission 
estimates. The website is available at: http://www.ceip.at/. 

The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) database 
The E-PRTR  was  created by  Regulation  (EC) 166/2006.  It replaces the former European 
Pollutant Emission Register (EPER) expanding upon the number of pollutants and economic 
activities covered. The E-PRTR is part of Europe’s response to the Aarhus Convention on 
making pollutant information publicly available. It places obligations on operators through 
the  environmental  permitting  to  calculate  emission  estimates  for  their  given  facility  and 
report back to their competent authority on an annual basis. The E-PRTR acts as the central 
repository  for  this  information  spanning  approximately  27,000  facilities  and  data  on 
emissions  of  91  pollutants  to  air,  land,  and  water,  including  the  POPs  listed  in  the  POP 
Regulation.  The  E-PRTR  provides  emission  data  from  regulated  facilities  from  2007  to 
present  and  again  provides  a  valuable  tool  to  Member  States  when  deriving  their  own 
estimates. The E-PRTR website is available at: http://prtr.ec.europa.eu/. 

Other repositories of useful information for inventory development include: 

  The Water Information Systems for Europe (WISE) website developed by the 

European Commission, Joint Research Centre, and Eurostat to provide guidance 
and data on water and water quality issues including monitoring and modelling. 

  The US EPA 42 emission factor database which spans a wide range of regulated 

activities. 

Table  7.1  provides  a  summary  on  the  status  of  emission  inventories  reported  under  the 
Stockholm  Convention, CLRTAP, and the  POP  Regulation.  It  is  noted that  five Member 
States (Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania and Malta) did not provide Article 12 responses to 
questions in the current  reporting period, and a number of Member States did not update 
their NIP during this period (see Section 8), so the status of their emission inventories under 
the Convention and POP Regulation are unclear. Overall, however, it is noted that a greater 
amount of inventory data has been provided by Member States in 2013-2015 compared to 
the previous reporting period (2010-2012).  

40 UNEP, 2012, Standardised toolkit for dioxins and furans 
https://toolkit.pops.int/Publish/Downloads/UNEP-POPS-TOOLKIT-2012-En.pdf 
41 https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/emep-eea-guidebook-2016 

46 

 
                                           
Table 7.1 

Status of emission inventories reported for 2013-2015 

Member State 

Stockholm Convention  Convention on Long 

POP Regulation 

Range Transboundary Air 
Pollution (CLR-TAP) 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Hungary 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

2 

1 

5 

1 

1 

1 

5 

2 

2 

5□ 

1 

1 

1 

1 

4‡ 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

3 

5 

 

  

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

◊ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 

5 

1 

1 

1 

2 

2 

1, 5□ 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2 

4 

1 

2 

1  

1 

1 

1 

5 

5 

◊ - PCB emissions not reported under emission inventories submitted – assumed to be negligible.  
□ - Applies to dioxins and furans only. 
† - Applies to PAH and HCB only. 
‡ - Excluding PCBs.  
1 - air emissions only. 2 - air and water emissions. 3 - air, water, and residue/products. 4 - air and 
residues. 5 - all vectors. 

47 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The strategy to identify, characterise and manage potential sources of POPs is part of a larger 
policy  framework,  which  includes  additional  actions  contributing  to  the  development  of 
emission estimates: 

  UNECE Convention on Long-Range Trans-boundary Air Pollution, ratified in 1981 

and entering into force from March 1983. 

  Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants as a Protocol to the Convention on 

Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, ratified in 1998. 

  Council Directive 96/59/EC of September 1996 on the disposal of polychlorinated 

biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT). 

  Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 concerning the establishment of a European Pollutant 
Release  and  Transfer  Register,  which  requires  that  emissions  and  waste  transfers 
from specified industrial and waste management operations must be reported to the 
European Commission. 

  Directive  2010/75/EU  regarding  industrial  emissions  (IED)  which  supersedes  the 
directive on integrated pollution prevention and control  (IPPC); this  directive sets 
down best available techniques for industrial facilities and environmental permitting 
including reporting. 

  Directive  2012/19/EU  regarding  control  of  major-accident  hazards  involving 

dangerous substances, known as the SEVESO III Directive. 

  Regulation 

(EC)  No  1907/2006 

the  Registration,  Evaluation, 
Authorisation, and restriction of Chemicals (REACH). In particular the elements of 
REACH concerning substances of very high concern and PBT assessment. 

regarding 

  Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 regarding the classification, labelling and packaging 

of substances and mixtures (CLP). 

  Regulation (EC) No 649/2012 on the export and import of hazardous chemicals. 
  Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a community framework for water policy, known 

as the Water framework directive. 

  Directive  2013/39/EC  concerning  the  establishment  of  environmental  quality 
standards (EQS) for water which identifies lists of priority and priority hazardous 
substances. Following on from the water framework directive obligations are placed 
on Member States to develop inventories of losses and releases to surface water for 
priority and priority hazardous substances to be communicated to the EU through 
river basin management plans. 

  Directive 2008/56/EC establishing a framework for community action in the field of 

marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive). 

  Convention  for  protection  of  the  marine  environment  of  the  north  east  Atlantic 
(OSPAR)  which  includes  specific  provisions  regarding  the  release  of  persistent 
pollutants to marine waters. 

  UNEP Barcelona Convention ratified in  1975 for the protection of Mediterranean 
which includes specific provisions regarding the release of persistent pollutants to 
marine waters. 

  UNEP Rotterdam Convention ratified in 2004 covering trade of specific hazardous 

materials and transboundary movements of such chemicals. 

  UNEP Basel Convention ratified in 1989 covering the transboundary movement of 

hazardous wastes. 

48 

 
  7.2  Emission inventory estimates for Annex III substances  
Article 6(1) of the POP Regulation requires Member States to develop, maintain and report 
the  details  of  emission  inventories  for  those  substances  named  within  Annex  III  of  the 
regulation.  These  should  be  reported  to  air,  land,  and  water.  This  section  of  the  report 
provides a summary of the information reported by Member States under Article 12 but has 
also  been  supplemented  by  emission  estimates  reporting  to  both  the  UNEP  Stockholm 
Convention and the UNECE Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution.  

In providing a summary of the emission inventories, it is also necessary to detail some of the 
terminology,  in  particular  in  relation  to  the  development  of  emission  inventories  for  the 
Stockholm Convention which requires data on the following five vectors: 

‘Air’  –  relates  to  all  emissions  of  POPs  directly  to  air,  deposition  (wet  or  dry)  and  re-
volatisation, to air which can be important pathways for long range transport, are not covered 
within this definition. Only the initial release should be estimated. 

‘Water’ – relates to all emissions of POPs directly to water. 

‘Land’ – relates to all emissions of POPs directly to land, a good example being bonfires or 
backyard burning where the contaminated ash is lost directly to land. 

‘Residue’ – relates to contaminated solid wastes, which are subsequently managed, again a 
good  example  might  be  air  pollution  control  residues  (ash),  which  are  consigned  to  a 
managed landfill site. 

‘Product’ – relates to POPs substances within a product, for inventories an example might 
be the granulated slags or ashes from combustion, which can be used within aggregate for 
road surfacing. 

7.2.1  7.2.1  Dioxins and Furans (PCDD/F) 
Dioxins and furans are a family of 210 congeners. The family of congeners vary in toxicity 
making analysis and comparison  to  health  effects  complex. To help  quantify dioxins  and 
furans, a system of toxic equivalent factors (TEFs) was developed, based on toxic equivalent 
to the most toxic and carcinogenic congener, 2,3,7,8 Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). 
Two systems of TEFs are in existence denoted by the suffix I-TEQ for the NATO system 
and  WHO-TEQ  for  the  WHO  system.  A  more  detailed  explanation  of  TEFs  is  provided 
within Appendix A of this report. The summary provided within this chapter will be based 
on I-TEQ unless otherwise clearly stated. 

Dioxins  and  furans  have  no  known  commercial  use  and  have  never  been  manufactured 
intentionally for any purpose. Typically, they are produced as a by-product of incomplete 
combustion processes and can sometimes be formed de-novo within the exhaust systems of 
manufacturing / combustion plants where the correct temperature range exists to allow such 
formation. Because dioxins and furans are formed in this fashion the key emission vector 
has been to air as exhaust stacks of combustion processes, or  where open burning occurs 
(such as bonfires) there is also a potential for direct release to land as contaminated ash.  

Figure 7.1 provides a breakdown of the key sources for dioxin and furan emissions to air 
based on the data provided by Member States to the UNECE for the CLRTAP protocol on 
POPs between 2013–2015. 

49 

 
Figure 7.1 

Sources of emissions of dioxins and furans to air for the EU 28 in 2015 
(UNECE reported data) 

Waste treatment 
(N14 5A, 5B, 5D)
0,02%

Natural (N14 11A, 11B, 
11C)
0%

Other (N14 1A5a, 
1A5c, 5E, 6)
6%

Waste Incineration 
(N14 5C)
19%

Agriculture (N14 
1A4c. 3B, 3F, 3I)
1%

Metals manufacture (N14 
2C)…

Chemical Manufacture 
(N14 2B, 3D3)
0%

Minerals 
manufacture (N14 
2A)…

Residential (N14 
1A4bi, 1A4bii)…

Energy Industries + 
Fugitive Emissions 
from Fuels (N14 1A1, 
1B)
27%

Combustion within 
Industry (N14 1A2, 
1A4ai, 2G-2L)
10%

Transport (N14 1A3, 
1A5b)
3%

Figure  7.1  highlights  the  importance  of  so-called  ‘diffuse’  sources  to  the  overall  release 
estimates for air. The UNECE data for 2015 indicate total EU28 emissions of dioxins and 
furans to air of 3,105 g I-TEQ. The main contributions are from the energy sector (27%); 
combustion  in  domestic  residences,  likely  linked  to  solid  fuels  such  as  coal  (23%);  and 
incineration of waste (19%).  

The total EU28 emissions are notably much higher than reported in the previous synthesis 
report  (2010-2012),  and  the  distribution  of  sources  is  also  noted  to  be  different  to  that 
reported in the third synthesis report, which was dominated more by residential combustion. 
This shift can be largely attributed to an increased number of Member States reporting their 
emissions, particularly Greece, for which emissions of dioxins and  furans is shown to be 
relatively high (contributing over 39% of the EU total).  

As detailed later in this section, releases of dioxins and furans into the environment have 
seen a sharp decline since 1990 when the first UNECE inventories began (with the notable 
exception of Greece). Much of this decline has been the result of improved processes and 
abatement  within  industry.  However,  the  diffuse  sources  are  becoming  increasingly 
important as industrial sources fall. This is also an issue for inventory compilation as the 
diffuse nature of such burning events makes estimation difficult and typically these sources 
within inventories have the highest levels of uncertainty. 

Figure  7.2  provides  an  adjusted  pie-chart  to  include  only  those  sources  from  regulated 
industrial sites. Based on this revised pie-chart the key sources of dioxin and furan emissions 
to air are from combustion in the energy (40%) and waste incineration (29%) sectors. This 
represents  a  notable  change  from  the  previous  reporting  period  (2010-2012),  where 
emissions  were  reported  to  be  dominated  by  combustion  within  industry  and  metals 
manufacture.  

50 

 
  
 
Figure 7.2 

Sources of emissions of dioxins and furans to air (EU 28) – Regulated sites 
only (UNECE reported data) 

Figure  7.3  provides  a  breakdown  of  dioxin  and  furan  emissions  to  air  for  2013–2015  by 
Member State based on the data submitted to the UNECE protocol on POPs. The graph helps 
to identify where the highest quantities of dioxins and furans have been reported, with annual 
emissions ranging from <1 g I-TEQ to >1,300g I-TEQ.  

The highest levels of dioxin and furan emissions reported in 2015 are in Greece (1,230 g I-
TEQ, 39%), with other key contributions from Poland (290 g I-TEQ; 9%), Italy (280 I-TEQ; 
9%), and the United Kingdom (190 I-TEQ; 6%). As noted above, the inclusion of Greece in 
the emissions reporting in this synthesis report is the cause of a deviation compared to the 
third synthesis report, where the highest  proportion of emissions to air was from  Poland, 
Romania, Italy, and the United Kingdom.  

Upon  further  investigation  of  the  emission  of  PCDD/F  in  Greece,  there  is  reasonable 
agreement in the emissions data reported under the EMEP and E-PRTR databases. The E-
PRTR  indicates  that,  in  2015  there  were  7  facilities  in  Greece  reporting  total  PCDD/F 
emissions of 633 g to air from seven facilities. Four of these facilities, contributing 99% of 
these emissions, were thermal power stations and other combustion installations.  

This value for emissions from the energy sector is reflected in the EMEP Webdab data for 
Greece in 2015 (658 g I-TEQ, 54% total emissions). The other key source revealed in the 
EMEP data for Greece in 2015 is  incineration of clinical  waste (429 g  I-TEQ, 35% total 
emission).  This  is  substantially  higher  than  other  Member  States,  and  it  is  noted  that 
emissions  from  this  sector  in  Greece  have  increased  substantially  since  1990  during  the 
current reporting period.  

The figure also presents some basic information on emission trends over the period from 
2013–2015. This illustrates that the majority of Member States show a largely static level of 
emissions on an annual basis with a small number showing a general increase in the levels 
of emissions between 2013 and 2015.  

51 

 
 
 
Figure 7.3 

Dioxins and Furans emissions to air by Member State (2013-2015)42 

The figure also presents some basic information on emission trends over the period from 
2013–2015. This illustrates that the majority of Member States show a largely static level of 
emissions on an annual basis with a small number showing a general increase in the levels 
of emissions between 2013 and 2015.  

Compared to the previous synthesis report (2010-2012), a notable reduction can be seen for 
Croatia which had higher emissions in the third synthesis report. Conversely, there has been 
an increase in dioxin and furan emissions to air between the last and this (current) synthesis 
report in France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Spain. 

Table 7.2 helps provide additional context on these estimates, including data on the 1990 vs 
2015 annual emission estimates and emission reduction, as well as per capita emissions by 
Member State for 2015. The mean average fall in dioxin and furan emissions  to air since 
1990  shows  a  62%  reduction.  However,  for  specific  Member  States,  notably  Belgium, 
Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Romania, the fall in emissions has been much greater with 
a decline of ≥95%. Overall, nearly all Member States have shown a decline in emissions of 
dioxins  and  furans  between  1990  and  2015  with  the  lowest  reductions  being  19%  for 
Slovenia and 12% for Poland.  

Table 7.2 illustrates that the per capita emissions of dioxins and furans ranges from 0.5 - 114 
µg / person / year with an average of 9 µg / person / year. As expected, Greece has the highest 
per capita emissions (114 µg / person / year) with the next highest value reported by Slovakia 
(12 µg / person / year). Most Member States have per capita emission values <5 µg / person 
/ year. Table 6.8 also provides details regarding the reduction of emissions since 1990 with 
the biggest reductions in the Czechia, Spain and the United Kingdom with emissions reduced 
by over 95%. The one Member State reporting an increase in emissions during this period is 
Greece, where emissions are reported to have risen 45% between 1990 and 2015. 

42  Emission  estimates  provided  in  this  table  are  taken  from  reporting  under  the 
Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) 

52 

 
 
 
                                           
Table 7.2  

Emissions reduction for dioxins and furans, and per capita emissions based 
on data reported under the UNECE POP Protocol 

Member State 

Emission to air 
1990 

Emission to air 
2015 

g I-TEQ 

g I-TEQ 

Reduction in 
annual emissions 
1990:2015 as a 
percentage 

Per Capita 
emissions 2015 µg 
I-TEQ/Person 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Hungary 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

586 

118 

93 

69 

806 

8 

62 

851 

403 

1,782 

48 

503 

2 

26 

28 

43 

105 

- 

744 

124 

328 

531 

3,073 

19 

323 

18 

67 

United Kingdom 

1,377 

31 

56 

36 

22 

119 

4 

24 

1230 

178 

115 

23 

281 

0 

16 

19 

2 

82 

- 

23 

44 

290 

48 

156 

15 

63 

14 

23 

194 

95% 

52% 

62% 

68% 

85% 

49% 

61% 

2.75 

7.86 

3.38 

3.80 

1.45 

3.14 

5.13 

-45% 

113.00 

56% 

94% 

52% 

44% 

80% 

39% 

31% 

96% 

22% 

- 

97% 

65% 

12% 

91% 

95% 

19% 

80% 

20% 

66% 

86% 

3.83 

1.72 

5.50 

4.63 

0.48 

8.16 

6.72 

2.88 

8.32 

- 

1.38 

5.03 

7.64 

4.60 

7.88 

7.44 

11.70 

2.63 

2.33 

2.96 

53 

 
 
 
 
 
Reporting of emissions of dioxins and furans to other vectors beyond air is more limited with 
only 11 Member States reporting emissions to more than one vector to either the Stockholm 
Convention or to the European Commission as part of the Article 12 reporting. Table 7.3 
provides a summary of these emissions estimates including air as a comparative vector. The 
key point to note from Table 7.3 is the comparison between emissions to air and land/residue. 
Austria,  Croatia,  Czechia,  Estonia,  Ireland,  Sweden,  and  the  United  Kingdom  report 
emission  estimates  for  concentrations  of  dioxins  and  furans  within  residues  and/or  land. 
Broadly  similar  levels  of  emissions  are  quoted  between  air  and  land/residue  in  Austria, 
Czechia, and Sweden, with these estimates suggesting that residue is a much more significant 
emission vector than air.  

The United Kingdom and Estonia report emissions of dioxins and furans to both land as a 
direct release and also to the ‘product’ vector, with very good agreement between the two 
for the proportion of total emissions to each vector.  

Releases  to  land  are  likely  to  be  dominated  by  the  open  burning  of  waste,  as  well  as 
accidental fires. As with other Member States the regulated sources have seen a sharp decline 
in  the  release  of  dioxins  and  furans  to  all  vectors,  meaning  that  the  unregulated  sources, 
particularly backyard burning have become increasingly important.  Developing estimates 
for  these  sources  is  particularly  difficult  due  to  the  diverse  and  widespread  nature  of  the 
activity.  Actions  to  control  emissions  in  several  Member  States  have  focussed  on  these 
sources (see Section 8). 

Table 7.3  

Emissions of dioxins and furans to all vectors based on those reported to 
the EU and Stockholm Convention 

Year 

2015 

2012 

2013 

2015 

2015 

2015 

2012 

2013 

2015 

2013 

2014 

Member 
State 

AT 

BE 

HR 

CZ  

EE  

FR 

IE  

NL  

ES  

SE  

UK 

Air 

12% 

99.8% 

69% 

12% 

56% 

89% 

68% 

84% 

14% 

14% 

43% 

Water 

NR 

0.2% 

Land 

85% 

NR 

1% 

NR 

NR 

2% 

11% 

NR 

16% 

86% 

29% 

5% 

NR 

32% 

NR 

Residue  NR 

NR 

27% 

59% 

15% 

NR 

Product 

2.4%  NR 

2% 

NR 

22% 

NR 

NR 

NR 

NR 

NR 

NR – Not reported 

NR 

NR 

3% 

5% 

86% 

32% 

NR 

17% 

NR 

NR 

NR 

The  estimates  quoted  from  the  United  Kingdom  for  the  product  vector,  which  in  2015 
amounted to 145 g  I-TEQ, relate to those waste materials from combustion processes re-
used within the cements and aggregates industry. While APC residue is highly toxic and 
treated  as  hazardous  waste,  ashes  from  bottom  grates  tend  to  be  less  contaminated  and 
represent  an  inexpensive  material  which  can  be  used  within  aggregates  industries, 
particularly  for  road  surfacing  materials.  The  POP  Regulation  provides  guidance  under 
Annex IV on threshold concentrations above which waste contaminated by POPs must be 
destroyed  and  cannot  be  reused.  Given  the  quantities  involved  it  is  assumed  based  on 
communication with waste incinerator operators that those materials reused within aggregate 
industries are bottom ashes with concentrations below the Annex IV thresholds. 

54 

 
 
The data submitted to the European Commission under Article 12 have been compared with 
data available under the UNECE POPs Protocol and Stockholm Convention and in the E-
PRTR. Figure 7.4 provides an overview of emissions to air for dioxins and furans based on 
total number of sites that reported data to the E-PRTR (173 regulated sites). In contrast to 
the  data  reported  in  2012  (which  was  dominated  by  iron  and  steel  foundries),  the  key 
industrial sources are dominated by thermal power stations (82.5%) with production of pig 
iron or steel casting as the next most significant source (8%) of emissions to air in 2015. 

Figure 7.4 

Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of dioxins and furans to air 
(taken from the E-PRTR website on the 17/01/2019) 

The data on emissions to air (from the E-PRTR) suggests that emissions to air are dominated 
by the energy sector (thermal power stations and other combustion facilities), with the main 
contribution  coming  from  Greece  (65%),  which  has  only  7  of  the  173  facilities,  while 
countries with greater number of facilities, e.g. United Kingdom  (21) and Spain (22) have 
much smaller contributions to total emissions (~4%). These observations are consistent with 
the data from the POPs Protocol, discussed above.  

One notable discrepancy to note, however, is that the E-PRTR data reviewed, indicates a 
substantial  (98%)  decline  of  emissions  in  Czechia  from  2013  to  2015,  which  can  be 
attributed to the reduction or closure of one specific facility. This is not reflected in the trend 
in overall emissions observed in Figure 7.3.  

Figure 7.5 provides an overview of E-PRTR data based on all sites that reported dioxin and 
furan releases to water (34 regulated sites in total) across the Union. This chart shows that 
emissions are dominated by emissions from oil and gas refineries (94%). It is noted that this 

55 

 
 
 
is attributed to two specific facilities in Spain. Many PCDDs and PCDFs are formed during 
the regeneration of spent catalyst material in the refining industry which then end up in waste 
streams; however, such wastes are tightly controlled by environmental legislation requiring 
appropriate levels of treatment. It is unclear whether the estimates are a genuine reflection 
of true emissions or an artefact of methodological approaches. 

Figure 7.5 

Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of dioxins and furans to water 
(taken from the E-PRTR website on the 27/01/2019) 

Table 7.4 provides a comparison of the total quantities of dioxins and furans emitted to air 
between different emission inventories, namely POPs protocol, the POP Regulation and the 
operator reporting for the E-PRTR. For the E-PRTR, it is important to note that there are 
reporting thresholds below which data is not required and that reporting is only required for 
activities  listed  in  Annex  I  of  the  E-PRTR  regulation.  The  data  reported  under  the  POP 
Regulation and POP Protocol will also include unregulated sources such as accidental fires.  

Table 7.4  

Comparison of emission estimates between inventories 

Year 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Article 12 POP 
Regulation Total 
emissions g I-TEQ to 
air 

UNECE EMEP 
emissions Total for 
EU28 g I-TEQ to air  

E-PRTR emissions total 
for EEA (31 countries) 
g I-TEQ to air 

2080.5 

1187.5 

257 

3036 

3223 

3119 

2030 (181 facilities) 

1180 (161 facilities) 

980 (173 facilities)* 

*633g of this total is from 4 thermal power station facilities in Greece. 
Note that not all Member States reported data under Article 12, leading to important discrepancies 
in the data.  

56 

 
 
The three inventories present different estimate levels and trends over this reporting period. 
While the E-PRTR data suggests a continuing decline in emission from 2013-2015, the POP 
Protocol data (from EMEP) suggest total emissions have remained largely static over 2013-
2015.  It  should be noted that a time trend cannot be inferred from  the data submitted by 
Member States under Article 12 of the POP Regulation, as the emission totals are dependent 
on  the  number  of  Member  States  submitting  information.  This  number  of  member  states 
reporting was much higher in 2013 (18) than in 2015 (7) and there were member states with 
significant sources of emissions that did not report for 2015. 

7.2.2  7.2.2  Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) 
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a family of chemicals consisting of two benzene rings joined 
by a single carbon to carbon bond and with a variable number of chlorine atoms. In total 209 
different  congeners  exist  based  on  the  number  and  position  of  chlorines  on  the  basic 
structure. As with dioxins and furans, the toxicity of individual congeners varies across the 
whole spectrum.  12 congeners have been identified by the World Health Organisation  as 
having carcinogenic effects  and have  been more  closely aligned with  dioxins and furans. 
These 12 congeners are known as ‘dioxin-like PCBs’. 

PCBs have been widely used in the past, particularly as heat transfer fluids within di-electric 
equipment. They also found widespread use as lubricants for turbines and pumps and in the 
formulation of cutting oils for metal treatment, sealings, adhesives, paints, and carbonless 
copy paper43. The production of PCB as a commercial product within Europe began in the 
1930s reaching its peak around the 1970s, with  commercial goods using the trade names 
Aroclor and Clophen44. Production is believed to have ceased around the end of the 1980s 
but the long service life of large scale di-electric equipment in electric distribution networks 
presents a serious legacy issue. 

PCBs can also be created during thermal processes where a source of chlorine and organic 
matter are present.  

Figure 7.6 is based on data reported to the UNECE for CLRTAP over the period 2013–2015 
and presents the major sources of PCB emissions to air in the Union. The PCB emissions 
are dominated (52%) by ‘consumption of POPs and heavy metals. This source includes use 
of electrical equipment (mainly capacitors and transformers), PCBs as dielectric fluids, leaks 
from  transformers  and  capacitors,  fragmentising  operations,  and  disposal  of  electrical 
equipment containing PCBs). This represents a much higher contribution than reported in 
the previous (2010-2012) reporting period (32%).  

Closer review of the temporal and sectoral trends in PCB emissions, reported in the EMEP 
Webdab dataset, suggest that one of the most important PCB emission sources in Europe in 
2000  was  iron  and  steel  production  (2,285  kg:  33%  of  total).  The  total  and  percentage 
contribution of this source has since declined substantially, contributing 428 kg (12%) in 
2015. This would suggest that, over the past 20 years, PCB emissions from industrial sources 
have declined with the introduction of more efficient combustion and abatement processes, 
while the emissions from electrical equipment and wastes have declined a lot more slowly, 
leading to an increasing relative proportion from this source to the EU total.  

43 Eurochlor, 2002, ‘Euro Chlor Risk Assessment for the Marine Environment OSPARCOM Region  - North 
Sea’. 
44 UNEP,‘Technical guidelines on wastes comprising or containing PCBs, PCTs and PBBs (Y10)’ 

57 

 
 
                                           
Other  major  sources  of  PCB  emissions  to  air  in  the  current  reporting  period  include 
residential combustion of fuel (particularly solid fuels like coal and waste wood) (15%), and 
also metals manufacture (13%).  

Figure 7.6 

Sources of PCB emissions to air for the EU 28 (UNECE reported data, 
2015) 

Figure 7.7 provides a breakdown of PCB emissions to air for 2013–2015 by Member State, 
while  Table  7.5  provides  details  of  emission  totals  reported  to  the  UNECE  for  1990  and 
2015, emission reduction and emissions per capita. As with the similar graph of dioxins and 
furans,  Figure  7.7  shows  a  mixture  of  trends  with  the  emissions  in  some  Member  States 
declining, although a broadly static level of emissions in most Member states is apparent. 

Figure 7.7 highlights three Member States - Poland (25%), the United Kingdom (24%) and 
Croatia (17%) - as the highest emitting nations in 2015, which is broadly consistent with the 
previous reporting period. Austria and Greece started reporting emissions during the current 
reporting period and estimates have changed little over the 3-year period.  

Comparing data reported in Figure 7.7 with that reported for the 2010-2012 period indicated 
that in Poland and the United Kingdom PCB emissions have declined across both reporting 
periods. Emissions in Croatia have remained relatively static.  

Production  of  crude  steel  in  electric  furnaces  tends  to  generate  PCB  because  of  surface 
contamination or use of degreasing agents prior to smelting. In the context of unintentional 

58 

 
 
 
emissions of PCBs from metal manufacture, the world steel organisation45  reported on the 
production rates of crude steel in electric arc furnaces in 2015. The highest rates of steel 
production  for  the  EU  in  2015  came  from  Italy  (17.2  Million  of  tonnes),  Germany  (12.6 
Million of tonnes), Spain (10.1 Million of tonnes), France (5.2 Million of tonnes).  

Figure 7.7 

PCBs emissions by Member State (2013-2015) 

Table  7.5  provides  further  details  on  the  variation  in  emission  estimates.  The  per  capita 
emission estimates range from 0.01 mg/person/year to 106 mg/person/year. It is unclear what 
impact source gaps and differences in inventory approach will have on this large variation 
in per capita estimates. Overall, the average emission per capita per year for the EU is 11 
mg/person/year. The highest per-capita emissions of PCBs are reported for Croatia (>100 
mg/person/year), with the next highest being Slovenia (18 mg/person/year).  

Table 7.5 also provides details of emissions reductions with the greatest levels of per annum 
emission reduction between 1990 and 2015 coming from Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Latvia 
and the United Kingdom, which all saw emissions fall by over 90%. Other Member States 
with significant reductions in emissions to air include Germany, Luxembourg and Romania.  

Other Member States (e.g., Cyprus, Finland, Spain, and Sweden) had either static levels or 
a small (2 to 9%) increase in emissions  between the years 1990 and 2015, suggesting no 
change in emission of PCBs over a 25-year timeframe.  

45https://www.worldsteel.org/en/dam/jcr:37ad1117-fefc-4df3-b84f-
6295478ae460/Steel%2520Statistical%2520Yearbook%25202016.pdf  

59 

 
 
 
                                           
Table 7.5  

Emissions reduction for PCBs and per capita emissions based on data 
reported under the UNECE POP Protocol* 

Member State 

Emission to air 
1990  

Emission to air 
2015  

kg  

107.1 

13.8 

3.7 

110.5 

1,735.6 

8.4 

40.5 

9.2 

25.8 

176.8 

483.1 

288.8 

0.0 

4.3 

6.2 

39.9 

25.9 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Hungary 

Malta 

kg 

3.1 

3.0 

1.8 

41.5 

229.0 

4.2 

14.5 

29.1 

26.9 

41.6 

425.1 

194.8 

0.0 

0.2 

1.3 

3.1 

10.8 

0.0 

Netherlands 

0.09 grams 

0.09 grams 

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

47.2 

760.6 

2,305.7 

134.7 

416.9 

66.2 

33.4 

9.0 

35.7 

627.3 

86 

20.2 

38.9 

18.4 

35.7 

9.1 

United Kingdom  

6,744.5 

608.5 

* a negative percentage shows an increase in emissions 

Reduction in 
annual emissions 
1990:2015 as a 
percentage 

Per Capita 
emissions 2015 
mg/Person/ year 

97% 

78% 

52% 

62% 

87% 

49% 

64% 

-216% 

-4% 

76% 

12% 

33% 

-9% 

94% 

79% 

92% 

59% 

0% 

24% 

18% 

96% 

85% 

91% 

72% 

-7% 

-2% 

91% 

0.27 

0.42 

0.17 

7.27 

2.79 

3.22 

3.07 

2.70 

0.58 

0.62 

101.45 

3.21 

0.04 

0.12 

0.45 

5.31 

1.09 

0.00 

0.005 

4.10 

16.52 

8.30 

1.02 

18.83 

3.40 

6.50 

0.92 

9.31 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
The majority of reported data for PCB emission estimates relate to the air vector. However, 
a small number of Member States do report data to other vectors as part of the Article 12 
reporting to  the European Commission  and also  to  the Stockholm  Convention. Table  7.6 
provides  a  breakdown  of  the  emission  data  to  illustrate  the  importance  of  the  different 
emission vectors listed under the Stockholm Convention. 

The data from Table 7.6 illustrate large differences between key vectors reported by different 
member states. Belgium, France, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom highlight air as 
the  key  pathway,  likely  from  volatisation  of  PCB  in  di-electric  equipment,  along  with 
combustion from industrial sources. The Netherlands highlights water as the main emission 
pathway, most likely relating to water usage and contamination within the metal manufacture 
sector.  Czechia  and  Sweden  suggest  that  residue  is  the  main  pathway  for  PCBs,  likely 
through  the  management  of  contaminated  wastes  from  di-electric  equipment,  metals 
manufacture  and  air  pollution  control  residues  from  combustion  of  solid  fuels  and  waste 
incineration. 

Table 7.6  

Emissions of PCBs to all vectors based on those reported to the EU and 
Stockholm Convention  

Year 

2012 

2015 

2015 

2015 

2012 

BE 

CZ 

IE 

ES 

FR 

Member 
State 

Air 

Water 

Land 

Residue 

Product 
NR - Not Reported 

2% 

96% 

95% 

5% 

98% 

1% 

3% 

86% 

14% 

74% 

23% 

3% 

2012 

NL 

2013 

SE 

2015 

UK 

0% 

32% 

87% 

100% 

68% 

13% 

0% 

0% 

As a further comparison of estimated PCB emissions to air and other vectors a review of the 
data reported to the E-PRTR for 2015 was also undertaken. Figure 7.8 provides a summary 
of the data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PCBs to air from 32 facilities. The pie 
chart demonstrates that around 43% of all emissions in 2015 related to the manufacture of 
iron and steel. Other key source sectors include disposal of non-hazardous waste (22%), oil 
refineries (19%) and thermal power stations for energy generation (11%). Taken together, 
these three sources account for almost all of the PCBs emitted to air.  

It is noted that, from reviewing the E-PRTR data, a shift in emission distribution is observed, 
with a declining contribution from oil and gas refineries, which could be attributed to the 
reduction or closure of facilities in Spain during this period (2013-2015). 

Figure 7.9 provides a breakdown of the main sources within the E-PRTR for release of PCBs 
to  water.  In  this  case  the  estimates  reported  by  14  facilities  are  dominated  by  urban 
wastewater treatment works (75%), with the other main contributor being industrial-scale 
production of basic organic chemicals (18%). The main contributor to the urban wastewater 
emission is reported to come from Italy (85%), with smaller contributions from Belgium, 
France, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 7.8 

Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PCBs to air (taken from the 
E-PRTR website46 on the 27/1/2019 

Figure 7.9 

Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PCBs to water (taken from 
the E-PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) 

46 https://prtr.eea.europa.eu/#/home 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Table 7.7 provides a comparison of the emission inventory estimates for the UNECE, E-
PRTR and Article 12 reporting to the European Commission. The three inventories  agree 
regarding the emission trend, which is declining year on year. However, the total estimates 
range from 56 kg to 3500 kg in 2015.  

As  with  the  discussion  of  dioxins  and  furans  above,  it  should  be  noted  that  a  time  trend 
cannot be inferred from the data submitted by Member States under Article 12 of the POP 
Regulation, as the emission totals are dependent on the number of Member States submitting 
information. This number was much higher in 2013 (18) than in 2015 (7). 

Table 7.7  

Comparison of PCB emission estimates between inventories 

Year 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Article 12 POP 
Regulation Total 
emissions for EU28 (kg 
to air) 

UNECE EMEP 
emissions Total 
for EU28 (kg to 
air)  

E-PRTR emissions total for EU28 
(kg to air) 

2,281 

1,653 

177 

3,687 

3,586 

3,517 

88 (44 facilities) 

54 (40 facilities) 

56 (32 facilities) 

Note  that  not  all  Member  States  reported  data  under  Article  12,  leading  to  important 
discrepancies in the data. 

7.2.3  7.2.3  Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) 
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a complex family of organic chemicals composed 
by  multiple  aromatic  rings.  PAHs  can  occur  naturally  in  the  environment  but  are  also 
generated by anthropogenic sources. Typically, PAHs are associated with fossil fuels such 
as  oil,  gas  and  coal,  but  they  can  be  generated  from  the  incomplete  combustion  of  solid 
materials  such  as  wood  and  biomass  as  well  as  waste  materials  and  even  cigarettes.47 
Similarly  to  dioxins,  furans  and  PCBs,  the  toxicity  and  physico-chemical  behaviour  of 
individual PAH congeners can be variable, but as a whole they are recognised as meeting 
the criteria for being considered persistent organic pollutants. As PAHs are generated as a 
complex mixture, their analysis focuses on key  markers that  act  as  representative for the 
whole group. Benzo[a]pyrene, one of the most toxic and carcinogenic PAH congeners, is 
normally considered as a representative of the whole group. 

PAHs are included in Annex III of the POP Regulation and in the UNECE CLRTAP but are 
not part of the Stockholm Convention. 

In trying to  qualify the emissions of PAHs, different  international  schemes have targeted 
different numbers of congeners. The different analytical schemes range from 4 congeners to 
16 congeners. Figure 7.10 provides further detail on the breakdown of specific species for 
analysis. Under the Article 12 reporting and the UNECE reporting the focus has been on the 
main 4 congeners in the far-right hand column of Figure 7.10, namely: 

  Benzo[a]pyrene. 

  Benzo[b]fluoranthene. 

  Benzo[k]fluoranthene; and 

 

Indendo[123 cd]pyrene. 

47 USEPA, 2008, ‘PAHs factsheet’, guidance document 

63 

 
 
                                           
Research data needs to be used with care when developing the emission estimates for PAHs. 
Data  can  be  presented  and  described  as  ‘PAHs  total’,  without  explicitly  stating  which 
congeners  have  been  monitored.  In  some  cases,  the  wording  ‘PAHs  total’  is  used  when 
referring to monitoring of benzo[a]pyrene only. Such issues can have a significant effect on 
the emission factors, on derived estimates, on the comparison between estimates for different 
sources within the same inventory and on comparison between inventories. 

The best practice, based on the EMEP UNECE guidelines (EMEP guidebook), is to provide 
estimates either on an individual congener basis or to clearly indicate for ‘total’ value which 
and how many congeners were included in the analysis. The data in this chapter will be based 
on PAHs total, assuming that this is the sum of four congeners as defined in the Article 12 
reporting  and  UNECE  requirements.  Information  on  individual  congeners  will  not  be 
provided. 

Figure 7.10  Congener sets for PAHs under different schemes48 

Figure 7.11 provides a summary of the data reported by EU Member State to the UNECE 
for CLRTAP for the air vector between 2013-2015. This demonstrates that emissions to air 
for  PAHs  are  dominated  by  the  use  of  solid  fuels,  particularly  coal,  within  residential 
premises, with 75% of the total emissions coming from this sector alone.   

The second largest source sector identified within Figure 7.11 is the manufacture of iron and 
steel (including the use of fossil fuels) (7%). Further contributions to PAH emissions come 
from  other  forms  of  stationary  combustion  (for  heat  and  power)  within  non-residential 
buildings  (e.g.,  public  buildings,  retail,  etc),  the  manufacture  of  non-ferrous  metals,  road 

48  European  Environment  Agency,  2007  ’EMEP  Emission  Inventory  Guidebook’,  guidance  document  for 
inventory compilers 

64 

 
 
 
                                           
transport,  open  waste  burning,  and  natural  fires  (including  forests,  health  land,  and  other 
vegetation). Emissions from the residential sector are particularly key as the combustion of 
coal and wood on domestic grates are expected to be less efficient and to operate at lower 
temperatures than that of equipment in the power generation sector. 

As a comparison the combustion of solid fuels for public energy production (0.5%) makes 
up much smaller proportions of the total emission. While these sectors are expected to use 
large volumes of fossil fuels for energy and heat, the equipment used, particularly within 
energy generation sectors, is designed to run at high temperatures and will include improved 
abatement  under the requirements of the industrial  emissions directive (IED). The higher 
operating temperature and improved abatement will lead to much lower emissions of PAHs 
per tonne of fuel compared to equipment used in the domestic market.  

Figure 7.11 

Sources of PAH emissions to air for the EU 28 (UNECE reported data) in 
2015 

Figure 7.12 provides a summary of emissions reported to the UNECE by Member State. It 
shows that the highest emitting Member State is Poland (27%), with other key contributors 
being Germany (9%), Italy (8.5%) and Spain (8.4%). In comparison to emissions stated in 
the last synthesis report, reductions in PAH emissions in Czechia and Romania are noted.  

Closer examination of the emission estimates, indicate that the PAH emissions are typically 
dominated  by  combustion-related  activities,  which  is  aligned  with  expectations  for  this 
pollutant. Table 7.8 provides further detail by Member State on emissions reduction in the 
period 1990–2015 and also the per capita emissions for Member States. 

65 

 
 
 
 
Figure 7.12  Quantity of PAH emissions to air for the EU 28 (UNECE reported data) 

Table 7.8 illustrates that the per capita emissions of PAHs (sum of 4 congeners) ranges from 
0.23 - 5.9 g/person/year with an average of 2.2 g/person/year. However only two Member 
States have per capita emissions greater than 5 g / person / year, with the lowest per capita 
emissions in Malta (0.23) and the highest in Poland (5.9).  

Table 7.8 also shows the reduction of emissions since 1990 with the biggest reductions in 
Spain,  Portugal  and  the  United  Kingdom  with  emissions  reduced  by  over  98%.  Overall, 
between  1990  and  2015,  based  on  the  reported  emission  estimates,  the  annual  release  of 
PAHs to air within the EU has declined by almost 10,000 tonnes down to approximately 825 
tonnes. This decline amounts to a reduction of 92% in emissions over the 25-year period. 

A caveat with comparing baseline year (1990) data across multiple synthesis reports is that, 
given  the  EMEP  emission  data  is  updated  on  an  annual  basis  for  the  entire  time  series, 
emission  estimates  are  not  always  comparable  across  years.  For  example,  baseline 
information for 1990 is still being updated and altered making comparisons difficult between 
this report and the previous synthesis report. 

PAHs  are  not  listed  under  the  UNEP  Stockholm  Convention  and  the  UNECE  Aarhus 
Protocol  requires reporting to  the air vector only. However, the POP  Regulation  requires 
reporting to all vectors for PAHs, similar to all other listed POPs. Very few Member States 
provide details of emissions other than to air; however, for those that have reported, a further 
breakdown is provided in Figure 7.13. 

66 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 7.8 

Emissions reduction for PAHs (sum of 4 congeners) and per capita 
emissions 

Member State 

Emission to air 
1990  

Emission to air 
2015  

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

kg  

54,906 

37,162 

280,200 

5,304 

373,582 

8,196 

48,826 

17,030 

7,173,753 

45,613 

23,649 

98,642 

13,754 

18,992 

20,350 

Luxembourg 

4,330 

Hungary 

79,120 

Malta 

- 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

19,830 

20,149 

146,768 

589,765 

274,260 

8,380 

19,932 

7,090 

17,108 

United Kingdom  

1,353,747 

kg 

8,558 

15,327 

46,900 

6,756 

76,550 

3,570 

16,389 

18,809 

69,083 

33,370 

15,583 

70,689 

892 

7,330 

8,921 

594 

28,765 

101 

5,193 

6,796 

223,603 

13,863 

58,022 

6,026 

31,687 

21,380 

7,909 

22,300 

Reduction in 
annual emissions 
1990:2015 as a 
percentage 

Per Capita 
emissions 2015 
g/Person/ year 

84% 

59% 

83% 

-27% 

80% 

56% 

66% 

-10% 

99% 

27% 

34% 

28% 

94% 

61% 

56% 

86% 

64% 

- 

74% 

66% 

-52% 

98% 

79% 

28% 

-59% 

-202% 

54% 

98% 

0.76 

2.14 

4.45 

1.19 

0.94 

2.71 

3.49 

1.74 

1.49 

0.50 

3.71 

1.16 

0.77 

3.71 

3.07 

1.04 

2.92 

0.23 

0.31 

0.29 

5.89 

1.34 

2.93 

2.92 

5.84 

3.90 

0.81 

0.34 

67 

 
 
 
Czechia, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom report to multiple vectors (Table 
7.9). Three of the four, highlight air as being the key emission pathway, with the Netherlands, 
Spain, and the United Kingdom noting fractions to air of 88%, 84% and 96% respectively. 
This  relates  to  combustion  processes  that  generate  PAHs  within  smoke  and  gaseous 
exhausts. One member, state (Czechia) reports significant emissions to land, from ‘waste’. 
It  is  unclear  which  source  would  result  in  such  a  high  proportion  of  emissions  being 
associated with ‘waste’. Review of the EMEP data, discussed above, indicates emissions of 
PAH  in  Czechia  are  dominated  by  residential  stationary  combustion,  which  would  most 
likely result in emission to air. Three of the four Member States (the Netherlands, Spain, and 
the United Kingdom) also report emissions to water, with a fraction of 12%, 16%, and 4% 
respectively.  

Table 7.9 

Emissions of PAHs (sum of 4 congeners) to all vectors based on those 
reported to the EU 

Year 

2014 

Member State 

Czechia  

Air 

Water 

Land 

Residue 

Product 

6% 

0% 

94% 

NR 

NR 

2015 

Spain  

84% 

16% 

NR 

NR 

NR 

2013 

2014 

Netherlands  

United Kingdom  

88% 

12% 

NR 

NR 

NR 

96% 

4% 

NR 

NR 

NR 

For  emissions  to  water,  it  is  noted  that  PAHs  can  reach  the  water  environment  via 
atmospheric deposition, road run-off and discharges from wastewater treatment plants. The 
EEA49 notes that the main pressures leading to failure to achieve good chemical status are 
atmospheric  deposition  and  discharges  from  urban  wastewater 
treatment  plants. 
Atmospheric deposition leads to contamination with mercury in over 45,000 water bodies 
failing  to  achieve  good  chemical  status.  It  is  reported  that  inputs  from  urban  wastewater 
treatment  plants  lead  to  contamination  of  over  13,000  water  bodies  with  polyaromatic 
hydrocarbons (PAHs). 

A review of the data reported to the E-PRTR for 2015 allows a comparison for the emissions 
reported not only to air, but also to water and land. The E-PRTR also provides information 
on pollutant transfers, mostly from processing or final management of hazardous waste. The 
E-PRTR Regulation suggests that PAHs should be reported as the sum of 4 congeners, the 
same identified in the POP Regulation. Figures 7.13 – 7.15 show the data from E-PRTR for 
emissions to air, water, and pollutant transfers. Releases of PAHs to soil were not reported 
within the E-PRTR. Figure 7.13 shows the key source of emissions of PAHs to air are cement 
production  (28%),  production  of  pig  iron  and  steel  (18%)  and  production  of  nitrogen, 
phosphorous and potassium (13%). Compared to the previous reporting period (2010-2012) 
the  proportion  of  emissions  to  air  resulting  from  cement  production  has  increased,  while 
those  from  production  of  nitrogen,  phosphorous  and  potassium  has  declined.  The  major 
contributors to PAH emissions to air indicated by the E-PRTR data are Poland (56%) Spain 
(12%), Romania (11.5%) and France (6%). This is in contrast to the data from the EMEP 

49 EEA (2018) European waters. Assessment of status and pressures 2018 

68 

 
 
                                           
presented  above.  The  use  of  fossil  fuels  within  residential  properties  is  not  listed  as  an 
activity  in  Annex  I  of  the  E-PRTR  (and  is  then  outside  the  scope  of  the  reporting 
requirements), which could account to some extent for this discrepancy. 

Figure 7.13 shows that, for emissions to surface water, based on 57 reporting facilities there 
is no single dominant source. Close to 40% of total emissions are from urban wastewater 
treatment  plants,  with  the  next  largest  contributions  from  power  stations  for  energy 
generation (17%) and production of pig iron and steel  (17%). This  is  in contrast  to  2012 
where emissions were significantly larger and dominated by petroleum refineries (52%, 2.8 
tonnes). A substantial (>50%) reduction in PAH emissions to water is indicated from 2013 
and 2015.  

Based on the E-PRTR data, for pollutant transfers to land, 24 facilities report emissions of 
PAHs totalling 95 t. Of this, 98% (93.3 t) is attributed to disposal or recovery of hazardous 
waste. Nearly all of this results from two plants in Italy (Sicily). These materials are likely 
the same contaminated wastes referred to within the residue vector of the Article 12 reports. 

Figure 7.13  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PAHs to air (taken from the 

E-PRTR website on 27/1/2019) 

69 

 
 
 
 
Figure 7.14  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PAHs to water (taken from 

the E-PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) 

Figure 7.15  Data reported to the E-PRTR for pollutant transfers of PAHs (taken from 

the E-PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) 

70 

 
 
 
 
 
Table 7.10 provides a comparison of the total emissions from Article 12 reports, UNECE 
inventories and E-PRTR data. The E-PRTR data reports an increasing trend in emissions 
between 2013 and 2015 while the UNECE data indicate similar emissions of PAHs from 
2013 to 2015. 

The Article 12 reports show smaller quantities of PAHs released with  a  decreasing trend 
over the reporting period.  However, as noted for  dioxins and furans  above, a time trend 
cannot be inferred from the data submitted by Member States under Article 12 of the POP 
Regulation, as the emission totals are dependent on the number of Member States submitting 
information. This number was much higher in 2013 (18) than in 2015 (7). 

Table 7.10 

Comparison of emission estimates between inventories for PAHs (sum of 4 
congeners) 

Year 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Article 12 POP Regulation 
total emissions for EU28 
tonnes to air 

UNECE EMEP 
emissions total for EU28 
tonnes to air  

E-PRTR emissions total 
for EEA (31 countries) 
tonnes to air 

410 

386 

64 

1,160 

1,097 

1,116 

38 (83 facilities) 

35 (74 facilities) 

52 (82 facilities) 

Note that not all Member States reported data under Article 12, leading to important discrepancies 
in the data. 

7.2.4  7.2.4  Chlorobenzenes – Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and 

Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) 

Chlorobenzenes are a family of chemicals with a single benzene ring and varying numbers 
of chlorine atoms (up to a maximum of six) substituting hydrogen atoms. Within this family, 
two  specific  substances  have  been  identified  as  POPs,  hexachlorobenzene  (HCB)  and 
pentachlorobenzene (PeCBz). HCB was added to Annexes A (banned) and C (unintentional 
production) of the Stockholm Convention in 2004 and PeCBz was added to both annexes in 
2009. Both substances are included in Annexes I (banned) and III (unintentional production) 
of the POP Regulation. 

As with many of the Annex III substances listed under the POP regulation, HCB and PeCBz 
can  be  formed  from  combustion  processes  where  there  is  a  source  of  chlorine  and  with 
suitable combustion mechanics (temperature, catalysts, and particulate size). However, both 
substances have also had commercial uses in the past as detailed below. 

HCB had commercial applications as a fungicide used in seed treatments. Its use started in 
the 1950s50, with a peak in the EU around the mid-1970s before it was banned for agricultural 
use  in  198151.  HCB  remained  present  as  a  contaminant  in  other  fungicides,  notably 
chlorothalonil. Directive 2005/53/EC sets a maximum limit for HCB in chlorothalonil of 10 
mg/kg (10ppm), and industry has continued to work to reduce the levels of contamination.  

50  Eurochlor,  2005  ‘Hexachlorobenzene  -  Sources,  environmental  fate  and  risk  characterisation’,  Eurochlor 
science dossier 
51  EFSA,  2006,  ‘Opinion  of  the  scientific  panel  on  contaminants  in  the  food  chain  on  a  request  from  the 
Commission related to hexachlorobenzene as undesirable substance in animal feed’, The EFSA Journal (2006) 
402, 1 - 49 

71 

 
 
 
                                           
A  sampling  programme  from  the  United  Kingdom  found  an  average  concentration  of  8 
mg/kg  of  HCB  in  chlorothalonil  in  201252.  Aside  from  use  as  a  fungicide,  an  industry 
dossier27  also  identifies  a  number  of  key  emission  sources  as  a  by-product  of  other 
production  processes,  notably  the  manufacture  of  industrial  chlorinated  organics, 
particularly the solvents perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride. HCB 
was also identified as a contaminant of hexachloroethane (HCE), used as a cover gas within 
metal  manufacture.  Other  sources  of  HCB  come  from  the  combustion  of  materials, 
particularly within the metallurgic sector, but also from combustion of solid fuels and waste, 
particularly so from open burning such as backyard burning of waste. 

Pentachlorobenzene had a number of commercial uses in the past, mainly as an intermediate 
in  other  goods.  Eurochlor53  states  that  PeCBz  was  used  as  an  intermediate  in  the 
manufacture of the pesticide Quintozene. However, since 2001, product processes have been 
altered  to  avoid  the  use  of  PeCBz,  reducing  contamination  in  quintozene  to  only  trace 
quantities. PeCBz was also used to reduce the viscosity of PCB within PCB oil-based goods 
used for heat transfer fluids in di-electric goods. The Stockholm Convention also states that 
PeCBz was used as carrier within dyes and in some flame-retardant products54. Aside from 
use within commercial products, PeCBz can be generated in combustion of solid fuels and 
wastes and can also be generated through thermal processes in metallurgy. In 2009 RIVM55 
published  a  study  to  review  and  derive  emission  factors  for  use  in  deriving  estimates  of 
PeCBz to air. The study includes a number of combustion sources and industry sectors, as 
well as read-across methods linked to generation of dioxins and furans from related sources. 

Hexachlorobenzene emissions to air 

Figure  7.16  provides  a  breakdown  of  the  main  sources  for  HCB  as  reported  by  Member 
States under the UNECE Aarhus Protocol in 2015.  

No  data  on  reported  PeCBz  emissions  is  currently  available  from  the  CEIP  Webdab 
website56.  Figure  7.16  highlights  that  metals  production  (33%)  and  combustion  with 
industry (25%) are the main contributors to HCB estimates for emissions to air, with other 
key sources including residential combustion (18%) and the energy sector (12%) 

In  contrast,  in  the  third  synthesis  report,  for  the  reporting  period  2010-2012,  75%  of 
emissions were attributed to metals manufacture.  

52 Defra, 2012, A further update of the United Kingdom 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 reference CB0429  
53 Eurochlor, 2007, ‘Pentachlorobenzene – Sources, environmental fate and risk characterization’, Eurochlor 
science dossier 
54 UNEP, 2007, ‘Draft risk profile for pentachlorobenzene’, Stockholm Convention 
55 RIVM, 2009, ‘Inventory emission factors for pentachlorobenzene’, Letter report 601773002 
56 Correct as of 27 January 2019 

72 

 
                                           
Figure 7.16 

Sources of HCB emissions to air for the EU 28 (UNECE reported data) 

Figure 7.17 provides a summary of reported HCB emissions by Member State from 2013-
2015. The main HCB emitter during this reporting period was Austria (> 100 kg in 2013: 
>40 kg in 2015). In total, six member states (Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Italy and 
the United Kingdom) reported between 5 kg and 30 kg of HCB emitted to air per year in 
2015 and 20 Member States reported less than 5 kg per annum. The EU total for 2015 is 
reported as 182 kg as the sum of 28 Member States’ emissions. A noticeable reduction in 
HCB emissions can be seen between 2014 and 2015 in Austria (from 147 kg to 42 kg).   

The  source  profiles  of  Austria  from  the  UNECE  EMEP  Webdab  data  provide  a  possible 
explanation for these observations. These indicate that the rise in HCB emissions in Austria 
is  due  to  greater  emissions  (300%  rise)  from  stationary  combustion  in  manufacturing 
industries and construction (non-metallic minerals) between 2012 and 2013. Emissions from 
this source are indicated to have almost completed ceased in Austria between 2014 and 2015.  

Figure 7.17 illustrates no other clear trends  in  emissions. Other Member States appear to 
have emissions that were relatively static over the 2013-2015 period, with some (e.g., United 
Kingdom)  having  a  gradual  increase  over  the  period,  and  others  (e.g.,  Poland,  Belgium) 
showing a gradual decrease.  

73 

 
 
 
Figure 7.17  HCB emissions by Member State as reported to the UNECE Aarhus 

Protocol (2013 – 2015). 

160

140

120

100

g
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s
a
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i
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o
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80

60

40

20

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HCB emissions by Member State

2013
2014
2015

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Table 7.11 provides further details, with information on per capita emissions and emissions 
reductions per Member State between 1990 and 2015. This demonstrates that the per capita 
emissions in 2015 ranged between 0.01 and 8.5 mg/person/year with an average emission 
for the EU28 of 0.9 mg/person/year. The majority of reporting Member States had emissions 
at or below 0.5 mg/person/year. As expected from the above observations, Austria has the 
highest  per capita  emissions with  values of 8.5 mg/person/year respectively, followed by 
Finland and Czechia (>2 mg/person/year).  

Table 7.11 also provides an indication of emissions reduction over a 25-year period (1990 
to  2015).  Emissions  in  most  Member  States  substantially  declined,  with  several  Member 
States  reporting  a  reduction  of  >90%  (Denmark,  France,  Ireland,  Lithuania,  Netherlands, 
Romania,  Spain,  the  United  Kingdom)  over  this  period.  Others  (e.g.,  Croatia,  Estonia, 
Latvia,  Luxembourg,  Greece,  Portugal,  Slovenia)  had  HCB  emissions  that  remained 
relatively static or exhibited an increase over this period. 

74 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 7.11 

Emissions reduction for HCB and per capita emissions 

Member State 

Emission to air 
1990  

Emission to air 
2015  

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Hungary 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

kg  

40.84 

0.30 

105.53 

27.36 

112.48 

0.19 

40.81 

2.10 

327.12 

1,195.76 

0.27 

43.30 

0.05 

0.20 

11.05 

0.44 

2.56 

- 

45.29 

76.27 

6.34 

58.67 

99.32 

0.48 

2.42 

36.57 

16.40 

United Kingdom 

3,154.59 

kg 

5.93 

0.21 

22.89 

2.18 

12.42 

0.28 

1.68 

2.82 

1.03 

5.53 

0.30 

21.52 

0.01 

0.27 

0.38 

0.60 

1.24 

0.00 

3.27 

42.25 

4.83 

1.7 

2.32 

0.52 

1.25 

15.82 

3.82 

27.48 

Reduction in 
annual emissions 
1990:2015 as a 
percentage 

Per Capita 
emissions 2015 
mg/Person/ year 

85% 

31% 

78% 

92% 

89% 

-45% 

96% 

-34% 

100% 

100% 

-9% 

50% 

82% 

-37% 

97% 

-38% 

52% 

93% 

45% 

24% 

97% 

98% 

-9% 

49% 

57% 

77% 

99% 

0.52 

0.03 

2.17 

0.38 

0.15 

0.21 

0.36 

- 

0.02 

0.08 

0.07 

0.35 

0.01 

0.14 

0.13 

1.05 

0.13 

- 

0.19 

4.86 

0.13 

0.16 

0.12 

0.25 

0.23 

2.88 

0.39 

0.42 

75 

 
 
 
 
Pentachlorobenzene emissions to air 

No data on reported emissions of PeCBz to air from the UNECE EMEP Webdab website is 
available  for  2013-2015.  Without  recent  data  it  is  difficult  to  comment  on  data  trends  or 
relationships to emission sources.  

Five  Member  States  (Austria,  Czechia,  Netherlands,  Spain,  United  Kingdom)  reported 
emissions of PeCBz under Article 12. Emission estimates vary from <0.01 kg in Czechia to 
50 kg in the United Kingdom.  

Hexachlorobenzene and Pentachlorobenzene emissions to other vectors  

The  majority  of  reported  data  for  HCB  and  PeCBz  emission  estimates  relates  to  the  air 
vector. However, a small number of Member States report data on release to other vectors 
as part of the Article 12 reporting to the European Commission and also to the Stockholm 
Convention. Table 7.12 provides a breakdown of the emission data for the five vectors listed 
in  the  Stockholm  Convention,  separately  for  HCB  and  PeCBz.  The  number  of  Member 
States reporting emissions to multiple vectors is greater for HCB (7) than for PeCBz (4).  

Table 7.12 

Emissions of HCB and PeCBz to all vectors based on those reported to the 
EU and Stockholm Convention 

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) 

Year 

2012 

2015 

2012  

2015 

2015 

2013 

2013 

Member 
State 

BE  

CZ 

IE  

ES  

FR  

NL 

SE  

Air 

96% 

<0.1% 

71% 

Water 

Land 

Residue 

Product 

4% 

NR 

NR 

NR 

NR 

NR 

1% 

28% 

>99.9% 

0% 

NR 

0% 

Pentachlorobenzene (PeCBz) 

Year 

2014 

2015 

CZ 

ES  

2% 

98% 

0% 

100% 

Member 
State 

Air 

Water 

Land 

Residue 

Product 

NR - not reported 

83% 

17%  

NR 

NR 

NR 

2015 

AT 

87% 

13% 

2014 

UK 

79% 

5.5% 

2.5% 

14% 

97.5% 

86% 

53% 

0.1% 

NR 

NR 

NR 

NR 

NR 

NR 

46.9% 

15.5% 

NR 

NR 

NR 

NR 

2014 

UK 

65% 

18% 

6% 

9% 

3% 

Four member states (Belgium, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom) indicated emissions 
to  air  dominate  with  a  lower  proportion  emitted  to  water  (and  in  the  case  of  the  United 
Kingdom,  to  land).  However,  France  reported  emissions  to  water  dominate  over  air 

76 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
emissions, while Sweden reported comparable emissions between air and land. Czechia is 
the only Member State reporting emissions to the ‘residues’ vector, noting that nearly all 
HCB emitted was to this vector. No Member State has reported HCB emissions to all vectors.  

The United  Kingdom is  the only  Member State  reporting emissions of PeCBz to  all five 
vectors, indicating  that  emissions to  air  dominate, followed  by  water,  land,  residues,  and 
product,  respectively.  Austria  also  reported  that  air  emissions  dominate  compared  with 
emissions to land. However, Spain’s emissions to water were greater than those to air. 

For comparison, the data provided to the E-PRTR has also been reviewed. For HCB only a 
limited data set  is  available comprising of one  facility in  Germany involved in  industrial 
scale production of basic inorganic chemicals, emitting 32 kg of HCB in 2015. This could 
suggest  the  reduction  in  emissions  or  close  of  facilities  emitting  HCB  to  air  since  the 
previous (2010-2012) reporting period (when four facilities reported emissions). However, 
this is not clear as there is no obligation on facilities to report data.  

There are no data available in the E-PRTR database for the emissions of PeCBz to air for 
any of the years in the current reporting period.  

Figure 7.18 illustrates that, for emissions to surface water, based on three reporting facilities 
(in Italy, France, and Spain), emissions are dominated by urban wastewater treatment plants 
(72%), with Italy as the key contributor. Emissions from this source are indicated to have 
remained broadly static over the reporting period.  

Historically,  the  data  set  reported  for  emission  of  PeCBz  has  been  extremely  limited  so 
comparisons are difficult. Data on PeCBz emissions to water from the E-PRTR is available 
for 2015  (see Figure 7.19), which indicates, based on five facilities, ~79  kg of PeCBz is 
emitted to water with Italy (62%) and France (34%) the two main contributors. Emission 
sources are dominated by urban wastewater treatment plants (60%) with a lesser contribution 
from organic chemical production (38%).  

Table 7.13 provides a comparison between the inventory data provided for HCB emissions 
to  air  for  the  Article  12  reports  to  the  European  Commission,  UNECE  reporting  and  E-
PRTR. As with the earlier figures and tables the results presented within Table 7.13 illustrate 
a similar pattern of fluctuating emissions.  

As with the discussion of dioxins and furans, and PCBs, it should be noted that a time trend 
cannot be inferred from the data submitted by Member States under the POP Regulation, as 
the emission totals are dependent on the number of Member States submitting information. 
This number was much higher in 2013 (18) than in 2015 (7). 

Table 7.13 

Comparison of emission estimates between inventories for HCB 

Year 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Article 12 POP Regulation 
Total emissions for EU28 
(kg to air) 

UNECE EMEP 
emissions Total for 
EU28 (kg to air) 

E-PRTR emissions 
total for EU28 (kg to 
air) 

218 

225 

54 

394 

374 

269 

42.2 (2 facilities) 

59.2 (3 facilities) 

32.0 (1 facility) 

Note that not all Member States reported data under Article 12, leading to important discrepancies 
in the data. 

77 

 
 
Figure 7.18  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of HCB to water (taken from the 

E-PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) 

Figure 7.19  Data reported to the E-PRTR for emissions of PeCBz to water (taken from 

the E-PRTR website on the 27/1/2019) 

78 

 
 
 
 
 
 
7.3  Environmental monitoring 
The Article 12 reports provided to the European Commission include emission inventory 
estimates for releases of Annex III substances to the natural environment via five emission 
pathway  vectors:  air,  land,  water,  residue,  and  product.  The  development  of  emission 
inventory estimates is intended to provide the Member State Competent Authorities with a 
valuable tool to help them assess the key sources and trends for estimated emissions within 
their  Member  State.  This  allows  the  Member  State  Competent  Authorities  to  have  an 
informed position when policy planning and developing implementation plans for the control 
and further reduction of emissions. 

The monitoring of POPs in the environment can help tracking the trans-boundary fluxes and 
the environmental concentration trends, which can be used to validate the trends shown by 
the  emission  inventory  estimates.  The  European  Monitoring  and  Evaluation  Programme 
(EMEP) is the basis for pan-European monitoring of POPs in the environment. A summary 
of the findings from this report is presented below. 

EMEP report (3/2016) Status report on Persistent Organic Pollutants: assessment of 
transboundary pollution on regional and global scales 

The EMEP status report on POPs (2016) covers emissions, fate and transport modelling and 
measurement  data  for  the  EMEP  region.  In  2016,  41  countries  reported  estimated  POP 
emissions for the period of at least one year, over the period from 1990-2014. Using these 
official  data,  the  Centre  on  Emission  Inventories  and  Projections  (CEIP)  and  the 
Meteorological  Synthesizing  Centre-East  (MSC-E)  prepared  gridded  emission  data  with 
data gaps filled using expert estimates. The most significant decline in estimated emissions 
to air for the EU28 over the period 1990-2015 was for HCB (96%), followed by PCBs (83%), 
PAHs (78%) and dioxins and furans (67%). 

EMEP monitoring network summary 

The EMEP monitoring programme for POPs started in 1999, although some earlier data are 
available, and are reported in the EMEP database hosted by NILU (http://ebas.nilu.no/). As 
of 2015 there are 34 monitoring stations within the EMEP region that report PAH data, whilst 
PCBs and HCB are reported at 7 sites. Figure 7.20 provides the location details for these 
stations.  

79 

 
 
 
 
Figure 7.20 EMEP monitoring stations operating in 2015. 

The Global EMEP Multi-media Modelling System (GLEMOS) uses both emission data and 
measurement data to assess the spatial distribution of POPs concentrations across the EMEP 
region in the main environmental media. The emission data are prepared by the Centre on 
Emission Inventories and Projections (CEIP) and by MSC-E (Meteorological Synthesizing 
Centre-Est) and are based on official emissions data reported by Parties to the Convention, 
with additional unofficial expert estimates (for example, the global PCB inventory provided 
by Breivik et al. (2007)). These data are converted into a gridded emission dataset by CEIP. 

Dioxins and Furans (PCDD/Fs) 

Emission estimates for the sum of the 17 PCDD/Fs (expressed as TEQ) showed a decline 
across the EMEP countries from 15kg TEQ (in 1990) to 4.2 kg TEQ (in 2014) (see Figure 
7.21).  The  decrease  in  emissions  was  variable  in  the  different  countries,  with  the  largest 
reductions occurring in Luxembourg and the Netherlands (97%), Belgium and France (95%). 
Some countries also reported an increase in emissions since 1990, namely Greece for the 
EU.   

80 

 
 
 
 
Figure 7.21  Emissions estimates for the sum of 17 PCDD/Fs (TEQ) for EMEP countries 

in (a) 1990 and (b) 2014 as ng TEQ/M2/year – EMEP Status report 2016 

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) 
The PCB emission inventory has been compiled using data from Breivik et al (2007)57, the 
data submitted officially by the countries and expert estimates. These data suggest a 6-fold 
overall emission reduction across the EMEP countries over the period from 1990 to 2014 
(Figure  7.22).  The  decrease  in  emissions  varied  by  country,  with  the  largest  reductions 
occurring in Latvia, Portugal, Norway, and the United Kingdom (all >90%). 

57 Breivik,K., Sweetman, A., Pacyna, J. and Jones, K.C. (2007) Towards a global historical emission inventory 
for selected PCB congeners – a mass balance approach 3. Submitted to Science of the Total Environment, 377, 
296-307 

81 

 
 
 
                                           
Figure 7.22  Emissions estimates for the indicator congener PCB-153 for EMEP 

countries in (a) 1990 and (b) 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) 

Emission estimates for the sum  of 4  reference PAHs showed a decline across the EMEP 
countries from 6,505 tonnes in 199058 to 2,635 tonnes in 2014 (Figure 7.23). Changes in 
emissions have varied by country and within the EMEP region, emissions have increased in 
22 countries and decreased in 28 countries.  

The most notable increases of emissions have occurred in the EECCA countries, many of 
which have significantly improved their inventory reporting methods or reported data for the 
first time in 2014 leading to large changes in emission estimates. For example, total PAH 

58 The  previous synthesis report quoted estimated emissions of PAHs in 1990 of 2417 tonnes. It should be 
noted that under the UNECE emission estimates are calculated annually with improvements made to the whole 
time-series as new data becomes available. Which may explain the significant difference in revised estimates. 

82 

 
 
                                           
emissions of Kazakhstan have been reported for the first time which has led to an increase 
in emission of 164 tonnes in 2014. For EU Member States the data over the years 2013 and 
2014 illustrates fluctuations with higher emissions in 2014 (than 2013) for a number of EU 
countries  (e.g.,  Malta,  Portugal,  Spain,  Sweden,  and  the  United  Kingdom).  Where  PAHs 
emissions are linked to the combustion of organic matter, including natural sources (e.g., 
forest  fires)  year  on  year  comparisons  are  less  useful.  Instead,  the  overall  trend  is  more 
important with the more recent years 2012-2014 recording emission rates of 1,400 – 2,600 
tonnes per annum. 

Figure 7.23  Emissions estimates for the sum of (4 congeners) PAHs for EMEP countries 

in (a) 1990 and (b) 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 

83 

 
 
 
 
 
Hexachlorobenzene 

Total  HCB emissions  decreased from  6 tonnes to 0.45 tonnes across 29 EMEP countries 
over  the  period  from  1990  to  2014  (Figure  7.24).  The  decrease  in  emissions  varied  by 
country,  with  the  largest  reductions  occurring  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  Norway  (99% 
reduction) followed by Spain, France, and Slovenia (98% reduction). 

Figure 7.24  Emissions estimates of HCB for EMEP countries in (a) 1990 and (b) 2014 – 

EMEP Status report 2016 

84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EMEP monitoring network summary 

Dioxins and Furans (PCDD/Fs) 

A  reduction  in  emissions  across  the  EMEP  region  since  1990  (mean  30%  reduction)  for 
PCDD/Fs is reflected in the predicted air concentrations provided by the GLEMOS model. 
Elevated levels of annual mean air concentrations (10‐50 femtograms TEQ/m3 and higher) 
are noted for Poland, northern Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Romania, Albania, and Azerbaijan 
(see Figure 7.25). Areas of relatively high air concentrations can also be noted for Ukraine, 
the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. 

Figure 7.25  Predicted spatial distribution of ambient air concentrations for the sum of 

17 PCDD/Fs (fg TEQ/m3) for EMEP countries in 2014 

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) 

The spatial distribution of ambient air concentrations for PCB-153 for EMEP countries in 
2014 is shown in Figure 7.26. Relatively high annual mean air concentrations (1‐7 pg/m3 
and higher) can be noted for countries in Western and Central Europe, while lower levels of 
concentrations are obtained for Northern Europe and the EECCA countries. Since 1990 the 
levels of air pollution by PCB in EMEP countries have decreased by approximately 83%, 
which varies  geographically for individual countries. For example, there  has been a 60% 
reduction in Estonia compared to approximately 90% for the United Kingdom. 

In  2014,  secondary  emissions  were  estimated  to  contribute  50-70%  of  the  total.  The 
remainder comes from ongoing anthropogenic emissions (5-50%) and emissions outside the 
EMEP region (1-30%).  

85 

 
 
 
Figure 7.26  Predicted spatial distribution of ambient air concentrations for PCB-153 
for EMEP countries in 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 

The  measurement  data  collected  across  the  EMEP  region  are  used  for  model  validation. 
Figure  7.27  shows  that,  for  Europe,  predicted  and  measured  concentrations  are  within  a 
factor of two for 85% of the monitoring sites. 

Figure 7.27  Comparison of predicted ambient air concentrations for PCDD/Fs (TEQ) 
for EMEP countries and measurement data within Europe – EMEP Status 
report 2016 

86 

 
 
 
 
 
Modelled  and  observed  monthly  mean  PCB‐153  air  concentrations  (see  Figure  7.28), 
illustrate  that  for  most  of  the  year  modelled  concentrations  for  CZ0003R  and  DE0002R 
reproduce variations of observed PCB‐153 air concentrations. The biggest anomaly is for 
the  sites  DE0001R  and  SE0014R.  The  model  underpredicts  concentrations  measured  at 
SE0014R in summer months, and measured concentrations at DE0001R for most of the year. 
The under prediction can be explained by the uncertainty of applied emission data (including 
spatial  distribution)  of  emissions  and  seasonal  variability  that  requires  more  detailed 
analysis. 

Figure 7.28  Comparison of monthly mean modelled PCB‐153 air concentrations with 
measurements of EMEP monitoring sites for 2014, pg/m3– EMEP Status 
report 2016 

PAHs 

Figure  7.29  provides  an  illustration  of  the  atmospheric  concentrations  for  four  reference 
PAHs  in  2014.  Analysis  of  temporal  changes  of  emissions  and  air  concentrations  in  the 
EMEP region, performed for the two recent decades, has shown that decline of B[a]P air 
pollution  levels  slowed  significantly  during  recent  ten  years  (since  2000)  and  air 
concentrations even started to increase in some of the EMEP countries.  

Benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P) is the only PAH with an EU air quality standard (of 1 ng/m3). While 
overall atmospheric concentrations for Europe have fallen since 1990, the decline has slowed 
in the last ten years, with variation across regional and sub-regional areas of the EU. Figure 
7.29  illustrates  elevated  atmospheric  concentrations  of  PAHs  in  the  central  and  eastern 
European Member States, namely Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, 
and  Lithuania.  Elevated  concentrations  are  also  seen  for  some  Mediterranean  countries, 
particularly Spain. 

87 

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
Figure 7.29 

Spatial distribution of modelled annual mean air concentrations, ng/m3 of 4 
PAHs in the EMEP domain for 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) 

The reduction in emissions of HCB across the EMEP region are reflected in the predicted 
air concentrations provided by the GLEMOS model. Figure 7.30 shows the spatial patterns 
in ambient air concentrations for HCB for 2014. The reduction in emissions of HCB across 
the  EMEP  region  as  a  result  of  banning  its  use  in  agriculture  and  controlling  other 
anthropogenic  sources  is  reflected  in  the  predicted  air  concentrations  by  the  GLEMOS 
model. Across the EMEP region, there has been a greater than 90% reduction in ambient 
HCB concentrations since 1990. 

Across the EMEP region there is a relatively homogenous distribution of HCB in air which 
can  be  explained  by  its  high  stability  in  the  atmosphere.  Central  and  Eastern  Europe  are 
predicted to have elevated concentrations (20‐40 pg/m3) of HCB.  

88 

 
 
 
 
 
Figure 7.30  Predicted spatial distribution of ambient air concentrations of HCB for 

EMEP countries in 2014 – EMEP Status report 2016 

Comparing the model predictions with the measurement data (Figure 7.31) shows that in the 
majority of cases (75%) the agreement between predicted and measured concentrations are 
within a factor of two. 

Figure 7.31  Comparison of predicted ambient air concentrations for HCB for EMEP 
countries and measurement data within Europe for 2014 – EMEP Status 
report 2016 

89 

 
 
 
 
Conclusions 

Predictions  from  the MSC-E model GLEMOS  suggest  that over the period from  1990 to 
2014 there has been a reduction in environmental concentrations of PAHs, PCDD/Fs, HCB, 
and PCBs. GLEMOS uses gridded versions of the official emission data provided by the 
Parties to the Convention with additional expert input and unofficial emissions estimates. 
Model  results  are  assessed  against  monitoring  data,  largely  consisting  of  ambient  air 
concentrations  provided  by  the  EMEP  monitoring  network.  Decreasing  environmental 
concentrations  over  this  period  are  most  evident  in  the  atmosphere,  largely  driven  by 
reductions in emissions. The reduction in primary emissions for some POPs has resulted in 
the increasing importance of secondary sources from environmental recycling, particularly 
for soil. 

• 
PAHs and BaP. As a result of an emission reduction of 40-60% across the EMEP 
region there has been a corresponding reduction of ambient air concentrations of 30%. There 
are some regional variations, with the United Kingdom and Germany showing reductions of 
90% and 70%, respectively, while other countries show smaller reductions (e.g., Finland, 
Bulgaria,  and  Estonia  with  a  reduction  of  3  to  6%).  PAHs  (e.g.,  BaP)  generally  show  a 
limited  long-range  atmospheric  transport  potential  and  so  ambient  air  concentrations 
generally reflect the presence of local sources. Because of deposition from air, soil is an on-
going sink for these substances and will show a slower response to emission reduction. 

• 
PCDD/Fs. Across the EMEP region there has been an average emission reduction of 
60%. In the EU there has been a reduction of ambient air concentrations of 75% over the 
period from  1990 to  2014. Emission estimates and modelling approaches have suggested 
that over this period secondary sources (e.g., volatilization from soil) has become dominant 
over primary sources.  

• 
HCB. Emission estimates for HCB from 1990 to 2014 across the EMEP region have 
shown a reduction of >90%, largely as a result of restrictions of its use in agriculture. This 
has  resulted  in  a  90%  reduction  in  ambient  air  concentrations,  with  the  main  secondary 
source, volatilisation from soil, accounting for approximately 75% of on-going emissions. 

• 
PCBs.  Across  the  EMEP  region  there  has  been  an  average  emission  reduction  of 
80%,  resulting  in  an  estimated  reduction  of  80%  in  ambient  air  concentration.  This  has 
occurred  mostly  thanks  to  control  of  primary  sources.  Secondary  sources  of  PCBs  now 
dominate and account  for 68% of the total  emissions. The soil ‘reservoir’ is  likely to  re-
supply the atmosphere for still a long time. 

90 

 
 
 
 
 
8.  8.  Control measures 

The POP Regulation requires Member States to take actions in identifying, controlling, and 
ultimately reducing the emission of POPs in the environment. The key mechanism for action 
is the development of national implementation plans, which should document the current 
situation and issues in each Member State. On the basis of this information, the Member 
States can develop action plans as part of the national implementation plan to address the 
identified  issues.  Various  Articles  of  the  POP  Regulation  contain  those  control  measures 
(information box below): 

Article 3 and Article 4 of the POP Regulation provide control measures for the production, placing on the 
market and use of substances listed in Annex I (banned) and Annex II (restricted) to protect human health 
and the environment from POPs. 

Additionally  the  POP  Regulation  requires  Member  States  to  develop  National  implementation  Plans 
(Article  8)  Action  Plans  (Article  6)  and  emission  inventories  for  Annex  III  (unintentional  substances) 
(Article 6) 

These issues are detailed within the POP Regulation as follows: 

Article 8 – National Implementation Plans:  

  8.1 When preparing their national implementation plans, Member States shall, in accordance with 
their national procedures, give the public early and effective opportunities to participate in this 
process. 

  8.2 As soon as a Member State has adopted its national implementation plan in accordance with its 
obligations under the Convention, it shall communicate it both to the Commission and to the other 
Member States. 

  8.3 When preparing their implementation plans, the Commission and the Member States shall 

exchange information on the content as appropriate. 

Article 6 – Action Plans: 
  6.2 A Member State shall communicate its action plan on measures to identify, characterise and 

minimise with a view to eliminating where feasible as soon as possible the total releases developed in 
accordance with its obligations under the Convention, to both the Commission and the other Member 
States as part of its national implementation plan, pursuant to Article 8. 

Article 6 – Emission Inventories 
  6.1 Within two years of the date of entry into force of this 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  need  to  ensure  that  the  actions  are  enforced  and  reported  back  to  the 
Commission as part of the annual and triennial Article 12 reporting. Control of Annex III 
substances  is  a  more  complex  problem  and  the  development  of  emission  inventories 
(detailed in the previous chapter) is intended to inform Member State Competent Authorities 
on the specific issues that need to be addressed within their nation. 

The  emission  inventories  together  with  supporting  work  from  other  aspects  that  relate  to 
POPs  such  as  the  food  chain/food  services  and  waste  sector/management  of  POPs 
contaminated  waste  can  be  used  to  develop  an  action  plan  for  further  work  to  minimise 
emissions or provide the basis for additional research where a particular source is not well 
defined within the emission estimates. These action plans form  a core part of the overall 
national implementation plan, which covers all aspects of the POP regulation managed by 
individual Member States. 

91 

 
 
 
The  development  and  continuous  update  of  national  implementation  plans  provide  the 
reference information on policies and activities undertaken by a specific Member State to 
control POPs, which should be communicated to all other Members of the Union to ensure 
close cooperation and coordination in the continued efforts to meet the overall aims of the 
POP Regulation. 

The POP regulation requires Member States to create emission inventories within two years 
of  its  entry  into  force.  These  inventories,  together  with  supporting  work  and  public 
consultation,  are  used  to  develop  the  development  of  action  plans  and  national 
implementation plans. The first round of NIPs are therefore typically dated between 2006 
and 2008.  

From 2010, new substances were added to the Annexes of the POP Regulation in order to 
comply with listings adopted under the Stockholm Convention. This included a new Annex 
III substance, pentachlorobenzene, and other additions of legacy substances with potential 
for release into the environment, particularly polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). These additions required an updated second round of 
national implementation plans which typically date from 2011 onward. 

to 

additions  within 

the  Stockholm  Convention.  This 

Since  2013,  further  new  substances  were  added  to  the  Annexes  of  the  regulation  as  a 
response 
included 
hexabromocyclododecane  (HBCDD)  (Annex  A)  in  2013  hexachlorobutadiene  (HCBD) 
(Annex A), pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its salts and esters (Annex A), and polychlorinated 
naphthalenes  (PCNs)  (Annex  A  and  C)  in  2015;  decabromodiphenyl  ether  (decaBDE) 
(Annex A), and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) (Annex A) in 201759. Parties are 
expected to transmit revised and updated implementation plans addressing the amendment(s) 
adopted at the Conference of Party (COP) meetings, which confirmed the listing of these 
‘new’ substances.  

Based  on  the  review  of  national  implementation  plans  submitted  to  the  Stockholm 
Convention60,  an  overview  of  the  status  of  submissions  is  provided  in  Table  8.1.  This 
indicates when the most recent plan was submitted, and which COP amendments each of 
these plans cover. As noted in the previous synthesis report, no plan has yet been developed 
by Greece or Malta, and the position for Italy is unknown as Italy has not directly ratified 
the Stockholm Convention. The remaining 25 EU Member States had all developed national 
implementation  plans  and  national  action  plans  as  per  the  first  round  of  national 
implementation reporting.  

As shown in Table 8.1, a number of Member States (Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, 
Slovakia, and Slovenia) have not transmitted an updated plan since their initial submission. 
A total of eleven Member States (Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, 
Hungary,  Lithuania,  Poland,  Sweden,  and  the  United  Kingdom)  have  submitted  updated 
plans in the current reporting period (since 2013).  

59 Outside of the scope for the current review but included here for completeness. 
60 Information correct as of January 2019 

92 

 
 
 
                                           
Table 8.1. Overview of EU Member States’ National Implementation Plans  

Member State 

Year of 
most 
recent NIP 

Initial 
NIP  

COP4 
update 
(2009)61 

COP5 
update 
(2011)62 

COP6 
update 
(2013)63 

COP7 
update 
(2015)64 

COP8 
update 
(2017)65 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy** 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Hungary 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

2012 

2012 

2017 

2018 

2016 

2011 

2012 

n/a* 

2013 

2012 

2016 

n/a* 

2014 

2007 

2017 

2006 

2013 

n/a* 

2011 

2012 

2016 

2006 

2012 

2009 

2013 

2012 

2017 

2017 



























 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



























 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



























 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 











 









 

 

 

 

 











 









 

 





















* No national implementation plan has been submitted to date. 
** Italy has not been a Party to the Convention at the time when this report was finalised. 

61  Listing,  alpha-HCH,  beta-HCH,  chlordecone,  hexabromobiphenyl,  hexaBDE  and  heptaBDE, 
pentachlorobenzene, PFOS, its salts and PFOSF, tetraBDE and pentaBDE 
62 Listing endosulfan 
63 Listing hexabromocyclododecane 
64 Listing hexachlorobutadiene, pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters, polychlorinated naphthalenes 
65 Listing decaBDE, and SCCPs 

lindane, 

93 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
A number of Member States have provided detailed information on the steps that have been 
taken to intervene in the release of POPs to the natural environment. Further detail on the 
Article  12  responses  for  control  measures  is  provided  in  Appendix  B  of  this  document. 
Previous synthesis reports have provided details on specific national policies and additional 
measures that had been implemented to help mitigate the emission of POPs. The Article 12 
responses submitted for the period 2013–2015 build upon this aspect further.  

Table 8.2 provides an overview of the Member State responses in the Article 12 questions, 
indicating where measures to  identify, characterise, and minimise emissions are in  place. 
The second and third synthesis reports note that it is difficult to comment on the activities 
being  undertaken  by  some  Member  States  due  to  the  lack  of  information  provided.  This 
position is unchanged within the current synthesis report.  

Under  the  Article  12  questions  for  measures  to  identify  and  characterise  emissions,  one 
Member State (Hungary) indicated that these issues were not applicable. It is assumed to 
mean that in this case measures have either already been put in place or that the addition of 
new POPs since 2010 are not relevant for that Member State.  

The  majority  of  Member  States  (Belgium,  Cyprus,  Czechia,  Germany,  Estonia,  Spain, 
Finland,  France,  Croatia,  Ireland,  Luxembourg,  Latvia,  Netherlands,  Romania,  Slovenia, 
Slovakia,  and  the  United  Kingdom)  indicate  that  control  measures  in  place  are  achieved 
through national legislation, to implement the POP Regulation and other relevant EU-wide 
legislation.  

Most  notably,  many  Member  States  (Bulgaria,  Czechia,  Denmark,  Germany,  Hungary, 
Finland, France, Netherlands, Romania Slovenia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) report 
that  emission  reduction  is  achieved  through  setting  emission  limit  values  for  industrial 
installations  following  or  exceeding  the  requirements  of  the  industrial  emission  directive 
(IED), through environmental permits requiring application of best available techniques.  

Other  Member  States  (e.g.,  Latvia,  Romania,  United  Kingdom)  also  reference  the 
implementation  of  the  European  Pollutant  Release  and  Transfer  Register  E-PRTR 
Regulation for identifying and reporting the sources of substances in Annex III, while the 
implementation into national law of the restriction of the use of certain dangerous substances 
in electrical and electronic equipment has also been reported (e.g. Cyprus).  

Some Member States report the use of national legislative measures beyond that of the IED. 
For example, Belgium report new general environmental legislation regarding controlling of 
non-ducted dust emissions, and premarket control of certain raw material in the animal feed 
sector is required for dioxins and PCB. Ireland also reports national legislation addressing 
industrial and waste facilities, beyond the scope of the IED. Sweden reports that, under their 
national law, residents are required to investigate and if necessary, remove the joint-sealing 
compound or flooring compound if it is found to be a PCB-containing product.  

The control measures put in place by some Member States (e.g., Czechia, France, Ireland, 
the  United  Kingdom)  are  reported  to  be  part  of  wider  national  strategies  for  emissions 
reduction. Other Member States have reported specific targeted research on POPs and further 
development  of  action  plans.  For  example,  Finland  and  Latvia  report  the  use  of  research 
programmes (COHIBA) to monitor sources and emissions to air, soil, and surface water, for 
the hazardous substances listed under the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). 

94 

 
 
 
 
 
Table 8.2 

Breakdown of work completed based on Article 12 reports 

Member State 

Measures to Identify 

Measures to 
Characterise 

Measures to 
Minimise 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania** 

Luxembourg 

Hungary* 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

























 

 

 

n/a 

 

 

 

 

 

X 

 

 

 

























 

 

 

n/a 

 

 

 

 

 

X 

 

 

 

























 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*No submission in the current reporting period. ** Based on previous reporting period.  

Sweden has developed and maintained an inventory of contaminated land sites. Sweden also 
reports  that  studies  to  characterise  and  evaluate  the  relative  importance  of  long-range 
atmospheric transport of POPs have been performed. The United Kingdom also reports that 

95 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
further research has been undertaken to characterise sources and factors which may influence 
emissions as the required technical and financial resources become available. The United 
Kingdom maintains an active monitoring network (TOMPs) for airborne concentrations of 
POPs to help verify the success of policy addressing POP emissions.  

The nature  and scale of  monitoring programmes  and inventories varies between Member 
States. The United Kingdom was the only Member State for which a national-level inventory 
has been reported covering all five Stockholm Convention vectors (air, water, land, residue, 
and product).   

In other cases, monitoring efforts are reported to focus on specific vectors, source categories 
or industries. For example, France reports a monitoring programme focussed on discharges 
from  industrial  wastewater  with  an  associated  plan  for  envisaged  reduction  measures.  In 
Belgium, monitoring is often targeted at specific sources (e.g., municipal waste incinerators, 
waste treatment plants, scrap metal plants, tar refineries) and monitoring levels in food and 
animal feed. Similarly, in Sweden, monitoring is focussed on a number of key sectors such 
as  the  ferrous  and  non-ferrous  metal  industry,  the  pulp  and  paper  industry  and  waste 
incineration.  

It  is noted that many of  the Priority Substances  and certain  other pollutants according to 
Annex  II  of  the  Environmental  Quality  Standards  Directive  (2008/105/EC)  are  POPs66. 
Article 5(1) of the Environmental Quality Standards Directive (2008/105/EC) states that “on 
the basis of the information collected in accordance with [the Water Framework Directive] 
and other available data, Member States shall establish an inventory of emissions, discharges 
and losses of all priority substances”. 

As  discussed  in  the  EEA  (2019)  report67,  the  WFD  requires  reporting  of  the  emissions 
inventory for each river basin district, which was required for priority substances for the first 
time in the second cycle of RBMP reporting, i.e., for 2010. Following the recommendations 
of EU Technical Guidance, some countries reported emissions only for substances identified 
as relevant for the river basin. It is also noted that WISE reporting is voluntary and involves 
reporting of emissions by EEA's member countries. Not all countries report to WISE and 
those that do may not report all pollutants. 

The EEA also report68 that Member States have used a variety of approaches to determine 
chemical  status,  with  some  Member  States  using  different  standards  for  chemical  status, 
Member States should have reported chemical status for 2015 using the standards laid out in 
Environmental  Standards  Directive  2008/105/EC,  but  some  reported  it  using  the  stricter 
standards in the 2013 Priority Substances Directive.  

The coverage of substances in monitoring and inventory development also appears to vary 
between  Member  States,  being  largely  dependent  on  the  availability  of  data.  While  data 
appear more readily available for PCBs and dioxins/furans, less data is available for PeCBz. 
One-member  state  (Denmark)  noted  that  the  screening  for  emission  sources  for  PeCBz 
showed that the available data are extremely limited and, in many cases, the reported data 
are based on highly uncertain assumptions. 

A  number  of  additional  measures  are  reported  by  Member  States,  including  the  use  of 
awareness campaigns, targeted towards the general public and industry (see Section 9). For 
example, many Member States note the communication of the risk of dioxins  and furans 

66 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/priority_substances.htm 
67 https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water#tab-publications 
68 https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/european-waters/water-quality-and-water-assessment/water-
assessments/eea-2018-water-assessment 

96 

 
                                           
from combustion of wood in open or uncontrolled fires, woodstoves/boilers) to encourage 
the  appropriate  selection  of  combustion  plants  and  fuel  and  the  effects  of  uncontrolled 
combustion in residential building (e.g. Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Cyprus, Finland, and 
the United Kingdom).  

Other measures reported by member states include: 

  Estonia reported the use of labelling of PCB containing equipment.   

  Cyprus reported the requirement for fireworks to be checked for HCB before being 

placed on the market.   

  Finland noted work to improve companies’ awareness of POPs, their management, 
and obligations concerning their release, as well as implementation of measures to 
reduce traffic related emissions and landfills.  

  The United Kingdom reported that the implementation of measures on waste 
management has altered domestic waste disposal behaviour and publicity has 
helped raised public awareness about good practice in backyard burning which is a 
source of dioxins and furans, PCBs, and HCB.  

97 

 
 
9.  9.  Activities to promote knowledge exchange 

The POP Regulation sees the exchange of knowledge as key to raising awareness, involving 
stakeholder groups (including the general public) and aiding other states to act proactively 
in  order  to  minimise  the  impact  of  POPs.  The  POP  Regulation  addressed  these  points in 
Article 10, as explained in the information box below:  

Article 10 Information exchange:  

10.1. The Commission and the Member States shall facilitate and undertake the exchange within the 
Community and with third countries of information relevant to the reduction, minimisation or 
elimination, where feasible, of the production, use and release of persistent organic pollutants and to 
alternatives to those substances, specifying the risks and the economic and social costs related to such 
alternatives. 

10.2. The Commission and Member States, as appropriate, shall promote and facilitate with regard to 
persistent organic pollutants:  

(a) awareness programmes, including relating to their health and environmental effects and their 
alternatives and on the reduction or elimination of their production, use and release, especially for  

(i) policy and decision makers, 

(ii) particularly vulnerable groups; 

(b) the provision of public information; 

(c) training, including workers, scientists, educators and technical and managerial personnel 

10.3. Without prejudice to Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 
January 2003 on public access to environmental information, information on health and safety of humans 
and the environment shall not be regarded as confidential. The Commission and the Member States that 
exchange other information with a third country shall protect any confidential information as mutually 
agreed. 

  Reporting activities 

Member States are required to implement this provision and promote knowledge exchange, 
public awareness, and training. The information included in this section is based on Member 
States’  reports  for  the  2013-2015  period.  In  addition,  activities  conducted  by  the 
Commission to raise public awareness and knowledge exchange platforms such  as the E-
PRTR are included. 

According  to  Article  12,  the  main  reporting  requirement  for  Member  States  is  an  annual 
report including statistical data on actual or estimated total production and placing on the 
market of substances of Annexes I or II. During the 2013-2015 period, 23 Member States 
have provided at least one annual report: 

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, 
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and the  United Kingdom 
have submitted annual reports for 2013, 2014, and 2015.   

98 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Article 12 Reporting : 

12.1 Member States shall every three years forward to the Commission information on the application of 
this Regulation, including information on infringements and penalties. 

12.2 Member States shall provide the Commission every year with statistical data on the actual or 
estimated total production and placing on the market of any substance listed in Annex I or II. 

12.3. Within three years of the date of entry into force of this Regulation and every three years thereafter, 
Member States shall provide the Commission with: 

(a) summary information compiled from the notifications, concerning stockpiles, received pursuant 
to Article 5(2); 

(b) summary information compiled from the release inventories drawn up pursuant to Article 6(1); 

(c) summary information on the presence of dioxins, furans and PCBs as identified in Annex III in 
the environment, as compiled pursuant to Article 9. 

12.4. As regards the data and information to be provided by Member States pursuant to paragraphs 1, 2 
and 3, the Commission shall develop in advance a common format in accordance with the procedure 
referred to in Article 16(2). 

12.5. Regarding the substances listed in the Convention, the Commission shall, at intervals to be 
determined by the Conference of the Parties of the Convention, compile a report on the basis of the 
information provided by the Member States in accordance with paragraph 2 and communicate it to the 
Secretariat of the Convention 

Five Member States  (Croatia, Lithuania, Spain,  Finland, France, and Slovakia) submitted 
two annual reports during this reporting period. 

Article 12 also requires Member States to submit a triennial report every three years on the 
application of the regulation. The latest triennial report covered the 2013-2015 period and 
was submitted by 22 Member States. 

Four Member States (Greece, Hungary, Italy and Malta) did not submit annual reports or a 
triennial report during this reporting period. The status of information reported and compared 
to the last reporting period is summarised in the Table 9.1 below. 

The 2013-2015 reporting period has a number of reporting gaps with five Member States 
failing  to  report  any  information.  For  comparison,  in  the  previous  two  synthesis  reports, 
covering the periods 2007-2009, and 2010-2012, the number of Member States failing to 
report any information was three and six, respectively.   

The notification procedure was discussed in previous sections. As required by Article 12.3 
Member  States  must  submit  information  to  the  Commission  on  notifications  concerning 
stockpiles, information compiled from the release inventories as described in Article 6(1) 
and information on the presence of dioxins, furans and PCBs as identified in Annex III.  

Article 8 requires Member States to notify the Commission following the update of their 
national  implementation  plans.    As  noted  in  the  previous  section,  eleven  Member  States 
(Belgium,  Croatia,  Czechia,  Cyprus,  Denmark,  Germany,  Hungary,  Lithuania,  Poland, 
Sweden, and the United Kingdom) have submitted updated plans in the current reporting 
period.  

99 

 
 
 
 
 
 
100 

 
 
 
Table 9.1 

Information reported by Member States 

M
S 

2010 
annual 
report 

2011 
annual 
report 

2012 
annual 
report 

2013 
annual 
report  

2010-
2012 
triennia
l report 

2013 
annual 
report 

2014 
annual 
report 

2015 
annual 
report 

2013-
2015 
triennia
l report 

BE 

BG 

CZ 

DK 

DE 

EE 

IE 

EL 

ES 

FR 

HR 

IT 

CY 

LV 

LT 

LU 

HU 

MT 

NL 

AT 

PL 

PT 

RO 

SI 

SK 

FI 

SE 

UK 

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101 

 
 
 
 
Information exchange 

A  total  of  20  Member  States  indicated  that  they  have  established  information  exchange 
mechanisms,  with  14  of  these  providing  further  details  on  those  mechanisms.  This 
information  is  summarised  in  Table  9.2.  This  is  an  increase  from  the  previous  synthesis 
report, with the corresponding numbers in the previous reporting period being 17 and 10, 
respectively. 

Nine Member States (Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, 
Romania, and the United Kingdom) indicated that the information exchange mechanism is 
used for the update of the national implementation plans.  

The Netherlands indicated that public consultation had been undertaken for the drafting and 
updating of the national implementation plan.  

Five  Member  States  (Belgium,  Croatia,  Estonia,  Ireland,  Latvia)  report  that  information 
exchange is facilitated through a national competent authority. Slovakia reported the use of 
a national contact point to facilitate exchange of information.  

Ireland report that a dedicated network for exchange between different authorities has been 
established. Similarly, Czechia report the use of a joint Government department and research 
facility to exchange information. In Belgium, there is also a dedicated committee for data 
exchange to ensure compliance with the requirements of international organisations.  

Denmark,  Finland,  Luxembourg, Spain,  Slovakia, and Sweden indicated that  information 
exchange mechanisms were established but their response did not include details on the type 
of mechanism.   

Table 9.2 

Overview of information exchange mechanisms reported by Member States 

Member State 

Information exchange 
mechanisms 

Comments 

Belgium 

Federal and regional 
cooperation 

Bulgaria 

1. National website 
2. Update of the NIP 

Czechia 

National government 
department and 
research centre  

The federal authorities and the three regions have adopted 
a cooperation agreement on international environmental 
policy. This has led to the creation of a Coordination 
Committee for International Environmental Policy 
(CCIEP). It is responsible for monitoring, collection of 
data to meet international organisations' demands and 
drawing up joint reports. 

Information is exchanged through a website of the 
Ministry of Environment and Water: 
http://www.chemicals.moew.government.bg and the 
updates of the NIP. 

The National Centre for Toxic Compounds is a joint 
establishment of the Ministry of Environment and the 
Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the 
Environment. This is used to provide expert support, 
coordinate national activities related to POPs, and oversee 
implementation of the goals and targets stated within the 
action plans of the National Implementation Plan.  

The activities of the National Centre cover the following 
key areas: 

102 

 
 
 
Member State 

Information exchange 
mechanisms 

Comments 

  Support in implementation of the Stockholm 

Convention on POPs in Czechia  

•    Research and development related to environmental 
contamination by chemicals 

•    Monitoring of persistent organic pollutants and of other 
chemicals  

•    Data management, visualization, interpretation, and 
reporting  

•    Collaboration with industry and others for capacity 
building  

•    Education and awareness raising 

In addition, the National Centre collects and disseminates 
information through the GENASIS portal.  

GENASIS (Global ENvironmental ASsessment 
Information System) provides comprehensive information 
on contamination of the environment by chemicals, 
namely persistent organic pollutants (POPs) 
(https://www.genasis.cz/). 

Germany 

Part of the NIP 

An information exchange mechanism is part of the NIP. 

Ireland 

Competent Authority 
Meetings and Network 
for Environmental 
Compliance and 
Enforcement 

The EPA and Department of Environment, Community 
and Local Government attend EU POPs Competent 
Authority Meetings which are held at least once a year and 
provide an opportunity for information exchange. Other 
exchange mechanisms include meetings, teleconferences, 
and email communications. 

A Network for Ireland’s Environmental Compliance and 
Enforcement (NIECE) provides a useful mechanism for 
information exchange between a number of public 
authorities. The Network harnesses the collective 
resources and expertise available nationally to co-ordinate 
a consistent and more effective approach to the 
enforcement of environmental legislation in Ireland. 

On-going guidance and support, with regards to PCB 
holdings and potential PCB holdings, is provided to 
stakeholders through regular telephone and email contact 
(national email helpdesk pcbs@epa.ie). The provision of 
the online tool via the EDEN website has also made it 
easier for holders to report, track and update their 
holdings. Information received from surveys and returns 
from known PCB holdings are used to update the National 
PCB Inventory. 

France 

Part of the NIP 

An information exchange mechanism is part of the NIP. 

Croatia 

National authority  

The Ministry of Environmental and Nature Protection is 
responsible for exchange of information at national level 
and with the Convention Secretariat. 

103 

 
Member State 

Information exchange 
mechanisms 

Comments 

Cyprus 

National authority 

Latvia 

National Authorities   

Netherlands 

Public consultation  

As part of NIP 

Poland 

Part of updated NIP 

The Department of Labour Inspection within the Ministry 
of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance, is the contact 
point between Cyprus and the European Commission for 
the implementation of Regulation (EC) No. 850/2004 

Responsible institutions implementing national monitoring 
programs publish information on their websites and 
provide an annual information report. 

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional 
Development established (in 2011) a group of the 
ministries and competent authorities involved in the 
management of chemicals to exchange information. 

There was public consultation on the first NIP and the 
second NIP.  

Scientific information published by RIVM on request of 
the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment are 
publicly available, as well as Inspectorate reports and court 
cases dealing with Persistent Organic Pollutants.  

The mechanism for the exchange of information at 
national level is specified in the updated National 
Implementation Plan. 

Romania 

Part of updated NIP 

The mechanism for the exchange of information at 
national level is specified in the updated National 
Implementation Plan. 

Slovenia 

Measures detailed in 
the NIP 

Information exchange mechanism is part of Slovenia’s 
NIP on POPs. 

Slovakia 

National contact point  

United Kingdom    Measures detailed in 

the NIP 

Exchange of information and stakeholder engagement is 
organised by the National Contact Point, a point for 
cooperation with the Stockholm Convention Secretariat 
and the institutions of the European Union. 

The United Kingdom National Implementation Plan 
(2013), comments that information exchange is managed 
in a number of ways, including publication of reports and 
data on the authority (Defra) website, data made available 
through the PRTR and targeted engagement with relevant 
industry sectors. 

104 

 
 
 
 
  Financial and Technical assistance 

Article 11 of the Regulation provides that financial and technical assistance can be provided 
to other Member States and / or third countries with regards to POPs.  

Article 11 - Technical assistance: 

In accordance with Articles 12 and 13 of the Convention, the Commission and the Member States shall 
cooperate in providing appropriate and timely technical and financial assistance to developing countries 
and countries with economies in transition to assist them, upon request and within available resources and 
taking into account their particular needs, to develop and strengthen their capacity to fully implement their 
obligations  under  the  Convention.  Such  support  may  also  be  channelled  through  non-governmental 
organisations. 

Fifteen  Member  States  reported  having  provided  financial  and  /  or  technical  assistance 
during  the  reporting  period  (Belgium,  Czechia,  Denmark,  Germany,  Finland,  France, 
Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Slovakia, and Slovenia). 
This is higher than the number reported in the previous synthesis report (11).  

Of the Member States reporting that they do not provide, financial or technical assistance, 
Estonia  and  Romania  reported  than  they  lack  the  financial  and  administrative  capacity. 
Cyprus reports that they have not received such a request for this purpose.  

Similarly, the United Kingdom reports having had no requests from developing countries, 
but  does  note  that  it  provides  technical  assistance,  principally  by  providing  assistance  to 
developing countries and countries with economies in transition included under the Global 
Environment  Facility  (GEF)  and  United  Kingdom  International  subscriptions  to  the 
Conventions (see below).  

Slovakia reported that it provides technical assistance on the basis of bilateral projects but 
did not conduct any projects on the subject of POPs in the reporting period. 

Bulgaria reports that due to a limited budget, actions are restricted to the implementation of 
the most urgent priority activities set out in the updated Bulgarian NIP. 

The  range  of  technical  and  financial  assistance  reported  by  Member  States  is  important. 
Some of the Member States reported having provided financial assistance through funding 
of the Stockholm Convention, the GEF, and SAICM.  

However,  most  of  the  details  were  provided  on  national  initiatives  and  cooperation 
programmes.  The  reported  objectives  include  building  capacities  and  expertise  in  other 
countries  through  guidance,  training,  and  expert  visits,  improving  monitoring  of  POP 
substances  including sampling  techniques and improving management of hazardous POP 
waste  including  their  destruction.  These  activities  have  been  coordinated  both  by  the 
Stockholm  Convention  Regional  Activity  Centres,  and  by  projects  funded  by  individual 
Member States.  

Several organisations are funded by Member States to provide technical support. The key 
multilateral initiatives reported include: 

Stockholm Convention Trust Fund 

The mandatory contributions provided by each signatory to the Stockholm Convention are 
published  on  the  Convention  web  page69.  An  overview  of  the  reported  mandatory 

69 http://chm.pops.int/TheConvention/FinanceBudget/TrustFund/2015TrustFund/tabid/4320/Default.aspx 

105 

 
 
                                           
contributions of each Member State and of the Union during the reporting period is provided 
in  Table  9.3.  It  is  noted  that  the  EU  Member  States  that  have  ratified  the  Convention 
collectively provided ~44% of the total input to the fund in 2015. This figure rises to ~46% 
when the additional Union contribution ($126,283) is considered.  

Table 9.3 

Annual Financial support provided to the Stockholm Convention Trust 
Fund in the period 2013-2015 (in US$) 

Member State/Union 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Italy* 

Cyprus 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Hungary 

Malta* 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

European Union 

64,469 

2,279 

2,759 

44,138 

480,846 

2,399 

29,865 

41,440 

190,527 

367,201 

5,817 

20,930 

2,279 

3,898 

5,397 

17,451 

62,919 

2,963 

2,963 

42,555 

450,205 

2,522 

26,353 

40,223 

187,433 

352,612 

7,944 

24,335 

2,963 

4,602 

5,107 

16,770 

67,293 

3,169 

3,169 

45,514 

481,502 

2,697 

28,185 

43,019 

200,463 

377,124 

8,496 

26,027 

3,169 

4,922 

5,462 

17,936 

111,246 

104,277 

111,526 

51,035 

49,656 

30,645 

10,615 

6,177 

8,516 

33,943 

63,809 

396,047 

110,127 

50,310 

58,065 

29,883 

14,248 

6,305 

10,781 

32,720 

60,523 

326,511 

118,074 

53,807 

62,101 

31,961 

15,239 

6,743 

11,530 

34,995 

64,731 

349,209 

126,283 

* Member States that had not yet ratified the Stockholm Convention at the reporting period. Malta ratified in 
2017.  

106 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stockholm Convention Special Voluntary Trust Fund 

The voluntary contributions to the budget of the Stockholm Convention are provided to the 
special  voluntary  trust  fund.  Those  contributions  are  published  on  the  Convention  web 
page70. The Union and some Member States are the most important donors to this voluntary 
fund and an overview of the contributions during the reporting period is given in Table 9.4. 
It is noted that the EU together with the Member States are the most important donors to this 
fund. 

Table 9.4 

Annual Financial support provided to the Stockholm Convention Special 
Voluntary Trust Fund in the period 2013-2015 (in US$) 

Contributing Party 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Germany 

France 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Finland 

Sweden 

154,929 

203,804 

53,883 

6,509 

39,267 

13,364 

European Union 

1,318,634 

165,618 

--- 

50,354 

--- 

--- 

13,654 

489,824 

213,580 

5,302 

--- 

--- 

89,235 

54,509 

326,019 

Sum 
2013-2015 

534,127 

209,106 

104,237 

6,509 

128,502 

81,527 

2,134,477 

Multilateral  financing  Global  Environment  Facility  (GEF):  this  is  the  financial 
mechanism of the Stockholm Convention. Table 9.5 (below) presents information reported 
by Member States on financial support provided through the GEF. 

Table 9.5 

Financial support provided to the GEF 

Member 
State 

Year 

Budget 

Comment 

Belgium 

2012 - 

- 

Belgium reported being a donor to the GEF for the implementation 
of the POPs Convention. This is also confirmed in the 2012 NIP 

Denmark  

Ireland  

2014-
2018 

2010-
2013 

2014-
2017 

€57 m 

€5.73 m 

€5.73 m 

Danish  support  to  POP-related  activities  will  primarily  be 
channelled through the GEF. 

Ireland has maintained its level of contribution to the GEF over 
the most recent round of funding (GEF5: 2010-2013 of €5.73m) 
and  was  reported  to  be  meeting  the  funding  pledges  (€5.73m) 
during GEF6 which runs from 2014 to 2017.  

70http://chm.pops.int/TheConvention/FinanceBudget/SpecialVoluntaryTrustFund/2015SpecialVoluntaryTrust
/tabid/4321/Default.aspx 

107 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Member 
State 

Slovenia  

Finland  

Year 

Budget 

Comment 

2013-
2015 

2011-
2015 

- 

Slovenia is a donor to the GEF. 

€57.3 m 

Most of Finland’s financial assistance for the implementation of 
the  Stockholm  Agreement  is  channelled  through  international 
financial  mechanisms  (GEF)  and  institutions  (UNDP).    In  the 
fourth  round  of  funding  (2006-2010)  the  support  amounted  to 
€31.1 million, and in the next round €57.3 million, making Finland 
one of the countries having increased its support most compared 
to the fourth round. 

Sweden  

2014-
2018 

€1.25 m 

Sweden’s  total  funding  for  GEF6  for  the  period  2014-2018  is 
1,335 million SEK. In the period, 8-9 % of the GEFs  funds are 
allocated for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) projects. 

United 
Kingdom 

2013-
2015 

£210 
million  

The United Kingdom’s NIP (2017) notes that the United Kingdom 
is contributing £210 million to the GEF-6 replenishment budget 
of US$4.433 billion. 

Strategic  Approach  to  International  Chemicals  Management  (SAICM)71:  adopted  in 
2006,  SAICM  is  a  policy  framework  aiming  at  fostering  the  sound  management  of 
chemicals.  It  was  developed  by  a  multi-stakeholder  and  multi-sectoral  Preparatory 
Committee and supports the achievement of the goal agreed at the 2002 Johannesburg World 
Summit on Sustainable Development  to  ensure that  by 2020 chemicals  are produced and 
used  in  ways  that  minimise  significant  adverse  impacts  on  the  environment  and  human 
health. The information included in Member States’ reports on SAICM is summarised in 
Table 9.6. 

Table 9.6 

Financial support provided to the SAICM 

Member 
State 

Year 

Budget 

Comment 

Austria  

2013-2015  

- 

Slovenia  

2013-2015  

- 

Sweden  

2006-2015 

75  million 
SEK 

The Federal Ministry for Sustainability supports the Quick 
Start  Programme  of  SAICM  and  the  SAICM  process  to 
enable countries to develop chemicals management systems 
including the implementation of the Stockholm Convention. 

Slovenia  also  reports  contributing  to  the  SAICM/QSP 
Programme.   

Sweden has contributed to the Quick Start Program Trust 
fund  and  the  SAICM/QSP-secretariat  to  support  capacity 
building  and  enabling  activities,  including  POPs-related 
activities,  under  SAICM 
to 
International  Chemicals  Management).  Sweden  has  also 
supported  developing  country  participation  in  Stockholm 
Convention meetings during 2013 and 2015 

(Strategic  Approach 

71 http://www.saicm.org/ 

108 

 
 
 
 
                                           
Funding provided by UN institutions and projects: A range of UN-linked organisations 
are  involved  in  chemical  management  and  POPs.  The  information  reported  by  Member 
States relating to financial support is summarised in Table 9.7 below.   

Table 9.7 

Financial support provided to UN institutions and projects 

Year 

Budget 

Comment 

Member 
State 

UNDP 

Finland 

2013-2015 

0.5% 

Finland has estimated that 0.5% of the UNDP funding is 
supporting the implementation of the Stockholm Convention 

Sweden  

2013-2015 

UNEP 

Sweden  

2013-2015 

The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI) has supported the 
UNDP Case Studies in Partnership Initiative (testing in 
Cambodia and Zambia): Mainstreaming SMC Issues into MDG-
based National Development Planning. 

The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI) supported UNEP in the 
development of the LIRA-Guidance on legal and institutional 
infrastructures for the sound management of chemicals 
(published 2015), including POPs and testing in two countries 
(Nigeria, Uruguay) and the development of the report on cost of 
inaction in the management of chemicals, published in February 
2013 

Beyond  international  cooperation,  Member  States  reported  national  and  bilateral 
cooperation, as summarised in Table 9.8. 

Table 9.8 

Other international cooperation reported by Member States 

Member 
State 

Czechia  

Year 

Description 

2012-2016  Experts from RECETOX between 2010-2014 in collaboration with UNDP, 

UNIDO and NATO built capacities in Armenia, Kazakhstan, and 
Kyrgyzstan. In 2013-2015 intensively and in the long term they cooperated 
with Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; and in the years 2012-
2016 for example, performed short-term training in Armenia, Brazil, 
China, Ghana, South Korea, Malaysia, Mali, Maldives, Seychelles, 
Ukraine, and other countries. 

Denmark  

2004-2008  Denmark contributed €2 million for the comprehensive Africa Stockpiles 

Programme which is implemented by the World Bank and FAO. The 
programme concerns disposal of stocks of POP pesticides and other 
pesticides in a number of African countries.  

Funding has been provided, among other things, for development of a 
GEF-financed “full-size” POPs project in Moldova. 

Denmark provides support through its commitments in NEFCO, Nordic 
Environment Finance Cooperation, projects in Russia, Ukraine and the 
Baltic countries involving among other things, PCB, dioxin, and disposal 
of POP pesticides. 

109 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Member 
State 

Germany  

Year 

Description 

2013-2016  Germany has supported through multiple in-country projects (including 
training and research) the implementation of measures to reduce POPs 
emissions. This includes work in Algeria, Columbia, Chile, and Pakistan.  

Spain  

2013-2015  Spain – Participation in the global workshop on updating NIPs under the 

Stockholm convention. This was in China. 

Croatia  

2014 

In 2014, a Centre of Excellence was established in the Croatian Ministry 
of Foreign and European Affairs. The Centre coordinates all Croatian 
experts willing to share their knowledge and expertise on the European 
integration and accession process with transition countries in the region 
and the wider neighbourhood, including the Southern Mediterranean.  

Poland 

2013-2015  Technical assistance was provided to Armenia and Moldova in the 

following projects co-financed by Poland: 

• Polish Aid 2013: "Chemical management system - approximation of 
national legislation Moldova and its institutions to EU and international 
standards "  

• Polish Aid 2013: "Preparation and implementation of a training cycle for 
specialists in the field of chemicals management and environmental 
protection in Armenia " 

• Polish Aid 2014: "Preparation of the public administration staff of 
Moldova to tasks related to the process of approaching the chemical 
management system to EU and international standards " 

Finland 

2013-2015   Bilateral funding includes annual support to environmental NGOs in 

Finland and 
Russian 
Federation 

Finland, 
Russian 
Federation, 
Sweden, 
Norway, and 
FAO 

Finland and 
Nepal 

developing countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has estimated that 
5% of such funding supports implementation of the Stockholm 
Convention. 

Finland has directly funded a number of bilateral and multilateral projects 
in the Russian Federation which are related to POPs and hazardous waste 
management. These include on-going Arctic Council projects on 
environmentally sound management of obsolete pesticides in Northern 
Russia. 

2012-2014  Finland has also contributed to assessment of environmentally sound 

destruction technologies for hazardous waste in Russia, in co-operation 
with Sweden, Norway and FAO. 

2014 

Finland has funded a bilateral 3-year project to enhance the environmental 
administration in Nepal. The project has a chemicals conventions 
component to build environmental monitoring capacity and improve 
implementation of MEAs in Nepal. 

Finland and 
Zambia 

2014 

In 2014 Finland funded a bilateral project with the environmental 
management authority of Zambia to develop Zambia’s POPs monitoring 
capacity.  

Sweden and 
China 

2014, 2015  During 2014 and 2015, two Swedish agencies organised workshops with 
concerned organisations under the Ministry of Environment of China on 
chemicals control, management of solid waste incl. e-waste and 
contaminated sites.  

In 2015, the Swedish EPA organised also a Chinese study visit to Sweden 
for a GEF-project in China targeting e-waste.  

110 

 
 
Member 
State 

Sweden  

Sweden 

Year 

Description 

2013 
onwards  

The Swedish EPA manages a governmental bilateral cooperation 
programme with strategic countries in the areas of environment and 
climate. 

Funds have been allocated to the Swedish Chemicals Agency, for 
cooperation with a number of countries (China, Vietnam, Indonesia, 
Uruguay, Brazil, and South Africa) on activities related to the 
development of legal frameworks and institutional set-up for chemicals 
management. Within the same programme, the Swedish EPA runs bilateral 
activities with a number of countries (China, India, and Russia etc.) 
focusing on capacity building of the public environmental management, 
pollution prevention and control of industries and waste management. 

Sweden is engaged in a number of Arctic projects within ACAP, including 
an Expert Group on Hazardous Waste and has leader for the Expert Group 
on POPs. 

Sweden  

Ongoing  

Sweden 

2013-2017  The International Training Programme (ITP) arranged by KemI in 

Sweden  

Ongoing  

“Strategies for chemicals management” has supported the development of 
chemicals management capacities and therefore also the aims of 
Stockholm Convention in 43 countries so far (14 in Africa, 13 in Asia, 14 
in Eastern Europe/Central Asia, and 2 in South America). 

KemI in cooperation with FAO, PAN-AP and the Field Alliance supports 
a programme in South East Asia: Towards A Non-Toxic Environment. 
The main objective is to support sound pesticide management by 
development of farming methods and of legislative frameworks.  

Sweden and 
Serbia  

2013-2015   Bilateral cooperation with authorities in Serbia on chemicals risk 

management has been supported. 

  Public awareness, consultation, and training  

9.4.1  9.4.1  Raising awareness to POPs 
Article  10  of  the  POP  Regulation  encourages  Member  States  to  raise  awareness  of  POP 
substances to the wider public in particular for policy and decision makers and particularly 
vulnerable groups. 

The majority of the Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, 
Estonia,  Finland,  France  Germany,  Ireland,  Latvia,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  Poland, 
Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) indicated having 
adopted  measures  to  raise  public  awareness  during  the  2013-2015  reporting  period.  It  is 
noted that, while Cyprus reported having awareness raising measures in place, the detailed 
response  covers  specific  measures  put  in  place  before  the  current  reporting  period  (pre-
2013). A full breakdown of activities reported in Member State’s responses is provided in 
Table 9.9. 

Several  Member  States  (Austria,  Bulgaria,  Czechia,  Germany,  Ireland,  Poland.  Romania, 
Sweden,  Slovakia,  United  Kingdom)  report  that  information  is  provided  to  the  public 
through  websites  operated  by  national  government  departments,  ministries,  or  agencies. 
Furthermore, Sweden and Denmark note the use of dedicated hotlines or information centres, 
which the public can contact for information.  

111 

 
 
 
In  addition,  several  Member  States  (e.g.,  Belgium,  Croatia,  Denmark)  report  awareness 
raising campaigns as part of wider strategies/frameworks for community action. These are 
usually  targeted  at  specific  activities  (e.g.,  use  of  pesticides,  gardening,  egg  production). 
Similarly, Ireland reports the use of a targeted media campaign to raise awareness of issues 
relating to backyard burning and waste oil burning activities.  

Several Member states (e.g., Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Croatia) specifically mention the 
use of leaflets/brochures/newsletters to provide the public with information. 

Five  Member  States  (Bulgaria,  Denmark,  Croatia,  Slovenia,  and  Ireland)  report  the 
organisation of workshops or lectures to help raise awareness in, and bring together, relevant 
stakeholders, e.g., industry, educators, healthcare professionals, researchers, farmers, NGOs 
and highly exposed/vulnerable groups (pregnant woman, children, elderly). 

Six Member States (Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal) did not provide a 
response  to  questions  in  the  current  reporting  period,  and  most  did  not  update  their  NIP 
during this period so the status of their public awareness programmes is not clear.  

However,  Hungary,  in  their  2015  NIP  update,  report  information  exchange  through 
government and industry association websites, as well as information exchange, events, and 
training  organised  by  ‘green’  organisations  play  a  useful  role  by  informing  the  general 
public, conducting training courses, designing, and running information websites as well as 
organising and managing competitions and other public events.  

Finally, some Member States commented within their NIP (Czechia, Ireland, Netherlands) 
that the update of the NIP had given rise to a range of awareness raising events.  

112 

 
 
Table 9.9 

Information reported by Member States on raising public awareness 

Member State  Public 

Commentary 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark  

awareness 
tools used 

Leaflets/brochu
res, and other 
general public 
awareness 
campaigns, 
targeted at 
specific 
activities (e.g., 
use of 
pesticides, 
gardening, egg 
production) 

Government 
websites and 
organisation of 
workshops  

Brussels region – Development of a framework for Community 
action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides information 
campaign to reduce and eliminate the use of pesticides. 

The Flemish 2011-2015 Environmental Policy Plan contains specific 
strategies for dioxins, PAHs, pesticides, and others concerning 
public awareness campaigns. Brochures have been produced 
concerning indoor and outdoor combustion and gardening.  Advice 
is given on the consumption of eggs from home-grown chickens in 
order to prevent an increase in PCB-levels in the blood of citizens. 

The Walloon Region adopted a Pesticide Reduction Program, which 
includes several actions and targets the different users and providers 
of pesticides.  

Actual and updated information on POPs legislation is regularly 
uploaded on the web page of MoEW: 
http://www.moew.government.bg/?show=top&cid=650  

Workshops are held with professionals from industry (at least 2 per 
year); and Control Enforcement Authority (at least 1 per year) on the 
implementation of the updated Bulgarian NIP for POPs and 
enforcement of the POP Regulation  

Update of the 
NIP; 
information 
provided 
through 
websites and 
newsletters 

Measures to promote awareness are part of the updated NIP (2012-
2017). The national body for information exchange regarding POPs 
is National Centre for Toxic Compounds. Detailed information 
about awareness programmes and availability of information to the 
public relating to POPs are available on National Centre website. 
Up-to-date information can be also found in the RECETOX 
newsletter, which is a quarterly newsletter published in Czech, 
English, and Russian.  

Various tools 
used, including 
websites, 
magazines, 
school teaching 
materials, 
conference, and 
meetings.  

The public is provided with information about POPs primarily as 
part of more general information on health and hazardous 
substances. This includes  i) a PCB guide as well as a helpdesk and 
telephone hotline; ii) a public-information magazine published three 
times per year; iii) The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration 
website on dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in food; iv) a number of 
initiatives carried out under DAKOFA, the Danish Competence 
Centre on Waste, in the form of conferences and meetings; v) 
Various teaching materials on the ecotoxicology of PCB, brominated 
flame retardants, and chlorinated solvents and on WEEE and exports 
of hazardous waste; vi) a website funded by a number of 
government agencies and research councils, contains a large number 
of articles on POP-related topics; vii) The Consumer Council, 
funded through the Danish Ministry of the Environment, has an 
independent section focussing on chemicals, providing independent 
information for consumers. 

Germany  

Government 
and agency 
websites, 

There are various example of websites, publications and databases, 
of the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) and on the 
websites of the Federal States providing information on, for example  

113 

 
Member State  Public 

Commentary 

Estonia  

Ireland 

Spain  

France 

awareness 
tools used 

publications, 
and databases 

Different 
publications, 
seminars, and 
websites. 

Updated NIP, 
Government 
and agency 
websites, Media 
campaigns, 
industry 
interaction  

i) General information on the Stockholm Convention and on specific 
POPs e.g. endosulfan, PCB-containing waste and foodstuffs, 
hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), ii) legal issues; iii) emissions; 
iv) deposition; v) Identification of potentially POP-containing 
Wastes and Recyclates; vi) expert discussions on dioxins and PCB 
and on pathways of PCB into beef.  

No further details were provided in the submission  

Awareness raising activities include:  

i) Media campaigns carried out by the EPA on backyard burning and 
waste oil burning highlighting the health and environmental dangers 
of burning waste in fireplaces and stoves. Additionally, the EPA 
hosted an information stand at the Auto Trade Exhibition 2015.   

ii) The updated National Implementation Plan includes provisions 
for consultation and awareness  

iii) The EPA has a dedicated PCB webpage, which provides 
background and detailed information on PCBs and guidance 
documents explaining how to upload information on holdings to the 
EPA PCB online notification tool and a PCB questionnaire to assist 
holders identifying PCB contaminated equipment. 

Update NIP, 
including 
details of 
information, 
awareness, and 
education 
activities  

There are a series of measures in the National Implementation Plan 
related to information and awareness, including, i) education and 
awareness plans for the general public; ii) provision of specific 
information for consumers, users and workers at risk; iii) 
educational material on POPs for vulnerable groups (children, 
pregnant women, highly exposed groups) and health workers; iv) 
awareness-raising programmes to minimise illegal waste burning; v) 
improved awareness of environmental educators through the design 
of informative material, seminars, workshops; vi) education of 
doctors, nurses etc. 

Government 
websites, 
publication of 
information and 
education 
materials, 
information 
through 
Government 
Agencies, 
participation in 
expert groups.  

Information is mainly provided through the website of the Ministry 
of Environment, as well as i) the organisation of events that allow 
dialogue with stakeholders on developments in the regulations, ii) 
publication of leaflets or other information media to inform the 
public of the risks related to chemicals, iii) information provided 
through French agencies (ADEME, ANSES, INERIS, CITEPA), iv) 
participation in several international working groups to share 
information and best practices on POPs management (BAT-BEP 
group, the Toolkit group and the PEN); v) Membership of key 
expert groups including the DDT Expert Group, the  Global Alliance 
for the Development and Deployment of Products, Methods and 
Strategies for the Replacement of DDT in Vector Control and the 
PCB elimination network.  

Croatia  

Government 
website, 
workshops, 
publications, 

A programme for education, awareness raising and informing the 
public is aimed at educating the public about POPs. Activities 
included are: i) A workshop organised by the Ministry of the 
Environmental and Nature Protection, and production of a brochure, 

114 

 
Member State  Public 

Commentary 

awareness 
tools used 

and guidance 
materials, 
produced as 
part of the NIP  

Public 
awareness 
campaigns 
through 
research 
projects  

Latvia 

ii) development of additional publications on POPs management and 
the elimination of waste in a safe and environmentally sound 
manner; ii) Development of guidelines for workers and technical and 
managerial personnel, dissemination of guidelines regarding the 
adverse effects on health and the environment, safe handling, use, 
storage, replacement solutions; iv) Workshop and lectures for all 
target groups which can potentially be exposed. 

Since 2010, three different projects on persistent organic pollutants 
have been implemented in Latvia: LIFE / FIT for REACH, LIFE 
BaltActHaz and HELCOM COHIBA, in which broad public 
awareness campaigns were organised for persistent organic 
pollutants. 

Luxembourg  Activities 

coordinated by 
the national 
government and 
agencies  

In general, with regard to the use of chemicals and biocides, the 
Chemicals and Hazardous Substances Service of the Environment 
Administration engages with the public on the possible risks related 
to the use and disposal of chemicals and exposure to these 
substances.  

Netherlands 

Updated NIP, 
and activities of 
NGOs and 
recycling 
professionals  

As per the National Implementation Plan NGOs and the public are 
already well-informed about national activities on POPs. During 
recent years there has also been exchange of information with the 
branch organisations active in recycling of plastics to increase 
awareness of POPs that may be present in waste. 

Austria  

Poland  

Romania  

Government 
and agency 
websites  

Information on the Stockholm Convention and the EU POP 
Regulation are part of the Ministry’s website. Additionally, the 
Environmental Agency runs a website on environmental 
contaminants and particularly on POPs.  

Government 
department 
websites, and 
research 
institute 
materials  

Activities 
coordinated by 
national 
government 
departments  

Information on applicable provisions are available, among others on 
the websites of the Ministry of the Environment and the Institute of 
Environmental Protection. In the reporting period, information 
materials have been produced on each substance covered by the 
Stockholm Convention and POP Regulation, and materials posted on 
the website of the Ministry of Environment. 

The Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests together with the 
Ministry of Health promotes: a) public awareness campaigns on the 
effects of persistent organic pollutants on health and the 
environment; b) information campaigns for economic operators 
generating emissions of POPs, on how to reduce or eliminate 
production, use and emissions; c) campaigns to inform waste holders 
of waste contaminated with POPs on how to dispose of or recover 
such waste so as to ensure the destruction or irreversible 
transformation of the persistent organic pollutant content. 

Slovenia  

Activities 
coordinated by 
national 
government 

In the period 2013/14 the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) 
organised events on air quality in cooperation with the Slovenian 
National Institute of Public Health and Slovenian municipalities. In 
Slovenia it has been identified that there is a need for certain actions 
in the energy and transport sector. The purpose was to inform the 
wider public and decision makers at the local level. The events 

115 

 
Member State  Public 

Commentary 

awareness 
tools used 

departments 
and agencies  

National 
authority 
websites and 
educational 
activities  

Research 
programmes 
producing 
training and 
education 
materials  

National 
government 
websites, 
information 
provided by 
healthcare 
professionals  

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden  

brought together 27 institutions working in the field of air quality 
including public institutions, agencies, researchers, NGOs, and 
schools (eco-schools and healthy schools). More awareness events 
are needed and many municipalities agreed to be more active in 
taking actions for cleaner air as this is important for the health of 
people, especially children. 

In connection with ensuring awareness of available BAT and BEP 
for POPs for the professional public, the IPKZ information system, 
namely the BAT Registry, was incorporated as a part of the BAT 
and BEP POPs Manual. A guide with a brief guideline is available 
online to the public.   

Awareness raising is included in the provision of public information 
aimed at reducing emissions of Annex III substances. Pathways of 
some hazardous substances to certain food items have also been 
studied under the Baltic Sea Region Programme project FOODWEB 
(Baltic environment, food, and health: from habits to awareness). 
The project organised training and produced educational materials 
promoting consumer awareness of human exposure to hazardous 
substances via food. 

Dietary recommendations on foods (such as fatty fish) that could 
contain elevated levels of POPs or organic mercury, given by the 
National Food Administration (NFA) can be found on the NFA 
website in several languages, and are communicated to Swedish 
newspapers, broadcasters and other media that could disseminate the 
information to Swedish consumers. Furthermore, advice on fish in 
particular, is conveyed to expectant mothers when they attend 
antenatal clinics. Information on the subject is also given in Swedish 
schools.  

Commercial and recreational fishermen and their families have been 
identified as possible risk groups, with a high consumption of 
dioxin-contaminated fish. Within these groups, children, and women 
in their childbearing years in particular should limit their 
consumption.  

Consumers can contact the NFA by telephone, e-mail or post, and 
their questions are answered by a specially created information 
centre. In addition, local and regional authorities often have the 
necessary expertise to communicate with consumers on questions of 
food safety. Exchange of information between food authorities in the 
different European countries often takes place through EU or EFSA 
(European Food Safety Authority) channels. Where rapid 
information is needed, the RASFF system is used.  

United 
Kingdom  

Updated NIP; 
national 
government 
website  

The United Kingdom Government website provides information on 
what the Government is doing to protect the environment in a range 
of areas such as chemicals, air quality, soil and contamination and 
water quality. It includes news on national, EU and international 
chemicals policy, Government position statements, advisory 
committee papers and reports, and developments in research. 

116 

 
 
9.4.2  9.4.2  Public information and consultation activities 
The majority of the Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, 
Estonia,  Finland,  France  Germany,  Ireland,  Latvia,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  Poland, 
Romania,  Slovenia,  Slovakia,  Spain,  Sweden,  and  the  United  Kingdom)  have  reported 
undertaking public information and/or consultation activities during the reporting period. 

A large number of Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, France, 
Germany,  Ireland, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain,  Sweden, and the  United Kingdom) 
indicated that information on POPs  is  provided and regularly updated on  the websites of 
competent authorities. Czechia and Denmark note that national centres are in place, focused 
on disseminating and communicating information on POPs to the public.  

A  number  of  Member  States  (e.g.  Denmark,  Ireland,  United  Kingdom)  report  that 
information is also provided to the public in the form of reports and other publications by 
public authorities, for example, on the results of monitoring or inventories of POPs in the 
environment or in food products.  

Additionally, Belgium, Lithuania and Netherlands have indicated that they conducted public 
consultations as part of the development of National Implementation Plans.   

Some Member States (e.g. Finland) have reported that activities carried out for provision of 
public information are part of wider-scale national programmes and campaigns in chemicals 
management,  which  also  target  POP,  considering  the  impact  on  a  range  of  stakeholders, 
including  consumers,  public  health,  employers’  health  and  safety,  and  the  effects  on  the 
environment during the entire lifecycle of chemicals. Table 9.10 provides a summary of the 
responses provided by Member States. 

Table 9.10 

Information reported by Member States on public information and 
consultation 

Member State 

Public awareness tools used 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Information on POPs is made available nationally through the federal authority 
website.    

In the Flemish Region the results of dioxins and PCB-levels in deposition are 
published via a website. The Flemish government also developed and 
communicated a general blueprint of ‘good practice’ for cultivation of crops and 
eggs in (public) gardens (2015).  The Flemish government also initiated new 
campaigns on awareness raising on outdoor and indoor wood burning.  

In Walloon Region, the framework of its Pesticide Reduction Program has been 
used to disseminate information and awareness documents. The Walloon 
Region has also developed a good practice website and an information 
campaign on wood burning: “La maîtrise du feu”. 

Regularly updated information on POPs is made available on a dedicated web 
page of MoEW. 

The National Centre for toxic compounds is used to disseminate information to 
the public, primarily through the GENASIS portal. Additionally, a public 
information newsletter is produced by RECETOX. 

The public is provided information about POPs primarily as part of more 
general information on health and hazardous substances. This includes  i) a PCB 
guide as well as a helpdesk and telephone hotline; ii) a public-information 
magazine published three times per year; iii) The Danish Veterinary and Food 
Administration website on dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in food; iv) a number 

117 

 
 
Member State 

Public awareness tools used 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Cyprus 

of initiatives carried out under DAKOFA, the Danish Competence Centre on 
Waste, in the form of conferences and meetings; v) Various teaching materials 
on the ecotoxicology of PCB, brominated flame retardants, and chlorinated 
solvents and on WEEE and exports of hazardous waste; vi) a website funded by 
a number of government agencies and research councils, contains a large 
number of articles on POP-related topics; vii) The Consumer Council, funded 
through the Danish Ministry of the Environment, has an independent section 
focussing on chemicals, providing independent information for consumers. 

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor 
Safety and the Federal Environment Agency publish information on the Internet 
for interested of the public about new resolutions and developments under the 
POPs-issue and POP–Protocol of the UNECE and the Stockholm Convention.  

The Environmental Agency, Ministry of the Environment, and Environmental 
Board all provide public facing websites which include sections on POPs. In 
particular this includes a webpage on illegal burning of waste and its risks. 
There has also been media campaigns on the same issue.  

The EPA and the Department of Environment, Community and Local 
Government has established a dedicated POPs webpage which informs the 
public about, for example, POPs, the POP Regulation, and Ireland’s National 
Implementation Plan consultation: www.pops.ie 

The EPA publishes annual reports detailing the work that was carried out under 
the National Waste Prevention Programme which includes work undertaken in 
relation to POPs.  

Between 2013 and 2014 the National PCB Inventory team provided PCB 
training workshops 

Ireland has a dedicated website for information on Pollutant Release and 
Transfer Register.  

The FSAI regularly publishes food related studies including studies related to 
POPs and the Marine Institute publishes reports relating to the monitoring for 
contaminants in the marine environment including POPs. 

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine publishes reports on 
pesticide residues in food including results of certain POP pesticides detected. 

There is a section on "Chemical products" on the website of the Ministry of 
Environment, which covers POPs. Within the section on Waste management 
and prevention, there are also chapters on PCBs.  

Spain has provided a series of activities/workshops/conferences prepared as part 
of the measures for awareness-raising and information contained in the NIP. 
This included four activities held in Madrid (2 high schools, 1 town hall, the 
Faculty of environmental Sciences of the University of Alcalá de Henares) 
during 2015. 

Information is mainly provided through the website of the Ministry of 
Environment, as well as i) the organisation of events with stakeholders on the 
developments to the regulation, ii) publication of leaflets to inform the public of 
the risks related to chemicals, iii) information provided through French agencies 
(ADEME, ANSES, INERIS, CITEPA),  

Measures to promote and facilitate awareness of general public have been taken, 
this includes regular updates to the dedicated webpage on POPs hosted by the 
MoEW 

Information is provided through the web page of the Department of Labour 
Inspection which includes details about the National Implementation Plan and 
also information about eliminating POPs emissions from uncontrolled 

118 

 
 
Member State 

Public awareness tools used 

Latvia 

combustion. In addition, a leaflet was published to provide this information to 
the public.  

Latvia has published key information on POPs via its national website. This 
includes information, for certain target groups, such as the safety of the working 
environment.http://www.vi.gov.lv/lv/vides-veseliba/vides-drosiba/videsriska-
faktori/noturigu-organisku-piesarnotaju-ietekme-uz-cilveka-veselibu). 

Luxembourg 

The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructures has published a 
number of key references for the public. This includes: 

 

 

information on the results of air quality measurement networks; and 

information on the situation regarding PCB contaminated equipment; 
and 

In addition, the public website includes information on inventories and 
emissions covered by the Stockholm Convention. 

Netherlands 

The National Implementation Plan is publicly available online  

Poland 

The following publications and data are available free of charge to the general 
public via the Internet: 

Romania 

Slovenia  

Slovakia 

Finland 

  Annual reports on the state of the environment for EACH individual 
geographic region, including monitoring data for POPs in air, water, 
and sediment and information on environmental programs and 
activities carried out 

  Report of the Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection Air 

pollution - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Poland in 2014  

  Publications by the Trace Analysis Laboratory of the Cracow 

University of Technology concerning dioxins, furans, and PCBs 

  Basic data on the emission of POPs to air 

  The Ministry of the Environment website containing materials 

regarding POPs 

  National Register of Pollution Release and Transfer: www.prtr-

portal.gios.gov.pl,  

All relevant information on persistent organic pollutants is published on the 
website of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests  

 

Information on POPs is transferred to the public via web pages  

  Public seminars on POPs have been organised, including presentation 

of POPs projects and as well as flyers, brochures and posters 
explaining the issue of POPs. On the MoE SR site there is also a link to 
the issue of POPs (POPs management). 

A dedicated POPs website contains updated information on activities related to 
persistent organic pollutants. The National Action Plan also includes several 
actions to promote awareness and reduce emissions (for instance, wood burning 
guidance to reduce PAH/PCDD/PCDF formation). Many of these activities are 
implemented at the municipal level. 

In addition, Finland has developed a National Programme on Dangerous 
Chemicals (KELO Kansallinen kemikaaliohjelma). This has included several 
programmes and campaigns in chemicals management, also targeting POPs. 
The programme considers the effects on consumers, public health, employers’ 
health and safety, and the effects on the environment during the entire lifecycle 
of chemicals. 

119 

 
 
 
Member State 

Public awareness tools used 

Sweden 

The websites of the Swedish Chemicals agency (KemI) and the Swedish EPA 
are continuously updated to provide relevant information on activities in the 
area of chemicals management with significant amounts of data on chemicals in 
both Swedish and English. KemI regularly produce information, both on its 
website and in leaflet form and as newsletters, about the roles and 
responsibilities of different stakeholders, e.g., manufacturers and importers, 
downstream users and regional and local supervisory authorities, with regard to 
sound management of chemicals. POPs management is an integral part of 
national chemicals management.  

KemI regularly invites representatives for industrial branches, environmental 
organisations, and the research sector to inform them about relevant 
developments on POPs. 

United Kingdom  

The UK manages dissemination on POPs information through the use of several 
websites: 

The main United Kingdom authority (Defra) hosts a wide variety of 
published reports and information on POPs which is publicaly available. 

The United Kingdom’s National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory 
(NAEI) provides inventory data for POPs. 

The United Kingdom’s National Air Quality Information Archive 
provides data on United Kingdom monitoring of POPs. 

The Environment Agencies of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern 
Ireland all provide information on POPs 

The United Kingdom hosts a national PRTR website with reported 
emission data on POPs.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.4.3  9.4.3  Training  
Most Member States (Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, 
Ireland,  Latvia,  Luxembourg,  Poland,  Romania,  Sweden,  Slovenia,  Slovakia,  and  United 
Kingdom) indicate that training activities are in place. This is notably higher than the number 
of Member States in the previous reporting period (2010-2012).  

Cyprus has indicated that training activities were in place but provided details of activities 
during previous reporting periods. Similarly, Lithuania did not provide a response to this 
question in their survey response; their response in the previous synthesis report included a 
description  of  the  current  training  programme  for  the  management  of  PCBs  and 
unintentional POPs. 

Denmark report that there has been no demand from any stakeholder groups nationally for 
this type of activity, so  no training activities have been carried out.  Austria and Belgium 
indicate that no training activities have been conducted but do not provide an explanation  

Six Member States (Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, and Portugal) did not provide 
a response to questions in the current reporting period, and most did not update their NIP 
during this period so the status of their training activities is not clear. 

The information reported by Member States is summarised in the Table 9.11 below. 

120 

 
 
 
 
Table 9.11 

Information reported by Member States on training 

Member State 

Comments 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Germany 

Estonia  

Ireland 

Spain 

Between 2013-2015 the MOEW hosted three workshops for experts on the 
implementation of the Bulgarian NIP for POPs. This included particular 
attention to newly added POPs under the Stockholm Convention and POP 
Regulation.  

The National Centre regularly organises training workshops with information 
on these activities disseminated by members of the National Centre Council. 
Activities include: 

An International summer school and regular university courses on Technology 
and Tools for Environmental Protection, carried out at the Masaryk. 

The international summer school at RECETOX - an intensive six-day training 
program supporting implementation of the Stockholm Convention in particular. 
Since 2005 more than 500 experts/participants from 78 countries received such 
a training. 

Additional training completed in cooperation with the RECETOX Research 
Infrastructure. – Since 2010 this has been included in the Czech Roadmap of 
Large Infrastructures for Research, Development and Innovation endorsed by 
the Czech Government. 

DE report that law enforcement authorities are catching up and enhancing their 
knowledge on questions and problems in implementation of POPs legislation by 
regular conferences. The objective of these conferences is to provide authorities 
with expertise for law enforcement and to exchange experience of specific 
knowledge and general information between authorities and enterprises. 

Specific authorities are responsible for communication of knowledge on POPs 
to the German Federal States (Länder). These specific authorities are organising 
meetings to discuss, develop and communicate guidance for enforcement of 
POP requirements. Target groups of these meetings are: 

personnel of law enforcement authorities for waste-, emission control- and 
water licensing procedures, 

employees from research and scientific institutions, 

other target groups from enterprises. 

No information identified on training. 

 The Irish authorities have undertaken awareness and training activities with key 
stakeholders carried out in support of the National PCB Inventory, including the 
provision of training, engagement with key stakeholders and general assistance 
in relation to PCB management  

Within its National Implementation Plan, Spain highlights three activities held 
in Madrid and Santander during 2015 (courses, NIP implementation monitoring 
by the Confederation of Industries, awareness-raising activities in a hospital). 

France 

FR report the following activities are in place: 

The organisation of events that allow dialogue with stakeholders on the 
developments in the regulations.  

Participation in several international working groups to share information and 
best practices on POPs management (BAT-BEP group, the Toolkit group, and 
the PEN). 

 France, represented by the ministry in charge of the environment, is also a 
member of the PCB elimination network. Created in 2009, this collaborative 

121 

 
 
 
Member State 

Comments 

Croatia 

Latvia  

structure is dedicated to promoting and exchanging information for the 
environmentally sound management of PCBs, a goal to be achieved by 2028. 

Croatia identified the importance of training with its National Implementation 
Plan. This included plans for workshops and expert panels with particular focus 
on vulnerable groups. 

Latvia has conducted regular training sessions for regulatory bodies and 
regional authorities (such as inspectors) on the safe management of chemicals, 
including POPs. 

Additionally, as part of Latvia’s commitments to sustainable development major 
research projects have been funded on POPs. Such projects also include the 
need for training and dissemination of information to others. For the 2013-2015 
period this has included training for competent authorities’ personnel, 
laboratories and companies from different sectors (e.g., waste management).  

Luxembourg  

LU report the following activities are in place:  

The Environmental Administration and "SuperDrecksKëscht" organise training 
courses for environmental delegates or / and managers of waste management in 
companies. Participants are trained on current legislation and have training in 
prevention and treatment techniques, proper waste management, such as 
transportation, recycling, or proper disposal. 

The National School of the Fire and Rescue Service and the Administration of 
the rescue services provide in their training programs regarding the regulatory 
framework, risks of use, management, and proper disposal of fire-fighting 
foams 

The Grand-Ducal Regulation of 7 October 2014 on Combustion Plants provides 
for limit values for certain atmospheric pollutants, in particular for reducing 
emissions of PAHs, for periodic inspection of combustion plants, continued 
training 

NL report that training is arranged through the legislation of specific substances 
(e.g., PCBs) and through licences. The industry involved in the destruction of 
POPs is well aware of the necessity to train their personnel in handling these 
substances. 

Netherlands 

Poland 

Poland reports that a range of different training activities on POPs have been 
undertaken in the 2013-2015 period: 

Maritime Fisheries Institute: Conducted research on the Baltic environment 
with dissemination sessions on the key findings for sustainability. 

Polish toxicology society: workshops for over 60 delegates were held to discuss 
the topic of POPs in 2015. 

Office for Chemical substances: Hosted training at Lodz university on emission 
of POPs to the environment. 

No further information provided 

There is provision that every adviser for chemicals should pass the exam on 
chemical legislation. POPs content is a part of this educational programme. 
During the reporting period more than 300 advisers for chemicals were 
educated about POPs.  

The Slovak Republic has organised a series of seminars on POPs to support 
successful management of chemicals. This had focus on obsolete pesticides. 

Romania 

Slovenia  

Slovakia  

122 

 
 
 
 
Member State 

Comments 

Finland 

Sweden 

The FOODWEB project (covering the Baltic environment) organised training 
and produced educational materials promoting the consumers awareness on 
human exposure to hazardous substances, including POPs, via food. 

SE report that, the curriculum in all levels of the educational system includes 
the provision of basic information about chemicals including when relevant the 
specific problems with POPs.  

The web-based tool PRIO has been developed and maintained by the Swedish 
Chemicals Agency, to facilitate in the risk assessment so that people who work 
as environmental managers, purchasers and product developers can identify the 
need for risk reduction. To achieve this PRIO provides a guide for decision-
making that can be used in setting risk reduction priorities. The target groups for 
PRIO are primarily Swedish actors but also include chemical suppliers to 
Sweden in other countries. PRIO also provides a source of knowledge for 
environmental and health inspectors, environmental auditors, risk analysts and 
those who in some other way can influence the use and handling of chemicals. 

United Kingdom 

United Kingdom refer to measures taken outlined in section 7.1 and 7.2 of its 
2012 NIP 

123 

 
 
 
 
 
 
10.  10.  Dissuasive measures: Law infringements and 

penalties 

The  POP  Regulation  sets  in  place  a  number  of  specific  requirements  and  obligations  for 
Member States to control the production, placing on the market and use of POP chemicals 
and articles that may contain POP chemicals. Through the national implementation plans 
and action plans it also requires Member States to be proactive in the management of national 
priorities on POPs. Enforcement is key to ensuring that the obligations of the regulation are 
met. Article 13 of the POP Regulation covers enforcement. Details of Article 13 are provided 
within the information box below: 

Article 13 of the POP Regulation states that: 

Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of this 
Regulation and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented. The penalties 
provided for must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. Member States shall notify those provisions 
to the Commission one year after entry into force of this Regulation at the latest and shall notify it 
without delay of any subsequent amendment affecting them. 

All  the  Member  States  that  provided  Article  12  reports  have  adopted  rules  on  penalties 
related to Articles 3, 5 and 7 of the Regulation. All Member States reported having adopted 
specific  legislation,  with  the  exception  of  Poland.  Poland  has  not  adopted  the  POP 
Regulation directly, but it has in place national legislation which covers all the provisions of 
the POP Regulation, including mechanisms for enforcement and penalties for breach of the 
national legislation.  

Within the Member States the task of enforcing the POP Regulation has largely been tasked 
to the environmental agencies and regional inspectorates with a duty to report back to their 
respective  Ministries  of  the  Environment,  Agriculture  or  Health.  The  environmental 
agencies and inspectorates in charge of ensuring the enforcement of the penalties in cases of 
infringements of the provisions of the POP Regulation, typically ensure compliance through 
an inspection regime.  

Four Member States have reported having initiated some form of infringement procedures 
in the 2013-2015 period, including: 

  Belgium reported initiating a number of infringement procedures and investigations. 
For instance, in 2013, actions were focused on HCB in fireworks  and 15 samples 
were analysed. HCB was found in 2 samples and as a result 1 report and 1 warning 
were issued. In 2014, actions were focused on PFOS in firefighting foams and 12 
samples were analysed. However, PFOS was not found in any samples. Finally, in 
2015,  actions  were  focused  on  the  presence  of  SCCP  in  Christmas  lights.  Ten 
samples in total were analysed and SCCPs were found in 4 samples.  No penalty has 
been initiated as a result. 

  Bulgaria acknowledged the fact that infringements had occurred but did not provide 

further details. 

  The  Netherlands  mention  that  a  report  published  in  2012  “Jaarrapportage 
Handhaving REACH en EU-GHS 2012” mentions that procedures have been started 
against two companies that still had PFOS in their fire extinguishing installation. In 
the  case  of  HCB  in  fireworks,  research  carried  out  under  CLEEN  (Chemical 

124 

 
 
Legislation  European  Enforcement  Network),  led  to  enforcement  activities.  In 
addition, they also mention two enforcement cases specifically:  

o  a. Dioxin emissions from an incinerator (Reststoffen Energie Centrale, REC) 
in Harlingen, exceeded the permit limits. A penalty was imposed requesting 
the company to solve the problems of the dioxin emissions within two months 
(April 2016). The information provided indicates that measures to reduce the 
emissions have been taken. However, the case is not yet closed. The dioxin 
emissions led to questions in the Dutch Parliament referring to the Stockholm 
Convention. 

o  b. In 2015, Bin2Barrel Amsterdam BV, a plastic to oil company, requested a 
permit  for a plant transferring plastics into oil by  means of pyrolysis.  The 
Dutch Inspectorate ILT advised (in September 2015) on a number of items to 
be incorporated into the permit to safeguard man and the environment. The 
permit  was  granted,  but  without  the  recommendations  of  the  Inspectorate. 
The Noord Holland court was approached by the Inspectorate in December 
2015  in  order  to  cancel  the  permit.  The  points  raised  by  the  Inspectorate 
included that only non-hazardous wastes were allowed to be treated and that 
some  of  the  plastics  considered  may  contain  brominated  flame  retardants 
included  in  the  EU  POP  Regulation.  The  inspectorate  indicated  that  the 
minimum  standard  for  treatment  of  such  wastes  are  incinerators  provided 
with emission filters. The case has not yet been closed. 

  Sweden indicated that nine companies were reported in 2013 to the prosecutor due 
to SCCP content in plastic toys that they had placed on the market. No penalty had 
been set. In addition, during market surveillance in 2014 and 2015, SCCPs or HCB 
were detected in concentration above the limit values in 5 toys, 1 childcare article, 1 
pair of exercise gloves, 17 plastic bags, 12 electric products, 4 bathroom articles, 2 
items  of  sport  equipment,  1  item  of  garden  equipment,  and  1  office  article. 
Furthermore, one set of fireworks tested contained HCB. All companies placing these 
products on the market were reported to the environmental prosecutor. The products 
have been voluntarily withdrawn from the market by the companies and no penalties 
have been reported by Sweden. In combination with the control, all the companies 
received information on the POP Regulation.  

Spain also reported that in 1989, a company called Inquinosa was involved in disciplinary 
proceedings  with  the  Regional  Government  of  Aragón,  which  prohibited  them  from 
generating waste. Company operators are insolvent, the company has lost all appeals and the 
government is starting to register in the Land Registry the amounts (costs) resulting from 
cleaning up the installations, which are now abandoned. Soils from those installations were 
declared contaminated with lindane. However, company operators did not clean up the site 
and the government had to publish the information that it was contaminated in the Official 
Gazette. The clean-up plan is under design and, once finished, it will be submitted to the 
interested parties for its execution. It is estimated that €550m and 25 years will be necessary 
to destroy the waste and clean-up the soil from the 3 installations located on the site. 

125 

 
 
 
Table 10.1 

Information reported by Member States on penalties and infringements 

Member State 

Information on the 
types of penalties 

Details on the infringement’s 
procedure 

Infringements 
during the 
reporting period 
Yes 

Yes 

No information 
provided 

Procedure is detailed in the 
regions' legislation 

Infringement procedure is enforced 
through inspection regime. This 
included 206 inspections during 
2013-2015 and inconsistencies 
were followed up with action by 
the necessary companies. 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Penalties that can be 
imposed vary from 
10,000 BGN to 
100,000 BGN (€5,000 
to €50,000).  

Legislation stating the 
type, amount, and 
procedure for imposing 
sanctions in case of 
environmental 
damages or pollution 
exceeding the limit 
values and/or in case 
of failure to comply 
with the fixed emission 
limit values and 
limitations is in force 
since 2011. 

The highest possible 
penalty for illegal 
POPs waste 
management that may 
be imposed is 
50,000,000 CZK 
(approx. €1,850,140). 
Offenses by the 
manufacturer, importer 
or downstream user 
can initiate a fine of up 
to 3,000,000 CZK 
(approx. €110 000). 

Procedure is detailed in the 
legislation 

No 

Denmark 

No information 
provided 

Germany 

The highest possible 
penalty for illegal 
placing on the market 
of POPs is two years in 
prison or a fine. The 
enforcement of the 
measures follows the 
details set down in the 
EU POP Regulation. 

If infringements of the POP 
Regulation are reported and no 
action taken to improve the 
legislation dictates that the 
infringement is passed over to the 
police. 

Procedure is detailed in the 
legislation including regular 
control activities and appropriate 
infringement procedures initiated 
where necessary 

Ireland 

Fines of up to €5,000 
and/or up to 12 months 
imprisonment.  

The appropriate authorities 
typically enforce the regulations 
through an inspection regime. 

No 

No 

No 

126 

 
Member State 

Information on the 
types of penalties 

Details on the infringement’s 
procedure 

Infringements 
during the 
reporting period 

Fines for intentional 
criminal activity of up 
to €500,000 and/or up 
to 3 years 
imprisonment 

Additional enforcement powers are 
assigned to the EPA and a number 
of public authorities in Persistent 
Organic Pollutants Regulations 
2010. 

No information provided 

No (see paragraph 
before this table) 

Coordinated enforcement strategy 
involving several ministries and 
agencies. In 2012, actions were 
focused on PAHs, PCB, and 
dioxins.   

Enforcement is managed through 
annual inspection and control plan 
regimes for companies that hold 
environmental permits 

No 

No 

Infringement procedure is enforced 
through a regular inspection 
regime to check compliance with 
the necessary laws. 

No 

Spain 

France 

Croatia 

Cyprus 

The enforcement of the 
measures follows the 
details set down in the 
EU POP Regulation 
and other additional 
laws. 

Penalties vary from 
fines (maximum 
amount is €15,000, or 
daily payments of up 
to €1,500 until 
infraction is corrected) 
to two years 
imprisonment if 
criminal intent can be 
demonstrated. 

Penalties can be 
imposed on companies 
(up to a maximum of 
€13,500) for 
infringements such as 
placing of substances 
on the market or 
inappropriate disposal 
of waste or failing to 
notify the state on the 
use of substances listed 
in Annex I or 
Appendix II. 
Responsible persons or 
business owners can be 
fined up to €7000 for 
committing the same/ 
similar infringements. 

The highest penalties 
are for infringement of 
article 5.1, with fines 
up to €500,000 and 
imprisonment up to 
three years. Additional 
penalties are in place 
for production and 
placing on the market 
(max €20,000- or two-
years imprisonment); 
exceeding industrial 
emission limits (max 
€34,172 or two years 
imprisonment). 

127 

 
 
Member State 

Information on the 
types of penalties 

Details on the infringement’s 
procedure 

Infringements 
during the 
reporting period 
No 

State environmental service and 
health inspectorate provide 
monitoring and any violations are 
enforced by Latvian 
Administrative violation code or 
criminal law. 

Latvia 

Luxembourg 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Poland 

Romania 

Slovenia 

In the event of a 
regulatory violation, 
penalties are applied 
according to the 
amount of 
environmental damage 
caused. This is 
enforced by Latvian 
Law and the fine for an 
administrative 
violation can be up to a 
value of €2,900 or 
criminal punishment 
can results of a 
maximum 4 years 
imprisonment. 

The enforcement of the 
measures follows the 
details set down in the 
EU POP Regulation. 

Procedure is detailed in 
the legislation and in 
the 2006 NIP 

enforcement is through 
fines, or imprisonment. 
Penalties/cash fines are 
imposed per kg of 
substance exceeding 
permit limits. A 
maximum fine of 
approximately €24,000 
is enforceable in cases 
where illegal products 
are placed on the 
market for consumers. 

The penalties follow 
the details set down in 
the EU POP 
Regulation. 

The penalties follow 
the details set down in 
the EU POP 
Regulation. There are 
also penal provisions 
regarding PCB 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Procedure follows that set down in 
the EU POP Regulation. 

Procedure is detailed in the 
legislation 

Legislation is in place detailing 
infringements and penalties. 
Enforcement is managed through 
inspection regimes for monitoring 
as part of the State program. 

Enforcement is managed through 
annual inspection by the National 
Environmental Guards 
Commissioners. This includes 
checking compliance with the 
provisions of Regulation. 
Procedure is further detailed in the 
legislation 

Enforcement and infringements are 
managed through the Inspectorate 

No 

128 

 
 
 
 
Member State 

Information on the 
types of penalties 

Details on the infringement’s 
procedure 

Infringements 
during the 
reporting period 

Slovakia 

Finland 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

equipment and PCB 
waste. 

The enforcement of the 
measures follows the 
details set down in the 
EU POP Regulation. 

No information 
provided. Legislation 
is in place detailing 
infringements and 
penalties. 

Supervisory authorities 
can issue an injunction 
with or without a fine. 
The applicable 
sanctions for private 
individuals include 
fines (set on the basis 
of the personal 
income) or 
imprisonment up to 
two years. 

Companies can be 
required to pay a 
company charge of 
€500 up to €1,000,000. 
An environmental 
penalty charge must be 
paid by business 
operators who in the 
conduct of commercial 
operations neglect 
specific requirements 
included in the 
environmental 
legislation. The charge 
is founded on strict 
liability.  

The enforcement of the 
measures follows the 
details set down in the 
EU POP Regulation. 

No 

No 

Yes  

The relevant inspection body is the 
Slovak Inspection of the 
environment (SIŽP). Sanctions 
shall be imposed for a breach of 
the provisions of the Regulation. 
The highest sanction is granted by 
law on the basis of the seriousness 
of the offense. 

Enforcement is managed through 
inspection regimes for operators 
related to the environmental 
permitting procedure. 

The Swedish Chemicals Agency 
and the Swedish Environmental 
Protection Agency are responsible 
for enforcement. The Swedish 
Chemicals Agency conducts 
market surveillance activities. 
Fireworks, carpets, sports apparel, 
toys, plastic bags, bathroom 
articles, electric appliances and 
textiles have been identified as 
relevant for POPs-related 
surveillance. 

No 

Competent authorities for each of 
the administrations enforce the 
regulation (Environment Agency, 
Natural Resources Wales, the 
Department of the Environment in 
Northern Ireland, and the Scottish 
Environment Protection Agency 
(SEPA) in Scotland). 

129 

 
 
 
11.  11.  Concluding remarks and recommendations 

This section aims to present an overview of the preceding sections, covering the management 
of  POPs  substances  by  Member  States;  the  emission  inventories  and  environmental 
concentrations  of  POPs  across  the  EU;  the  work  on  information  exchange  and  public 
involvement  and  planning  by  Member  States.  It  also  provides  an  analysis  of  existing 
weaknesses and potential improvements to help provide greater clarity in, and better use of, 
the data submitted by the Member States in future rounds of reporting under Article 12. A 
short  summary  report  accompanies  this  report  to  present  the  overall  findings  of  this 
document in an abridged format for quick reading. This summary section is not intended to 
replace  the  short  summary  document  but  to  provide  a  natural  conclusion  to  the  details 
already presented in the earlier chapters. 

  Management of POPs substances 

The management of POP substances covers multiple elements of their life cycle. It includes 
the production, placing  on the market,  and use  of chemicals,  as well  as the stockpiles of 
obsolete goods, waste management issues and enforcement of the POP Regulation. 

Based  on  the  reports  of  the  Member  States,  enforcement  of  the  POP  Regulation  is  the 
responsibility of environmental agencies or inspectorates who manage the inspection regime 
and reporting back to their respective Ministries of the Environment, Agriculture or Health.  

Information provided by the Member States illustrated no known legal production of any 
Annex I substance between 2013 and 2015 in the EU. For Annex II substances, continued 
production and placing on the market of PFOS (at around nine tonnes per annum) still takes 
place, primarily for use as a mist suppressant in chrome plating. Compared to the previous 
synthesis report, rates of manufacture have remained relatively constant over the 2010-2015 
period.  The  Article  12  reporting  shows  that,  despite  declining  rates  of  export  to  non-EU 
countries  for  2013-2015,  the  quantities  of  PFOS  being  manufactured  in  the  EU  have 
remained relatively stable, with increasing internal use offsetting declines in exports.  

A small number of Member States made use of the Article 4 provisions for use of named 
substances within research and development. Small quantities of POP substances were also 
imported to and exported from the EU, mainly for research and calibration purposes and use 
within a laboratory setting. Those imported POP substances tend to be within pre-existing 
laboratory preparations. 

Four  Member  states  have  brought  infringement  proceedings  for  the  illegal  sale  of  POP 
substances  within  the  EU.  This  included  the  presence  of  HCB  in  imported  fireworks  (an 
issue that was also raised in the previous synthesis report), and the presence of SCCPs within 
children’s toys. 

For the 2013-2015 reporting period, Member States reported mainly on stockpiles of PCBs 
in  di-electric  equipment  and  on  PFOS  in  fire-fighting  foams  and  for  surface  finishing. 
Several  Member  States  reported  a  downward  trend  over  time  in  stockpiles  of  PCB-
containing  equipment  with  a  number  of  countries  estimating  that  less  than  10%  of  1990 
quantities were still in use as of 2015. This reflects the efforts being made to remove and 
destroy  remaining  stocks  of  PCBs  within  di-electric  equipment.  Other  Member  States 
highlighted that the phase-out of PCBs from di-electric equipment was at an earlier stage, 
while still others highlighted a lack of capacity within the waste incineration sector given 
the high temperatures required to destroy PCBs.  

130 

 
However, while good progress has been made on the closed sources of PCB (di-electric) less 
information  was  provided  on  the  open  sources  (paints,  and  sealants)  with  the  quantity  in 
existence largely unknown. Further efforts are needed to get more information on those open 
sources, including the dimension of those sources, which would be the basis for any actions 
to eliminate these sources of emissions. 

Four Member States reported stockpiles of PFOS in their triannual reports (covering 2013-
2015). This mainly related to fire-fighting foams containing PFOS and the use of PFOS in 
surface  finishing  processes  (chromium  plating).  Most  Member  States  expect  that  the 
quantities will decrease over the coming years given that alternatives are available. However, 
successive  meetings  of  the  UNEP  POP  review  committee  for  both  PFOS  and  the  related 
fluorinated  compound  PFOA  have  highlighted  the  significance  of  fire-fighting  foams  in 
terms of direct release to the environment (during use). The article 12 reports suggest that 
for  many  Member  States,  detailed  inventory  information  on  quantities  and  locations  of 
PFOS-based fire-fighting foams do not exist. It is also unknown what total EU quantities of 
PFOS based fire-fighting foam may exist in stockpiles.  

While the Member State reports submitted for the 2013-2015 period do identify stocks of 
industrial chemicals (primarily PFOS and PCBs), no stockpiles of obsolete pesticides were 
reported by the Member States for this period. For comparison, for the period 2010-2012, 
four  Member  States  reported  having  stockpiles  of  obsolete  pesticides,  i.e.,  Bulgaria, 
Hungary,  Lithuania  and  the  United  Kingdom.  The  information  from  the  national 
implementation plans confirms that these stockpiles have now been destroyed.  

Based on the information provided by Member States, management of waste stockpiles for 
final  destruction  /  irreversible  transformation  in  the  period  2013-2015  was  dominated  by 
PCBs  within  the  heat  transfer  fluids  of  di-electric  equipment.  Also  relevant  were  PFOS-
containing  products,  flame-retardants  (PBDEs)  used  in  plastics  and  foams  and  obsolete 
pesticide products, particularly lindane. 

Where POP substances have previously been manufactured and used in the EU the potential 
for contamination of soil exists. A number of the national implementation plans cover the 
topic  of  contaminated  land  and  activities  to  address  the  issue  which  usually  involves 
excavation  and  therefore  creation  of  contaminated  waste  which  then  must  be  managed 
following Article 7 of the regulation. As an example, Germany indicated that, in 2016, more 
than 271,000 sites are recorded as potentially contaminated. During production of lindane 
(γ-HCH), large quantities of α- and β-HCH were created as “by-products”, which used to be 
stored above ground. With the inclusion of the compounds as POPs, these landfill sites are 
now viewed as being POP contaminated sites.  

Sweden stated that, due to its widespread previous use, PCP could be found in a wide range 
of contaminated sites, for example garden centres, pulp mills, wood impregnation sites and 
marinas. It has been identified that treatment of wood has occurred at approximately 1200 
sites in Sweden.  

  Environmental releases and environmental concentrations of POPs 

substances 

Article 6(1) requires Member States to develop emission inventories to air, land, and water 
for  substances  in  Annex  III  of  the  Regulation  within  2  years  of  its  entry  into  force.  The 
intention is that, by developing emission inventories, Member States’ Competent Authorities 
are informed of the key sources for POPs management at national level. 

131 

 
The development of emission inventories, along with supporting work on other aspects of 
the regulation, should help Member States to develop national implementation plans (NIPs). 
These present, in detail, the measures a Member State will enact to either minimise emissions 
to the environment or carry out further research to further characterise emission sources that 
are not well defined. 

Information on the level of emissions of Annex III substances is made available by Member 
States  through  the  emission  inventories  reported  under  the  Stockholm  Convention,  the 
Convention  on  Long  Range  Transboundary  Air  Pollution  (CLRTAP),  and  the  POP 
Regulation (based on Article 12 reports submitted).  

The number of Member States and the number of compounds/environmental vectors (air, 
water, land, residue, product) covered in the different inventories varies considerably. All 
Member States have reported data under the CLRTAP. A total of 23 Member States have 
reported  information  through  the  Stockholm  Convention,  while  21  provide  information 
under the POP Regulation.  

Dioxins and Furans 

Dioxins and furans are a family of chemicals that are not commercially produced and are 
typically  associated  either  incomplete  combustion  processes  such  as  open  burning  or 
metallurgy. Based on the data provided by EMEP, the major sources for Europe were the 
energy sector (27%); combustion in domestic residences, likely linked to solid fuels such as 
coal (23%); and incineration of waste (19%). 

In comparison with the reporting period 2010-2012, the overall EU28 emissions are notably 
much  higher  in  the  period  2013-2015,  with  a  higher  contribution  from  the  energy  sector 
relative to residential combustion indicated. This can largely be attributed to relatively high 
emissions of dioxins and furans reported in Greece during this period, predominantly from 
thermal  power  stations  and  other  combustion  installations.  Greece  did  not  provide 
comparable  input  for  the  previous  reporting  period,  so  this  is  an  issue  related  to  data 
availability, rather than a significant increase in actual emissions. 

Data covering the 2013–2015 period demonstrated that emissions of dioxins and furans in 
the  majority  of  Member  States  was  declining.  Compared  to  1990  emission  levels,  the 
emission reduction across the EU was 62% by 2015.   

Where estimates for vectors other than air have been provided by Member States, broadly 
similar levels of emissions are quoted for air and for land/residue. Over time, the residue 
vector landfill has gained in importance, which may be due to the partitioning of pollution. 
Since  air  emissions  abatement  has  improved  (e.g.  through  EU  industrial  emissions 
legislation), air emissions have fallen. Emissions of dioxins and furans to air have dropped 
significantly from  industry. However, this leads to  the generation of air pollution control 
residues, sometimes called fly ash, which can be heavily contaminated with pollutants such 
as dioxins and furans. However, while emissions to air, land and water are direct releases 
lost to the environment, residue refers to the contaminated solid waste generated, which is 
disposed  of  in  a  controlled  manner  and  does  not  necessarily  constitute  a  total  loss to  the 
environment. 

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) 

PCBs  are  a  family  of  chemicals,  which  previously  had  commercial  use  in  a  variety  of 
applications,  in  particular  in  di-electric  equipment.  Their  high  chemical  stability  and 
persistence  made  them  ideal  heat-transfer  fluids  for  this  application.  PCBs  can  also  be 
unintentionally produced, particularly in combustion.  

132 

 
The  data  submitted  by  nations  to  the  CLRTAP  indicated  that  the  main  source  of  PCB 
emissions  (52%)  was  ‘consumption  of  POPs  and  heavy  metals’  (i.e.  use  of  electrical 
equipment,  mainly  capacitors  and  transformers),  PCBs  as  dielectric  fluids,  disposal  of 
electrical equipment containing PCBs, etc.). Other major sources of PCB emissions include 
residential combustion of coal and waste wood (15%), and metals manufacture (13%). Over 
the past 20 years, emissions from industrial sources have declined, with the introduction of 
more  efficient  combustion  and  abatement  processes,  leading  to  an  increasing  relative 
proportion from dielectric equipment.  

Compared to 1990 levels, there was an overall decline in PCB emissions of on average 80% 
across the EU in 2015. Monitoring data by both EMEP for Europe and arctic monitoring by 
AMAP corroborate this clear decline in emissions since 1990.   

Limited data is available regarding the emission of PCBs to vectors other than air. Based on 
the  eight  Member  States  that  provided  estimates  for  other  vectors  no  clear  pattern  was 
apparent. Different Member States highlight the relative importance of air, water, land and 
residue to different extents. This partly reflects the fact that emission inventories for vectors 
other than air are in general less well developed across the EU. 

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) 

PAHs are a family of chemicals defined by their multiple aromatic rings. They can form 
naturally in the environment from the combustion of vegetation such as forest fires, but also 
have anthropogenic sources particularly the combustion of fossil fuels.  

The data submitted to the UNECE as part of CLRTAP identified the main source of PAH 
emissions as use of solid fuels, particularly coal, within residential premises, making up 75% 
of  all  emissions.  By  comparison,  emissions  of  PAHs  linked  to  iron  and  steel  production 
(including  use  of  fossil  fuels)  made  up  7%,  and  other  forms  of  fossil  fuel  combustion, 
including  road  transport,  made  up  2%  of  total  air  emissions.  As  stated  earlier,  while  the 
power  generation  sector  consumes  large  volumes  of  fossil  fuels  such  as  coal,  the  high 
operating temperatures and advanced abatement mean that the emission of PAHs per tonne 
of fuel is much smaller than that of domestic use of coal for heating. 

The data for the 2013–2015 period show a decline in PAH emissions, between 1990 and 
2015, based on the reported emission estimates, the annual release of PAHs to air in the EU 
has declined by up to 90%.  

Limited data is available for other vectors beyond air for PAHs. However, based on the four 
Member States that provided data, the main vector appears to be emissions to air, with water 
and residue also key emission vectors for PAHs. Comparison to the E-PRTR suggested that 
the key source of emissions of PAHs to water came from petroleum refinery processes, while 
combustion wastes, metallurgic wastes and auto repair waste were all important sources for 
residue. 

Chlorobenzenes (hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene) 

Chlorobenzenes are a family of chemicals with a single benzene ring and substitution of up 
to six hydrogen atoms with chlorine. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was identified as an Annex 
III substance at the time of the POP Regulation’s adoption. Pentachlorobenzene (PeCBz) 
was added to Annex I and III of the POP Regulation in 2010, following its addition to the 
Stockholm Convention. Both HCB and PeCBz had previous commercial use as pesticides 
and  were  also  generated  as  by-products  of  other  industrial  processes,  particularly  the 
manufacture  of  chloro-organic  solvents.  PeCBz  was  also  used  to  reduce  the  viscosity  of 

133 

 
PCBs  used  in  dielectric  equipment.  Both  HCB  and  PeCBz  can  also  be  by-products  of 
combustion of solid fossil fuels, waste oils and waste material. 

Data  for  PeCBz  are  very  limited  with  only  four  Member  States  providing  estimates. 
Emission estimates vary from <0.01 kg in Czechia to 50 kg in the United Kingdom. 

For HCB, the data submitted indicate that metals production (33%) and combustion within 
industry (25%) are the main sources of emissions to air, with other key sources including 
residential combustion (18%) and the energy sector (12%). 

Member States’ emission estimates for the period 2013–2015 suggested no clear patterns 
with emissions, rising, falling, and remaining static in roughly equal measure across the EU. 
However, compared to 1990 levels, there has been a decline of annual emissions of 90% 
between 1990 and 2015.  

Very limited data is available for emissions to vectors other than air, with only four Member 
States providing information for PeCBz and eight for HCB. Based on those that provided 
data,  water  and  residue  are  highlighted  as  secondary  key  emission  vectors  behind  air 
emissions in some Member States, but relative levels are highly variable between vectors in 
the reporting Member States.  

  11.3  Mechanisms for knowledge exchange and public 

involvement on the work surrounding POPs substances 

Twenty-two  Member  States  have  provided  full  triennial  reports  as  part  of  the  Article  12 
reporting. A number of reporting gaps are noted, with five Member States not submitting 
annual  reports  or  a  triennial  report  during  this  reporting  period.  Twenty  Member  States 
indicated  that  systems  have  been  put  in  place  to  allow  knowledge  exchange  and 
dissemination of information. Nine Member States indicated that the information exchange 
mechanism is used for the update of the national implementation plans.  

The  majority  of  the  Member  States  reported  undertaking  public  information  and/or 
consultation activities during the reporting period. In some cases, these activities are part of 
wider-scale national programmes and campaigns in chemicals management. Most Member 
States indicate they facilitate training activities, including for industry, scientists, educators, 
healthcare workers and technical and managerial personnel. 

Member States also worked to build awareness and engagement on POPs with the general 
public. Some of the initiatives were: 

  Production of literature and information to be disseminated to the general public. 

  Workshops, summer schools and seminars for stakeholders. 

  Public awareness campaigns and questionnaires to seek feedback from the general 

public 

  Financial and Technical assistance 

Fifteen Member States provided either financial or technical support during the 2013-2015 
period, an increase from 10 in the previous reporting period. This has largely been through 
organised schemes such as the Global Environment Fund (GEF) or the Strategic Approach 
to  International  Chemicals  Management  (SAICM).  Member  States  and  the  Union  also 
provided  their  mandatory  contributions  to  the  Stockholm  Convention  Trust  Fund, 
collectively accounting for ~46% of the total contributions to the fund in 2015. In addition, 

134 

 
the Union and some Member States contributed substantive funds to the Special Voluntary 
Trust Fund for the Stockholm Convention. 

Alongside  support  to  global  schemes,  many  Member  States  also  reported  on  national 
initiatives including: 

  Hosting workshops and conferences for international experts. 

  Funding of Arctic monitoring research programmes. 

  Bi-lateral communication and knowledge building with non-EU countries. 

  Research programmes for the presence of POPs in former Russian states. 

  Conclusions 

The  fourth  synthesis  report  covers  all  required  aspects  of  the  POPs  Regulation  and  its 
implementation  in  the  Union  and  at  Member  State  level.  This  short  section  draws  some 
conclusions about the work done and the progress made to eliminate POPs in the Union. 

Production, placing on the market and use of chemicals  

Production of POPs was limited to only PFOS, and the production volume for PFOS in the 
2013-2015  period  was  declining  steeply  (down  from  9  tonnes  per  annum  to  2.4  tonnes). 
Additionally, a small number of Member States were still importing HBCDD and SCCPs. 
Some Member States made use of the derogation for import/export of POPs for research or 
analysis purposes. 

Infringement activities identified potential issues with HCB in fireworks in three Member 
States, associated with import of fireworks. This primarily related to fireworks manufactured 
in  Asia,  in  particular  in  China.  Other  infringement  cases  identified  possible  issues  with 
SCCPs in toys and other articles (particularly Christmas lights). PFOS was also identified in 
remaining ‘in-use’ stocks of fire-fighting foams. 

Waste Management and contaminated sites  

The  majority  of  Member  States  have  made  good  progress  at  the  final  removal  and 
elimination of PCBs from di-electric equipment. Eleven out of 13 Member States estimated 
remaining stocks to be lower than 10% against a 1990 baseline. Two other Member States 
commented that more significant stockpiles may exist (30% and 49% against 1990 levels, 
respectively).  

The majority of Member States had mechanisms to identify, collect, and destroy obsolete 
pesticides  that  may  contain  POPs.  No  stockpiles  of  obsolete  pesticides  were  reported. 
However, four Member States identified stockpiles of PFOS (largely relating to fire-fighting 
foams), which were destroyed. 

Some Member States have also highlighted the challenges with contaminated land and POPs 
that  require  active  management  for  many  years  after  the  initial  contamination  has  taken 
place.  

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Environmental Releases and Environmental Concentrations 

The data on the emission of substances subject to release reduction provisions show a strong 
decline since 1990, with the monitoring data for ambient air concentrations demonstrating a 
clear improvement. 

Key sources of POPs emissions vary by substance, but as a common theme combustion of 
solid  fuels  and  wastes  (in  both  industrial  and  domestic  settings)  is  important,  as  is 
manufacture of metals. A more select set of sources is important for specific POPs e.g. leak 
from di-electric equipment is key for PCBs. 

Emission data is  readily  available for emissions to  air, while data for other vectors is  far 
more limited. In particular, emission estimate data for water and land was reported by only 
seven and four Member States, respectively, with no clear trends allowing a comparative 
analysis.  Additionally,  the  underlying  data  used  in  such  reports  should  be  produced  in  a 
harmonised format so that it can easily be incorporated into IPCHeM. 

Knowledge exchange and financial and technical assistance 

Only 18 of 28 Member  States provided full reporting needed to  fully assess  this specific 
topic. However, for those that did report, all have put in place communication networks for 
POPs  to  facilitate  discussion  between  policy  makers,  industry,  academics  and  the  wider 
public.  The  majority  have  put  in  place  systems  to  seek  public  engagement  as  part  of  the 
continued development of national implementation plans.  

The Union and the Member States substantially supported the work under the Convention 
through the payment of their mandatory contribution as a Party and through contributions to 
the Special Voluntary Trust Fund. Fifteen Member States stated that they have supported the 
international work on POPs either financially or technically, with funding to the GEF as a 
primary pathway to provide their support. 

136 

 
 
Appendix A – Explanation of how Toxic Equivalent 
Factors (TEFs) are developed for dioxins and Furans, 
and dioxin-like PCBs 

Dioxins and Furans 

Dioxins and furans are a family of chemicals with 210 different congeners based on differing 
levels  of  chlorination  (1  –  8  chlorines)  and  placement  of  chlorine  atoms  within  the  ring 
structures  of  dioxins  and  furans.  Toxicity  and  potential  carcinogenicity  of  individual 
congeners ranges significantly across the family making analysis of the family difficult to 
quantify. In order to overcome this issue a system of toxic equivalent factors (TEFs) were 
developed based on the 17 most toxic congeners, in particular 2,3,7,8 Tetrachlorodibenzo-
p-dioxin (TCDD), this allows a quantified amount of dioxins and furans to be quoted based 
on the equivalent quantity of the most toxic form TCDD. For example, using the TEF scheme 
a 100 kg of a low toxicity congener might be released, based on its toxicity and equivalent 
to TCDD, this would equate to an equivalent of 10 µg of TCDD.  

The  development  of  such  TEF  schemes  began  with  the  work  of  NATO  who  in  1989 
developed an international scheme based on key congeners to quantify dioxins and furans. 
Estimates quantified under this scheme can be recognised with the use of units quoted as ‘I-
TEQ’, for example grams I-TEQ. Subsequently to work of NATO in 1998 the world health 
organisation  looked  to  review  and  develop  their  own  scheme  of  TEFs,  this  work  also 
accounted for those PCB congeners which have similar dioxin-like action. The scheme was 
subsequently updated again in 2005, with Figure A.1 providing the latest set of TEFs based 
on  key  congeners.  Estimates  derived  using  this  scheme  are  quoted  as  ‘WHO-TEQ’,  for 
example grams WHO-TEQ. 

For emission inventory compilation, debates over which is the most suitable scheme of TEFs 
to  use  has  carried  on  now  for  some  years  within  inventory  teams.  While  the  WHO-TEQ 
system  is  more  modern  and  allows  for  the  calculation  of  dioxin-like  PCB  emissions,  the 
NATO scheme has been in place longer with a greater body of research work available for 
use of inventory compilers. The estimates developed for the UNECE and UNEP inventories 
typically use I-TEQ with the Standardised dioxins and furans tool kit and EMEP guidebook 
also  working  in  I-TEQ.  Estimates  reported  to  the  European  Commission  for  the  POP 
Regulation should ideally be in WHO-TEQ. However, given the levels of uncertainty which 
can  be  seen  in  deriving  estimates,  the  differences  between  the  two  schemes  are  not 
insurmountable and it is more important to be clear which scheme has been used and whether 
the derived estimates also include dioxin-like PCBs in the totals. Ideally dioxin-like PCBs 
should be reported as a separate fraction and not included within the totals for dioxins and 
furans. 

137 

 
Figure A.1  WHO Toxic Equivalent Factors 2005 

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (dioxin-like PCBs) 

Polychlorinated biphenyls are a family of chemicals based on two benzene rings joined by a 
single  carbon  to  carbon  bond  and  varying  numbers  of  chlorines.  In  total  209  different 
congeners exist based on the number and position of chlorines on the basic structure shown 
in the top part of Figure A.2. As with dioxins and furans the toxicity of individual congeners 
varies across the whole spectrum. Additionally, 12 congeners have been identified by the 
World Health Organisation as having carcinogenic effects and, in that respect, have been 
more closely aligned with dioxins and furans. These 12 congeners make up what are termed 
‘dioxin-like PCBs’.  

Structurally the majority of PCBs are in a co-planar (flat) formation. However, when more 
than one chlorine atom is found within the ortho positions (see Figure A.2) the repulsion of 

138 

 
 
 
 
electrons from the atoms in corresponding chlorine atoms causes one of the benzene rings 
to twist forming a non-planar shape. The dioxin-like PCBs are those congeners with at least 
four chlorines in the lateral positions shown in Figure A.2 and a maximum of one chlorine 
in an ortho position to maintain the co-planar shape.  

The WHO review of the scheme for toxic equivalent factors (TEFs) under dioxins and furans 
created a new system in 1998, further updated in 2005, to provide a scheme whereby the 
dioxin-like PCBs could be quantified from total PCB using a similar method to that outlined 
for dioxins and furans. The specific PCB congeners with dioxin-like properties is shown in 
Figure A.1.  

Figure A.2 

Structural role of PCBs in dioxin-like behaviour 

Under  international  reporting  requirements  ‘total’  PCB  is  reported  to  the  Stockholm 
Convention,  UNECE  Convention  on  Long  Range  Transboundary  Air  Pollution  and  POP 
Regulation. However, where the POP Regulation prefers Member States to make use of the 
WHO  TEQ  system  the  potential  for  reporting  dioxin-like  PCBs  is  also  available.  As 
previously stated, the main issue reporting data will be to ensure that quantities are clearly 
detailed and aggregation of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs should be avoided to ensure no 
ambiguity in the values reported.  

139 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appendix B  Technical Annex

140 

 
Table B1 Control Measure (to identify) details based on Article 12 reports for the period 2013 – 2015 

Member State  Measures 
to identify 
(Y/N) 

Details 

Belgium 

Y 

Flemish Region: Assessments were undertaken to identify dioxins, furans and PCB’s near waste treatment plants, for instance. Special attention was 
paid towards scrap metal plants. The Flemish region performs measurements on the site of the plant as well in the immediate surroundings in order to 
assess whether the emitted PCBs might pollute the food chain.  
An assessment was undertaken concerning PAH’s in order to estimate whether the elevated levels measured in humans could be correlated with high 
levels in the environment. 
Concerning the characterisation of sources, the Flemish Environment Agency develops yearly emission inventories for furans and dioxins (and many 
other pollutants). She also measures the deposition of dioxins, furans, PCB’s and PAHs. PAHs in air are monitored as well. Flanders pays special 
attention to the measurement of PAHs near tar refineries. 

Bulgaria 

Y 

Czechia 

Walloon Region: A network for the monitoring of dioxins coming from municipal waste incinerators has been set up. 
http://environnement.wallonie.be/data/air/dioxines/index.htm  
For the 2013-2015 period, 429 samples were analysed and only 3 of them did exceed the norm of 0.1 TEQ ng/Nm³. 

Federal authority: Assessments are undertaken to identify dioxins, furans, PCB’s and PAH in food and animal feed. 

Bulgaria identifies sources of substances listed in Annex III on the basis of the inventory on these substances. The inventory has been updated in 2014 
and it serves as a basis for reporting according to the POP Protocol of the UNECE and of the Stockholm Convention.  
These measures are introduced in the first update of the National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the management of POPs in Bulgaria, 2012 –2020 and 
in the Action plan for unintentional POPs Emissions of PCDD/PCDF, PCB, HCB, PeCBz and PAH. A second update of the National Implementation 
Plan (NIP) for the management of POPs in Bulgaria is planned and is expected to be finalized in 2017.  

The measures are parts of the National Implementation Plan for Implementation of the Stockholm Convention in the Czechia and of other national 
strategic documents. Direct measures and obligation are included in national legislative documents implementing the European law. 
Emission reduction of PAHs is solved within the National Program for Emission Reduction (NPSE), which was adopted by Resolution of the 
Government of the Czechia No 978 on 2 December 2015. Emission of PAHs is also partly solved within different Programs on improvement of 
air quality, which are currently issued. Legislative measures in the area of domestic heating (main source of PAHs in CZ) are provided by the Act on 
Air protection (201/2012 Coll.). This Act sets up emission requirements for sources with a rated thermal input not exceeding 300 kW, during 
marketing 
and their operation. As a result of this measure, significant amount of obsolete equipment particularly in households will be replaced by 2022. 
- Act No. 69/2013 Coll., amending Act No. 76/2002 Coll. on integrated pollution prevention and control, on the integrated pollution register and on 
amendment to some laws (Act on integrated prevention) 
- Act No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste and amending certain other acts, as amended 

141 

 
 
 
 
 
Denmark 

Y 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland  

Y 

Y 

- Act No. 25/2008 Coll., on the Integrated Environmental Pollution Register and the Integrated System of Compliance with Reporting Duty in 
Environmental Areas, and on amendments to other 
acts 
- 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 
- Government Regulation No. 145/2008 Coll., on the list of substances and thresholds for the integrated register of pollution, as amended 
- Act. No. 350/2011 Coll., on chemical substances and mixtures, as amended 
- Act. No. 201/2012 Coll., on the air protection, as amended 
o Decree No. 415/2012 Coll., on tolerable level of pollution and its detection and other obligations of the Act on air protection, as amended 

Air emission inventories have been developed for PCB and DK has tried to establish a national emission inventory for HCB and PeCBz, but the 
conclusion was: "The screening for emission sources for pentachlorobenzene (PeCBz) showed that the available data are extremely limited and in 
many cases the reported data are based on highly uncertain assumptions. Based on the available data, it appears that waste incineration will be the 
largest source of PeCBz emissions to air. However, the data foundation is at the moment not strong enough to facilitate the establishment of an 
emission inventory." Source: DANISH EMISSION INVENTORY FOR HEXACHLOROBENZENE AND POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS, 
2014 (available at: http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR103.pdf) 

Germany identifies sources of substances listed in Annex III based on the inventory on these substances. The inventory has been updated in October 
2010 and is basis for reporting for the POP – Protocol of the UNECE and of the Stockholm Convention. 

Inventory, labelling (PCB containing equipment), elimination, measures to monitor and limit release through environmental permitting.  The studies 
done during the reported period: “Monitoring and assessment of dangerous substances in surface water 2012-2013“, Estonian Informative Inventory 
Report 1990-2016 Submitted under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution.  

a) PCB Inventory 
As outlined in response to Section II: Stockpiles, the EPA, in order to ensure a comprehensive inventory, has engaged in widespread inspections to 
identify as many PCB holdings as possible. This work is on-going and such information allows the EPA to identify potential sources of PCBs. For 
example since 2013 a further 166 inspections have been undertaken of potential PCB holders (including desk based and site visits) and the EPA has 
provided Local Authority staff across the State with training on PCB-related activities. 
Measures used to identify sources of Annex III substances as part of the inventories for POPs releases to air, land and water include: 
· UNECE EMEP/CORINAIR Emission Inventory Guidebook 2007; 
· UNEP Toolkit 2013 Standardised Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Releases of Dioxin and Furans and other Unintentional POPs; 
· Consultation with a wide range of industry sectors, service providers and government bodies; 
· Emission inventories for residential use of peat are calculated using the United Kingdom National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) EF 
quoted for coal. This is currently being reviewed (Refer to Section VI-POPs research). 
· EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook - 2013 
· Targeted research of specific data sources for relevant source sectors; and 
· Literature sources including research literature on POPs emissions from specialist research symposia and conferences, and POPs inventories of other 
Member States. 

142 

 
 
Other measures used by Ireland to identify sources of substances listed in Annex III include: 
b) E-PRTR 
The Electronic Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) Regulation (EC) No. 166/2006, concerning the establishment of a European 
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register, came into force in 2006. Related Irish regulations include Statutory Instrument (S.I.) No. 123 of 2007 and S.I. 
No. 649 of 2011. 
The E-PRTR database is an effective means for identifying potentially hazardous chemical substances and/or pollutants released to air, water and soil; 
and wastes transferred off-site for recovery or disposal. The aim of the inventory is to make information more available to the public on pollutant 
emissions and waste transfers from a range of operations. Reporting under PRTR is an annual process. The E-PRTR Regulation (EC) No. 166/2006 
requires that emissions and waste transfers from specified industrial and waste management operations which are above the reporting thresholds must 
be reported to the European Commission for publication on a dedicated website which is available at the following link: 
http://prtr.ec.europa.eu/ 
Ireland has a dedicated website for information on the national Pollutant Release and Transfer Register, including information on quantities of 
pollutant releases (including POPs) in accordance with the relevant E-PRTR reporting thresholds (i.e. which exceed the E-PRTR reporting thresholds): 
http://prtr.epa.ie/map/default.aspx 
The EPA's AER/PRTR Electronic Website and Workbook data reporting system provides certain facilities with a standardised reporting mechanism to 
report their annual environmental information returns. The EPA extracts the relevant E-PRTR information for reporting to the European Commission. 
Such data is reported by quarries, IED, IPC, waste and wastewater discharge licensed facilities which help identify potential sources of emissions. 
Annex III substances (in accordance with the reporting threshold requirements i.e. where reported above relevant reporting thresholds) are included in 
the list of parameters that are available. 

Greece  

Spain  

France  

No response   No information provided  

Y 

Y 

Spain states that Law 5/2013 and Royal Decree 815/2013 transpose the IED. This legislation includes the industrial activities and installations that 
need to comply with the requirements related to public information.  

Reduction of emissions to air and land: 

A third National plan Environmental health was adopted covering 2015-2019 with an overall aim to reduce emissions. The plan includes an action to 
reduce 6 toxic substances, including dioxins and furans, PDB and HAP. The objective was to reduce emissions to air and water by 30% between 2007 
and 2013. 

The third plan focusses on contamination of soil/land, actions started in 2015. The actions to prevent and reduce exposure to contamination consider 
the diffuse character of the sources and the vulnerable groups (e.g. children). First action focuses on PCB, a second one relates to protecting the 
population against risks from using pesticides in oversea areas (use of chlordecone in the Antilles). 

Reduction of emissions to water: 

In 2013 hazardouses substances from all installations discharging industrial wastewater needed to be monitored and for some of these substances, 
technical and economic studies envisaging the reduction these emissions will have to be undertaken by the operator, including establishing a plan of 
the envisaged reduction measures. 

143 

 
In 2010, a micropollutant plan 2010-2013 was launched to define the global for reducing the presence of micropollutants in aquatic environments and 
to describe the corresponding actions. 14 POPs are included in this plan: hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclohexane, pentachlorobenzene, aldrin, 
dieldrin, endrin, DDT, heptachlor, chlordane, chlordecone, mirex, toxaphene, PFOS and PCBs. 

At the end of 2014, 3722 establishments representing 41 sectors of activity had been controlled. Approximately 500,000 analyzes were performed and 
112 substances analyzed. 

A second micro polluting plan (2016-2021) has just been implemented. 

Reductions in exposures to Chlordecone 

The government has put in place important means through a first (2008-2010) and second national action plan (2011-2013) to respond to the pollution 
by the chlordecone, to secure populations and take into account the impacts of this protection in agriculture and fisheries. 

Croatia  

Y 

Unintentional production / emission (PCDD/PCDF, HCBs, PCBs and PeCBz) 

Emission control of POPs listed in Annex C of the Stockholm Convention PCDD/PCDF, HCBs, PCBs and PeCBz is in competence of more 
government bodies with regard to elements of the environment in which emission occurs, as follows: the ministry in charge of environmental 
protection, the ministry responsible for the protection of agricultural land, forestry and the ministry responsible for water management. CEAN also 
collects data on emission in all aspects of the environment pursuant to international and national obligation and prepares annual reports. 

In 1991, the Republic of Croatia became a Party to the LRTAP Convention as well the Protocol on Long-term Financing of the Cooperative 
Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP Protocol). The Republic of Croatia is 
required to identify and calculate its annual pollutant emissions within its territory and to report to the LRTAP Convention Secretariat and Clean 
Energy Incentive Program (CEIP). Subsequently, CEAN prepares annual reports of calculated air pollutants emissions / inventory on the Croatian 
territory. Reports are available to the concerned public on its website http://www.azo.hr/EmisijaOneciscujucihTvari and in EEA: 
http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/hr/un/UNECE_CLRTAP_HR  

Calculation of emissions pursuant to the obligations of the LRTAP Convention is produced according to EMEP methodology which covers five major 
sectors and the following pollutants: the main pollutants (sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic 
compounds (NMVOC), ammonia (NH3), particulate matter (total suspended matter, PM10, PM2,5), heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury 
(Hg), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu ), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn)) and POPs (PAH, HCH, PCDD / PCDF, PCBs and HCBs). 
The report acts as the document by which the Republic of Croatia proves the fulfilment or nonfulfillment of its obligations according to international 
treaties, as well as the main indicator of implemented measures which the Republic of Croatia is required to carry out in order to reduce emissions of 
pollutants. 

Hrvatske vode (Croatian Waters) is a competent body for monitoring the state of surface water, including coastal water and groundwater. Monitoring 
is conducted in accordance to an annual Monitoring Plan. The analyses are performed by the Central Water Management Laboratory of Hrvatske vode 
and in other laboratories authorised by the Ministry of Agriculture. Hrvatske vode is the competent body for the interpretation of monitoring results, 
preparation of the Annual Report and its submission to the Ministry competent for water management and to the CAEN. 

Also, in accordance with the Regulation on the prevention of major accidents involving dangerous substances (Official Gazette, No. 114/08 and 
139/14), data collection on specific POPs in the base of the Register of installations in which dangerous substances are present is stipulated and 
managed by CEAN. CEAN also maintains the Croatian PRTR which represents a single register on the release and transfer of pollutants in air, water 

144 

 
and / or sea and soil, and the production, collection and treatment of waste. Department of Work and Occupational Safety within the Ministry of 
Labour and Pension Fund is competent for unintentionally produced / released pollutants into the work environment. 

Italy  

No response   No information provided  

Cyprus 

Y 

Latvia 

Y 

The EMEP/EEA Air Pollutant Emission Inventory Guidebook (Published in 2013) was used to check which of the listed sources are found in Cyprus. 
Cyprus has transposed Directive 2011/65/EC, for the restriction of the use of certain dangerous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, to 
the National Law with the Regulation 203/2014. 
The Regulation 203/2014 determines the restrictions of the use of dangerous substances in electric and electronic equipment (EEE) with the aim to 
contribute for the protection of human health and the environment, including the recovery and the disposal of these wastes in an environmentally 
sound manner. 
Among the substances under the restriction, are the PBBs, PBDEs having maximum allowable concentration by weight 0.1%. The Regulations include 
provisions which are focused to the obligations regarding the manufacturer, the licensed representative, the importer and the distributor. The most 
significant provisions are (i) the creation of a technical folder by the manufacturer within the framework of the Law on CE marking and (ii) the 
supervision of the market based on Regulation (EC) No. 765/2008 regarding the determination of the accreditation requirements and the supervision of 
the market regarding the trade of the products. Articles that contain or may contain brominated diphenyl ethers are not allowed to enter Cyprus. In the 
case that articles found to contain or may contain brominated diphenyl ethers, are exported back to the country of origin. 
The disposal and management of the waste is regulated by the Water Pollution Control Law 106(I)/2002 and the Waste Laws of 2011 to 2014.  
Based on Regulation 9(1) of the Regulations P.I. 636/2002 for the Solid and Dangerous Waste (Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polychlorinated 
Triphenyls) (PCB/PCT) a National Implementation Plan and a General Guidance are formed for the management and the destruction of PCBs/PCTs in 
Cyprus. The Plan has been published with notification of the Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment in the Official Gazette of 
the Republic on 8.12.2006 (Regulation 456/2006). In this Plan, there are actions taken by the Cyprus Government for the establishment of a list for the 
owners of transformers having PCBs and their relevant decontamination. In addition, it includes the procedure for the gradual collection and 
environmental sound management of PCBs, the list for the owners of transformers having PCBs and their responsibilities relevant to the legislation. 
Cyprus is on the process of updating the National Implementation Plan. 
The Regulations for the waste (Restriction of the use of certain dangerous substances in electric and electronic equipment) of 2014 (P.I. 203/2014) 
determine rules for the restriction of the use of dangerous substances in electric and electronic equipment (EEE) with the aim to contribute for the 
protection of human health and the environment, including the recovery and the disposal of such waste with environmentally correct way. 

Cabinet Regulation No 29 of 29 November 2001 483 “Procedures for Identification and Registration of Contaminated and Potentially Contaminated 
Sites” shall be applicable to the identification of sources of substances listed in Annex III;  
Additional measures to identify the sources of substances in Annex III stem from the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E - PRTR) 
established pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council. 166/2006 on Europe 
Implementation of Pollutant Release and Transfer Register. Reporting E - PRTR is provided annually and summarizes information from annual 
national statistical reports “No.2 - Air. Air Defence Review, No.2-Water. Overview of Water Use ”and“ No.3-Waste. Waste Overview ”. 
The HELCOM project “Control of Hazardous Substances in the Baltic Sea Region” (COHIBA 2010-2012) determined the concentration of POPs in 
water, sediments and wastewater. The obtained data coincide with the information on POP emissions in Latvia in Table 1. 

145 

 
Lithuania  

No response   No information provided  

Luxembourg  Y 

In particular, the identification and characterisation of substances and their sources takes place during the authorisation procedure for establishments 
classified under the amended law of 10 June 1999 on listed establishments.  
These operating authorisations consider the best available techniques. 

Hungary 

No response   No information provided  

Malta  

No response   No information provided  

Netherlands  

Y 

Austria 

Y 

The Netherlands interprets the question as follows: From the literature it is known which sources contribute to the emissions. In the request for licenses 
for these sources’ information has to be submitted about the sources. In a number of cases an environmental assessment report is requested before the 
license is granted. Emissions have to be reported by companies above a certain limit. For a number of sources, such as traffic, emissions are estimated 
if relevant. 

"Air: Inventories have been established to be able to meet the reporting requirement under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution 
of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE/LRTAP). Austria compiles an Air Emission Inventory („Österreichische 
Luftschadstoff-Inventur – OLI”) which is updated annually. For the purpose of the action plan this inventory has been further developed to be able to 
classify the emissions according to the source categories of Annex III of the Stockholm Convention. 

Water: 

Excerpt from NAP Review (2017): For the time being, data on sources for POPs releases into water are gathered in two registers in Austria: 

In the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) point sources and emissions to water for all POPs are included in principle. In fact, 
for most industrial sectors, a reporting obligation to PRTR exists only for facilities exceeding a certain production capacity threshold and for emissions 
which exceed a pollutant release threshold. For Austria approximately 70 facilities with emissions to water or wastewater are listed in the PRTR. None 
of these facilities reported emissions to water for the pollutants HCB, PeCBz and PCB. Two PRTR-facilities reported PCDD/PCDF emissions to 
water; one PRTR-facility re-ported PAH emissions to water. So far, no data on diffuse sources of POPs have been available in the PRTR. 

Additional information on POPs releases was gathered within a supporting project for the setup of the national emissions inventory in 2007/2008. 
Some 70 substances were analysed for intake and outlet of 15 urban wastewater treatment plants of different capacities, purification technologies and 
wastewater-composition. The analytical programme comprised the priority substances and certain other substances according to the daughter Directive 
2008/105/EC of the Water Framework Directive and pollutants of national relevance regulated in the Austrian Ordinance on Quality Standards for 
Surface Waters. DDT, chlordane, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene and pentachloro-benzene could not be detected in crude 
wastewater. With exception of one facility PAHs were only detectable in crude wastewater. Only polybrominated di-phenylethers were detectable in 
effluents in the sub-ng/l range and hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane) in the ng/l range. The use of lindane was allowed in some selected minor 
applications until January 1st 2008. 

In 2009 a national inventory on pollutant emissions to surface waters was established. The national register comprises emissions of the following point 
sources: PRTR-facilities, urban wastewater treatment plants with a capacity from 2,000 population equivalents upwards and waste incineration 
facilities with a capacity of more than 2 tonnes of waste per hour. There is no release thresh-old for reporting. In practice, the lower limit is determined 

146 

 
by the limit of quantification of the specified analytical method and the wastewater discharge. The first reporting cycle for the data of 2009 covered 
only basic wastewater parameters.  Since 2010 discharges are reported for a number of substances including POPs. The emissions are reported as 
yearly load data. 

By 2014 the remediation of a historical landfill needed to be stopped as an off-site thermal treatment of HCB-contaminated lime sludge at a cement 
kiln caused unintended releases to air. As a new tender for ex-situ treatment of sludges failed, a containment-system to minimise pollutant releases by 
the abandoned landfill is under installation. 

It can be concluded that underground pollution by PAHs causes in general local impacts on soil and groundwater. Nevertheless, it must be recognised 
that, depending on the site-specific situation and where sensitive land uses are concerned, risks to human health or to ecosystems need to be analysed. 
Whereas underground pollution by PAH is a well-known problem the available information on sites contaminated by PCDD/F, HCB and PCB is 
scarce. 

Soil:  

The Stockholm Convention asks for releases via residues and waste. An inventory of releases via residues and waste can be established in the case of 
PCDD/F and PeCBz. In the case of the other POPs qualified data are not available. 

Poland 

Y 

In the reporting period, there were no changes in relation to the data provided in the three-Year report for the period from 1 January 2007 until 31 
December 2010 

Portugal  

No response  No information provided 

Romania 

Slovenia 

Y 

Y 

The National Environmental Protection Agency, together with the Romanian Water Administration, owns the inventory of the sources listed in Annex 
III, which is updated annually. 

"When preparing the inventory in Slovenia the National Emission Inventory (NEI) for calculation and reporting emissions was established. This 
inventory (NEI) enables the calculation of the emission data (release data) for the four main pollutants, heavy metals, particulate matter and POPs 
according to the EMEP/EEA methodology. NEI has been prepared on the basis with the INSTRUCTION for organizing the emission inventory of 
sources of air pollution (OJ of SRS No. 12-20, IV 1979). NEI is a subject of continuous development. 
The major sources of activity data are the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, however, the Environmental Agency obtains much of its data 
through other activities, which are performed under the Environment Protection Act (OJ RS, No. 41/04, 20/06, 39/06, 70/08, 108/09, 48/12, 57/12, 
92/13)  

• Emission factors (default versions), which are used for the calculation are published in EMEP/EEA Atmospheric Emission Inventory Guidebook, 
2016. 

The Republic of Slovenia, as a party to the CLRTAP Convention, is obligated to perform annual emission inventories and to report them." 

Slovakia  

N 

n/a 

147 

 
 
 
Finland  

Y 

Sweden 

Y 

See response to question 1.2.  
Atmospheric emission sources of PCDD/F, HCB and PCBs have been estimated for the UNECE/CLRTAP. In addition, emissions and emission 
sources of PCDD/F and PCB into air, soil and surface water were estimated more detailed in the COHIBA –project, using system flow analysis.   
The research project COHIBA (http://www.cohiba-project.net/) assessed the sources and inputs of 11 hazardous substances or substance groups of the 
HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP).  
"Inventories have been carried out within the sectors of the ferrous and non-ferrous metal industry, pulp and paper industry and waste incineration. 
Studies have also been performed in order to characterise and evaluate the relative importance of long range (atmospheric) transport of these 
contaminants. Pattern analysis has been developed in order to achieve a preliminary identification of individual sources.  

An inventory is in place of sites where potentially contaminating activities are taking place or have taken place. The identification has been carried out 
sector wise focusing on different industrial sectors which potentially could contaminate soil, waters and sediments The identification procedure has 
been based on a surveys carried out by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, on which industrial sectors (activities) that should be included 
in the assessment (Naturvårdsverket report 4393, 1995 (in Swedish)). This work covers all potential pollutants and hence also POPs in the Stockholm 
Convention. 
A Swedish ordinance (Order 2007:19 on PCBs etc March 2007, updated 2010:963 July 2010) requires that anyone who owns a building or other 
installation in which joint-sealing compounds or anti-skid flooring compounds may have been used during erection or renovation in the period from 
1956 to 1973 shall investigate whether the joint-sealing compound or flooring compound is a PCB product. The owner shall ensure that sealants and 
flooring containing more than 500 ppm (500 mg/kg) PCB product is removed according to the timelines given in the ordinance i.e. 2016 at the latest. 
The use of PCB in new products was banned in 1978 and since 1995 it is totally prohibited to use PCB. 

Annex II. Inventories have been carried out regarding potential sources of PFAS (including PFOS) in the environment (NV report 6709, March 2016). 
Over 2000 potential local sources have been identified. Use of fire extinguishing foam is the largest direct point source, while wastewater treatment 
and disposal and treatment of waste are likely to be significant secondary point sources. Other potential sources include various types of industrial 
activities. Atmospheric deposition probably contributes significantly to the load of PFAS in the Swedish environment. (PFOS approx. 25-30 kg). 
(Hansson K. et al. 2016). 
" 
The measures developed include source reduction measures and exposure reduction measures. The details are outlined in the United Kingdom Dioxin 
Action Plan which formed part of the United Kingdom 2007 National Implementation Plan. In addition, permitted processes are required to report 
releases above a threshold which is designed to capture the majority of releases.   
A programme of monitoring also takes place which checks compliance with permit conditions on a selection of regulated processes. Releases from 
processes which do not report releases through the PRTR mechanism, either because they are below the substance release threshold or do not require a 
permit for the relevant release media, are estimated by standard emission inventory techniques such as finding the product of a release factor and an 
appropriate activity statistic.  Action undertaken as part of the United Kingdom’s 2007 Dioxin Action Plan led to the development of multi-vector 
inventories for emissions to air, water and land.  The programme has also been used to identify release routes of greatest uncertainty to close data gaps 
and develop inventories for emissions to residue and product vectors.  Outputs of the activity undertaken are detailed in the review of the Dioxin Plan 
annexed to The United Kingdom 2012 National Implementation Plan.  The Dioxin Plan will be reviewed again in the 2016 update for United Kingdom 
National Implementation Plan. 

United 
Kingdom  

148 

 
 
 
 
Table B2 Control Measure (to characterise) details based on Article 12 reports for the period 2013 – 2015 
Member State 

Details 

Measures 
to 
identify (Y/N) 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Czechia 

Y 

Y 

Y 

See answers provided in the Control Measure (to identify) table  

The action plan for characterisation of the sources of substances listed in Annex III is updated in 2012 as a  result of the first update of the 
National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the management of POPs in Bulgaria, 2012 –2020. A second update of the National Implementation 
Plan (NIP) for the management of POPs in Bulgaria is planned and is expected to be finalized in 2017. 
"- Act No. 25/2008 Coll., on the Integrated Environmental Pollution Register and the Integrated System of Compliance with Reporting Duty 
in Environmental Areas, and on amendments to other acts 

- 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 

- Government Regulation No. 145/2008 Coll., on the list of substances and thresholds for the integrated register of pollution, as amended 

- Act No. 69/2013 Coll., amending Act No. 76/2002 Coll. on integrated pollution prevention and control, on the integrated pollution register 
and on amendment to some laws (Act on integrated prevention) 

- Decree No. 415/2012 Coll., on tolerable level of pollution and its detection and other obligations of the Act on air protection, as amended 

- Act. No. 350/2011 Coll., on chemical substances and mixtures, as amended 

- Act. No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste and amending certain other acts, as amended 

- Act. No. 201/2012 Coll., on the air protection, as amended 

Denmark 

Y 

Germany 

Y 

o Decree No. 415/2012 Coll., on tolerable level of pollution and its detection and other obligations of the Act on air protection, as amended" 
"Dioxin: Wood combustion in residential plants accounts for 57 % of the national dioxin emission in 2013. The contribution to the total dioxin 
emission  from  the  waste  sector  (26  %  in  2013)  owes  to  accidental  fires,  especially  building  fires.  The  emissions  of  dioxins  from  energy 
industries mainly owe to the combustion of biomass as wood, wood waste and to a less extend agricultural waste.  

HCB: Stationary combustion accounts for 51 % of the estimated national hexachlorobenzene (HCB) emission in 2013. This owes mainly to 
public electricity and heat production. Wood combustion in households is also an important source. The HCB emission from stationary plants 
has decreased 69 % since 1990 mainly due to improved flue gas cleaning in waste incineration plants.  

PAH: The most important source of PAHs emissions is combustion of wood in the residential sector making up 68 % of the total emission in 
2013. The increasing emission trend is due to increasing combustion of wood in the residential sector. The PAH emission from combustion 
in residential plants has increased by 47 % from 1990 to 2013. 
"Germany characterises sources of substances listed in Annex III based on the inventory on these substances. The inventory has been updated 
in October 2010 and is basis for reporting for the POP – Protocol of the UNECE and of the Stockholm Convention." 

149 

 
 
 
 
Estonia 

Ireland  

Y 

Y 

Greece  

Spain  

France  

No response  

Y 

Y 

Measures to characterise sources of substances have been done through studies pointed out in point 2.1 and periodical overviews to view and 
analyse trends in release data. 
"Ireland prepared and transmitted its National Implementation Plan on POPs in 2012 in accordance with its obligations under Article 7 of the 
Stockholm Convention. Section 4 of the Plan details the measures used to characterise sources of unintentional POPs. The 1998 Protocol on 
Persistent  Organic  Pollutants  to  the  Convention  on  Long  Range  Transboundary  Air  Pollution  (CLRTAP)  requires  the  compilation  of  an 
inventory of anthropogenic emissions to air. This inventory is reported annually. 

In  order  to  illustrate  the  current  releases  of  unintentional  POPs  for  the  National  Implementation  Plan  on  POPs  and  national  reporting 
requirements under the Stockholm Convention, the releases of unintentional POPs were reported under the main source categories established 
in the UNEP Standardized Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Dioxin and Furan Releases. This helped to identify and characterise 
the key sources of unintentional POPs emissions. Further information is available in Section 4 of Ireland’s National Implementation Plan on 
POPs (available at www.pops.ie)." 
No information provided  

No additional measures to those already presented in 2010. 

Reduction of emissions to air and land: 

A third National plan Environmental health was adopted covering 2015-2019 with an overall aim to reduce emissions. The plan includes an 
action to reduce 6 toxic substances, including dioxines and furans, PDB and HAP. The objective was to reduce emissions to air and water by 
30% between 2007 and 2013. 

The third paln focusses on contamination of soil/land, actions started in 2015. The actions to prevent and reduce exposure to contamination 
consider the diffuse character of the sources and the vulnarables groups (e.g. children). First action focuses on PCB, a second one relates to 
protecting the population against risks from using pestices in oversea areas (use of chlodecone in the Antilles). 

Reduction of emissions to water: 

In  2013  hazardouses  substances  from  all  installations  discharging  industrial  wastewater  needed  to  be  monitored  and  for  some  of  these 
substances, technical and economic studies envisaging the reduction  these emissions will have to be undertaken by the operator, including 
establishing a plan of the envisaged reduction measures. 

In  2010,  a  micropollutant  plan  2010-2013  was  launched  to  define  the  global  for  reducing  the  presence  of  micropollutants  in  aquatic 
environments  and  to  describe  the  corresponding  actions.  14  POPs  are  included  in  this  plan:  hexachlorobenzene,  hexachlorocyclohexane, 
pentachlorobenzene, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, DDT, heptachlor, chlordane, chlordecone, mirex, toxaphene, PFOS and PCBs. 

At  the  end  of  2014,  3722  establishments  representing  41  sectors  of  activity  had  been  controlled.  Approximately  500,000  analyzes  were 
performed and 112 substances analyzed. 

A second micropolluting plan (2016-2021) has just been implemented. 

150 

 
 
Croatia  

Y 

Italy  

Cyprus 

Latvia 

No response  

Y 

Y 

Lithuania  

No response  

"According to Regulation on emission ceilings for certain pollutants in the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette No 108/13) for the purposes 
of  developing  the  emission  inventory  and  the  annual  emission  report  the  CEAN  shall  perform  the  develop  of  the  annual  data  collection 
programme by sectors referred to in Appendix I, pursuant to the quality assurance and control plan.  The programme referred includes activity 
data which relate to the current calendar year and the programme is submitted to state administration bodies and legal persons with public 
authorities referred to in Appendix I of this Regulation by 15 December of the current year. State administration bodies and other legal persons 
with  public  authorities  referred  to  in  Appendix  I  of  this  Regulation  shall  submit  activity  data  and  emission  data  by  sectors  required  for 
preparing the pollutant emission inventory on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, according to the annual programme to the CEAN by 30 
September of the following year, in electronic form.  

The Republic of Croatia signed the Convention in May 2001, and the Convention entered into force in the Republic of Croatia on 30 April 
2007.  Pursuant  to  Article  7  of  the  Convention,  the  Republic  of  Croatia  has  prepared  “National  Implementation  Plan  for  the  Stockholm 
Convention  on  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants”,  which  the  Croatian  Government  adopted  in  2008  (Official  Gazette  No.  145/08).  Due  to 
multidisciplinary approach to POPs control, a Working Group for monitoring the fulfilment of NIP’s obligations has been established. 

So far two reports on the implementation of the National Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Republic 
of Croatia were made: 

The First report, for the period January 2009 - December 2010 and The Second report, for the period January 2011 - December 2012, and are 
available for public on the website of the Ministry of Environment and Nature, a proposal of the third report is being made, which covers the 
period from January 2013 - December 2014. 
No information provided  

Data, including activity rate is obtained through enforcement of the Atmospheric Pollution Control Laws of 2002 to 2013 (Law 187(I)/2002, 
Law 85(I)/2007, Law 10(I)/2008, Law 79(I)/2009, Law 51(I)/2013 and Law 180(I)/2013) and Water and Land Pollution Control Law (Law 
106(I)/2002). 
"Law ""On Pollution"" and Cabinet of Ministers November 30, 2010 Regulations Nr. 1082 “Procedures for Applying for Category A, B and 
C Polluting Activities and Issuing Permits for Category A and B Pollution Activities” (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) lays down 
monitoring requirements and reporting obligations for emissions into air, water, sewage and data on waste management in national statistical 
databases. 

Cabinet  Regulation  No.  139  of  14  February  2006  “Regulations  on  Requirements  for  the  Use  and  Labelling  of  Equipment  and  Products 
containing Hazardous Chemical Substances and on the List of Goods Hazardous to the Environment” lays down requirements for the use of 
equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls; 

the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E - PRTR) established pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council; 166/2006 on Europe Implementation of Pollutant Release and Transfer Register. 

Baltic Sea Monitoring Programs implemented by the HELCOM Convention (COMBINE) as part of the Baltic Sea Monitoring and Evaluation 
Strategy developed guidelines for POPs in sea water (refurbished in 2017)." 
No information provided  

151 

 
Luxembourg 

Hungary 

Malta  

Netherlands  

Austria 

Poland 

Portugal  

Romania 

Y 

N 

N 

Y 

Y 

Y 

N 

Y 

Slovenia 

Y 

In  particular,  the  identification  and  characterisation  of  substances  and  their  sources  takes  place  during  the  authorisation  procedure  for 
establishments classified under the amended law of 10 June 1999 on listed establishments.  

These operating authorisations take into account the best available techniques. 

There is a general notion of sources of annex III substances. Occasionally research is dedicated to specific sources, for instance as a result of 
enforcement actions. 
In the National action plan (NAP) the sources of substances listed in Annex III are further characterised, based on the SC’s  Dioxin Toolkit 
and the sources enumerated in the SC itself. 
In the reporting period, there were no changes in relation to the data provided in the three-Year report for the period from 1 January 2007 until 
31 December 2010 

by 

for 

the 

the 

E-PRTR 

The emissions reported under E-PRTR come from activities covered by the IED Directive as well as a number of non-IPPC activities that are 
Regulation. 
covered 
The 
includes: 
period 
- emissions of dioxins and furans (PCDD / PCDFs) into the air from the energy sector and the production and processing of metals (2013, 
2014) 
8; 
-  Polychlorinated  biphenyls  (PCBs)  emissions  from  air  produced  from  metal  production  and  processing  (2014)  -  Table  9; 
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in air and water resulting from  waste and waste water management and metal production and 
11. 
processing 
[Report contains tables with emissions reported under E-PRTR for PCDD-F, PCB and PAH] 
"Emissions of POPs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Dioxins/Furans and Hexachlorobenzene) for Slovenia 
were  calculated  and  reported  since  year  1990.  The  calculations  of  POPs  are  based  on  methodology  described  EMEP/EEA  Atmospheric 
Emission Inventory Guidebook, 2016.  

E-PRTR 
- 

Tables 

Tables 

(2013, 

2014) 

2013 

2014 

and 

and 

10 

7 

- 

- 

Slovakia  

Finland  

Sweden 

No response  

Since then POPs emission are included in annual report format and also reported according to POPs Protocol." 
No information provided  

Y 

Y 

Atmospheric emissions of PCDD/F, HCB and PCBs, and soil and surface water releases of PCDD/F and PCBs (in COHIBA  project) have 
been characterised. 

"Industrial sources have been characterised in Sweden since years back. In Sweden, the permitting process of industrial installations includes 
an  environmental  impact  assessment.  When  necessary,  this  environmental  impact  assessment  also  includes  measurements  of  pollutants 
released. The permitting process also includes an assessment of what is BAT and an undertaking of BAT-measures to reduce formation and 
releases of pollutants whilst considering what is economically feasible.   

152 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
United Kingdom  

Y 

An inventory with identification of 80 000 potentially contaminated sites is in place. Inventories of actual risks at the potential sites, including 
risk classification /simplified risk assessment are nearly completed. The inventory work is carried out according to a method provided by the 
Swedish EPA (Naturvårdsverket Report 5053 Methods for inventories of contaminated sites, 2002 (in English)) and appr.1000 sites are found 
in the highest risk class.  

A  programme  of  routine  measurements  has  been  in  place  for  some  years  for  certain  key  sources  such  as  incinerator  ash  and  sinter  plant 
emissions  to  air.    Further  research  is  undertaken  to  characterise  sources  and  factors  which  may  influence  their  emissions  as  the  required 
technical and financial resources become available. 

Table B3 Control Measure (to minimise) details based on Article 12 reports for the period 2013 – 2015 

Member State  Measures 

to 

Details 

identify (Y/N) 

Belgium 

Y 

"Brussels-Capital Region 

These are incorporated as technical prescriptions, according to the BATNEEC principle, in the environment permits, in situations where they 
are required (air filtration, DeNOx with action on PCDD/PCDF, etc.). 

Flemish Region 

If necessary to manage the risks from Annex III substances, specific prevention and reduction measures are incorporated in the environmental 
permits of industrial installations.  Information and sensibilisation campaigns are held towards the general public on the risk of dioxins and 
furans from open fires and woodstoves. 

A  new  general  environmental  legislation  regarding  controlling  of  non-ducted  dust  emissions  was  approved  (VLAREM  II ,  Section  4.4.7.), 
including very detailed and extensive prescriptions on handling and transport of dust-producing substances, thus providing new leverage to 
enforce extra dust-reducing measures, where necessary. By this, the diffuse emissions of dust loaded with PCBs released by scrap metal plants 
might be reduced. 

The Flemish government released an Action plan to reduce the pollution of dioxins and PCB’s (see paragraph III. 1) 

Walloon Region 

The  implementation  of  the  principles  of  the  IPPC  directive  through  the  environmental  permit  obliges  the  authority  to  deliver  integrated 
environmental permits, taking into account BAT's and, where appropriate, specific conditions and ELV's are set, including for POP's. 

Federal authority 

153 

 
 
The prevention and reduction of human exposure occurs also by eliminating the contaminated products. The Federal Agency for the Safety of 
the Food Chain (FASFC) pays particular attention to the risk of contamination of the food chain and animal feed by dioxins, PCBs and PAH.  

In Belgium, a premarket control of certain raw material in the animal feed sector is required for dioxins and PCB.  

Controls  can  be  performed  by  the  FASFC  at  the  operating  location  (farms,  aquaculture  farms,  fish  markets,  etc.),  during  transport,  in  the 
processing sector (abattoir, etc.) and in the distribution chain for: 

- Milk and milk products   

- Eggs and ovoproducts    

- Meat and derived products (cattle, veal, pigs, sheep, horses, poultry, rabbits, pigeons and farmed game, wild deer)  

- Aquaculture products  

- Fish products  

- Cereals, oil seeds  

- Drinking water and various foods: baby food, vegetable oils and fats, food supplements 

- Animal feed 

PAHs are also monitored for these products as well as for cocoa butter and chocolate, spices, aromatic herbs, fish oil, vegetables. 

In the event of non-compliance, the intervention levels established in the recommendation of 11 September 2014   for dioxins and dioxin-like 
PCBs requires the competent authority to conduct an investigation regarding the contamination source in order to identify it, remove it if possible 
or reduce it as much as possible. 

Each year, AFSCA publishes an Activity Report, which recaps controls done during the preceding year http://www.favv.be/rapportsannuels 

 Sample size in 2014 Conformity in 2014 Sample size in 2015 Conformity in 2015 

Dioxines et PCB 2390 99,8% 2.495 99,9% 

PAH 595 99,5% 674 100% 

Details available http://www.favv.be/rapportactivites/2015/echantillonnagesanalyses/physicochimiques/  

With regards mandatory notifications, any operator performing activities which fall under the responsibility of the FASFC must immediately 
inform  the  FASFC  when  it  considers,  or  has  reason  to  believe  that  a  product  that  it  has  imported,  produced,  grown,  bred,  processed, 
manufactured or distributed may adversely affect human, animal or plant health (RD of 14/11/2003).  

In Belgium, laboratories are also required to report results that reveal a risk.  

154 

 
Bulgaria 

Y 

"The action plan for reduction and minimisation of sources of substances listed in Annex III is updated in 2012 as a result of the National 
Implementation Plan (NIP) for the management of POPs in Bulgaria, 2012 –2020. A second update of the National Implementation Plan (NIP) 
for the management of POPs in Bulgaria is planned and is expected to be finalized in 2017.  

In total, 32 reference documents (BREFs) developed on EU level are applied in the field of the industrial emissions and are the base for the 
establishment of ВАТ for prevention and control of the pollution. For some earlier adopted reference documents a review to take into account 
new developments has already been completed, including for the cement and lime, pulp and paper and iron and steel sectors.  

As installations – generators of harmful POPs emissions compounds are defined, being mainly chemical installations for the production of basic 
organic chemical substances such as halogen hydrocarbons; plastic materials (polymers, synthetic fibres and cellulose-based fibres); synthetic 
rubbers; dyes and pigments, as well as installations for disposal or recovery of hazardous waste, including oil recovery, re-refining or disposal 
of waste oil with capacity exceeding 10 tons per day and carrying out one or more activities for hazardous waste disposal; installations for 
incineration of household waste with capacity exceeding 3 tons per day; installations for disposal or recycling of animal carcasses or animal 
waste with capacity exceeding 10 tons per day; landfills, receiving more than 10 tons of waste per day or with a total capacity exceeding 25000 
tons, excluding landfills of inert waste.  

These installations are subject to issuing and renewal of integrated permits 

MEASURES AND ACTIONS:  

1. Implementation and enforcement of existing EU and national legislation for Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC Directive), 
relating POPs releases from unintentional production. 

2. Implementation of annual update of the inventory of POPs emissions sources in ambient air by the following 11 groups of source categories: 
heat  and  power  stations,  domestic  combustion,  combustion  processes  in  industry,  non-combustion  production  processes,  extraction  and 
processing of fuel resources, solvents usage, road transport, other transport, waste treatment and disposal, agriculture and nature resources.. 

3.  Inclusion  of  conditions  in  the  Integrated  Permits  of  combustion  installations,  metallurgical  installations,  chemical  installations  and 
installations  for  production  of  cement  clinker  for  prevention/reduce  of  POPs  emissions,  including  emission  reduction,  based  on  the  Best 
Available Techniques (ВАТ). 

4.  Application  of  BAT,  the  use  of  environmentally  sound  fuels  for  household  heating,  the  enhancement  of  the  energy  efficiency  and  the 
improvement of the quality of fuels for the transport and the renewal of the motor vehicle fleet have a significant potential for reducing the 
POPs emissions.  

5.  Integrated  prevention  and  control  of  the  pollution  from  certain  categories  of  industrial  activities  (cement  plants,  metallurgical  plants, 
installations for disposal of hazardous hospital waste and incineration of household waste etc.) through the application of ВАТ, including POPs. 

Source: Updated NIP for POPs, 2012-2020 

http://www.moew.government.bg/  

155 

 
 
Czechia 

Y 

"- Act No. 25/2008 Coll., on the Integrated Environmental Pollution Register and the Integrated System of Compliance with Reporting Duty in 
Environmental Areas, and on amendments to other acts 

- 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 

- Government Regulation No. 145/2008 Coll., on the list of substances and thresholds for the integrated register of pollution, as amended 

- Act No. 69/2013 Coll., amending Act No. 76/2002 Coll. on integrated pollution prevention and control, on the integrated pollution register 
and on amendment to some laws (Act on integrated prevention) 

- Act. No. 201/2012 Coll., on the air protection, as amended 

- Act. No. 350/2011 Coll., on chemical substances and mixtures, as amended  

- Act. No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste and amending certain other acts, as amended" 

Denmark 

Germany 

Y 

Y 

In 2014 the Danish EPA ran an awareness campaign about correct use of domestic wood stoves and boilers targeted the general public and 
several 
homepage. 
in 
advice 
Continued focus on BAT/BEP for industrial waste incineration facilities. 

available 

Danish 

Danish 

types 

EPA 

are 

the 

of 

at 

a) 

Implemented measures on the Basis for national legislation: 
Measures in relation to Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 are implemented on a legal basis and is explained below: 
European Union legislation 
Basis for implemented national legislation is Directive 2008/1/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 concerning 
integrated pollution prevention and control  (IPPC Directive), which regulates the licensing of industrial installations that are particularly relevant to 
the environment on the basis of a cross-media concept. Under this approach, emissions72 to air, water and land, along with waste management 
aspects, issues of waste management, resource and energy efficiency and the prevention of accidents are addressed. A key element of the Directive 
is the requirement that the “Best Available Techniques” (BAT) be used in all new installations and, from 2007 at the latest, also in all existing 
installations. For those installations covered by the IPPC Directive, this means that the requirement to use the best available emission reduction 
techniques for chemicals listed in Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 has been fulfilled. Industrial facilities have to report on the basis E-
PRTR VO 166/2006 EU73 https://www.thru.de/thrude/ 
It includes obligations to report annual emissions of PCDDs/PCDFs, HCB and PCBs in water, soil and air above certain specified thresholds. 
National legislation: 
The centrepiece of national legislation is the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG)74 which regulates environmental quality. Its provisions 

72 DIRECTIVE 2008/1/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 15 Jan. 2008 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (Official Journal of 
the European Union L 24/8) 
73 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 (Official Journal of the European Union L 33/1) 
74 Gesetz zum Schutz vor schädlichen Umwelteinwirkungen durch Luftverunreinigungen, Geräusche, Erschütterungen und ähnliche Vorgänge (Bundes-
Immissionsschutzgesetz- BImSchG) in the version promulgated on 26 September 2002 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 3830), last amended by the Act of 11. August 2010 (BGBl. 
I S.Federal Law Gazette I p.1163) 

156 

 
                                           
apply to the construction and operation of installations and to the manufacture, placing on the market and import of installations, fuels and other 
relevant substances. The section of the Act concerning authorisation of installations complies with Community law. A number of Administrative 
Regulations were issued based on Article 48 of the Federal Immission Control Act. They contain threshold values, amongst other things, for 
PCDDs/PCDFs that are not to be exceeded and emission values that can be feasibly adhered to using best available technology. 
Emissions to air: 
The requirement that the best available techniques be used has been implemented in the individual Immission Control Ordinances and in the 
Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA Luft)75 which stipulate limit values for maximum concentrations in atmospheric emissions from 
certain installations: 
· First Regulation implementing the Federal Immission Control Act76 
In Germany, combustion installations that do not require a license under Article 4 of the Federal Immission Control Act are subject to the 
provisions of the Ordinance on Small- and Medium Scale Combustion Plants. This ordinance has been updated recently in 2010 implementing new 
requirements concerning the quality of fuels, new pollutant limit values along with regular monitoring of emissions. The amended ordinance will 
lead to optimised combustion conditions in small installations and will achieve a general reduction in the emission of pollutants. It can be assumed 
that emissions of Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 chemicals will be further reduced as a result of optimised combustion. 
· Fourth Regulation implementing the Federal Immission Control Act77 
Certain installations are subject to official licensing. The licenses are based on emission-restricting requirements to maintain air quality on the basis 
of the best available technology as defined in more detail in the Ordinances or the Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control. 
· Thirteenth Regulation implementing the Federal Immission Control Act78  
This Ordinance regulating large combustion plant and gas turbines (13th BImSchV) sets the limit value for PCDDs/PCDFs at 0.1 ng TEQ/m³. 
· Seventeenth Regulation implementing the Federal Immission Control Act79 
This Ordinance specifies requirements relating to the construction, type, and operation of waste incinerators or co-incinerators. It stipulates that 
PCDD/PCDF concentrations in the exhaust stream of incinerators may not exceed an emissions limit value of 0.1 ng TEQ/m³. Emission limit values 
for incinerators burning solid municipal waste are also 0.1 ng TEQ/m³. 
· Nineteenth Regulation implementing the Federal Immission Control Act80 
This regulation prohibits the use of chlorinated and brominated compounds as fuel additives. 

75 Erste Allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschrift zum Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz (Technische Anleitung zur Reinhaltung der Luft - TA Luft) of 24 July 2002 (Gemeinsames 
Ministerialblatt GMBl pp. 511-605) http://www.bmu.de/files/pdfs/allgemein/application/pdf/taluft.pdf 
76 Erste Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes (Artikel 1 der Verordnung zur Neufassung der Ersten und Änderung der Vierten Verordnung 
zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes) of 15 July 1988 (Verordnung über kleine und mittlere Feuerungsanlagen –1. BImSchV) in the version promulgated 
on 14 March 1997 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 490), last amended by 26 January 2010 (Federal Law Gazette I, No. 01. February 2010 4 p. 38) 
77 Vierte Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes (Article 1 d. V zur Neufassung und Änderung von Verordnungen zur Durchführung des 
Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes) (Verordnung über genehmigungsbedürftige Anlagen – 4. BImSchV) in the version promulgated on 14 March 1997 (Federal Law Gazette I 
p. 504) last amended by the Ordinance of 11. August 2009 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 2723) 
78 Siebzehnte Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes (Verordnung über die Verbrennung und die Mitverbrennung von Abfällen – 17. 
BImSchV) in the version promulgated on 27 January 2009 Federal Law Gazette I p. 129) 
79 Dreizehnte Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes (Verordnung über Großfeuerungs- und Gasturbinenanlagen – 13 BImSchV) of 27 
January 2009 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 129) 
80 Neunzehnte Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes (Verordnung über Chlor und Bromverbindungen als Kraftstoffzusatz - 19. BImSchV) of 
17 January 1992 (Federal Law Gazette I p.75) last amended by the Act of 21 December 2000 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 1956) 

157 

 
                                           
· Twenty-seventh Regulation implementing the Federal Immission Control Act81 
Article 4, in conjunction with Annex 2, specifies an emission limit value for PCDDs/PCDFs of 0.1 ng TEQ/m3 for crematoria. In general, the 
requirements of the “Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control” must be observed when licensing installations under the Federal Immission 
Control Act. This specifies as a minimum requirement that the mass concentration of PCDDs/PCDFs in atmospheric emissions also be 0.1 ng/m³ 
and the mass flow 0.25 μg/h. For other substances that are particularly harmful to the environment, such as polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and 
dibenzofurans or polyhalogenated biphenyls, emissions must be restricted under the general requirement to reduce emissions. Any existing 
installations that did not comply with the requirements applicable to new installations with regard to best available technology, set out in the 
“Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control” as amended in 2002, had to be retrofitted as a rule by 30 October 2007. 
Emissions to water: 
Requirements relating to the discharge of effluent into water bodies are set out in permits and licenses granted under water law, as defined in Article 
2 ff. of the Federal Water Act (WHG). All these requirements are based on the use of the best available technology as a minimum to avoid and 
reduce emissions or on the corresponding BAT as defined in the IPPC Directive. The IPPC Directive is implemented in secondary legislation at 
state level. 
b) Further measures as element of the National Action Plan: 
Further action was identified referring to stationary sources and a minor source, the smoke munitions for training purposes by the military. 
i) Stationary source sector 
According to stationary sources, significant emission reductions could be reached by the further implementation of control measures in residential 
combustion facilities, accidental fires and open burning. The main emission sources for PCDD/PCDF of the industrial sectors are obliged to reduce 
emissions by the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG)82 [see also references to the corresponding part of this chapter outlining national 
legislation] and its corresponding regulations as well as the Technical Instructions on Air Quality (TA-Luft)83 by means of limit values. These 
limiting values correspond to the achievable concentrations reached by the application of the best available technique (BAT).  
The emissions of small scale combustion installations are regulated in the First Regulation on the Federal Emission Control Act (1. BImSchV)84. 
This regulation has been updated in 2010 implementing new requirements concerning the quality of fuels, pollutant emission limit values along 
with regular monitoring of emissions. The amended regulation will lead to optimised combustion conditions in small installations and will achieve a 
general reduction in the emission of pollutants, among them POPs. 
For awareness raising of relevant sources with regard to the reduction of emissions from residential combustion facilities every operator is informed 
personally by a chimney sweeper on the proper operation of his or her small scale combustion installation. Besides, subsidies are available for the 
purchase of low-emission facilities and ecolabels given to low-emission facilities should promote their distribution. 
Main source categories of open burning are the accidental fires of industrial plants and the illegal waste combustion. Emission reduction measures 

81 Siebenundzwanzigste Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes (Artikel 1 der Verordnung über Anlagen zur Feuerbestattung und zur 
Änderung der Verordnung über genehmigungsbedürftige Anlagen)(Verordnung über Anlagen zur Feuerbestattung – 27. BImSchV) of 19 March 1997 (Federal Law Gazette I 
p. 545), last amended by Article 11 of the Act of 3 May 2000 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 632) 
82 Gesetz zum Schutz vor schädlichen Umwelteinwirkungen durch Luftverunreinigungen, Geräusche, Erschütterungen und ähnliche Vorgänge (Bundes-
Immissionsschutzgesetz- BImSchG) in the version promulgated on 26 September 2002 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 3830), last amended by the Act of 25 June 2005 (Federal 
Law Gazette I p. 1865) 
83 Erste Allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschrift zum Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz (Technische Anleitung zur Reinhaltung der Luft - TA Luft) of 24 July 2002 (Gemeinsames 
Ministerialblatt GMBl pp. 511-605) http://www.bmu.de/files/pdfs/allgemein/application/pdf/taluft.pdf 
84 Erste Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes (Artikel 1 der Verordnung zur Neufassung der Ersten und Änderung der Vierten Verordnung 
zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes) of 15 July 1988 (Verordnung über kleine und mittlere Feuerungsanlagen – 1. BImSchV) in the version 
promulgated on 14 March 1997 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 490), last amended by 26 January 2010 (Federal Law Gazette I, No. 01. February 2010 4 p. 38) 

158 

 
                                           
Estonia 

Ireland  

Y 

Y 

for this source category can only be achieved by fire prevention measures as well as further ecological awareness raising of the population. 
ii) Smoke munitions for training purposes by the military 
A minor source of PCDD/F emissions is the use of smoke munitions for training purposes by the military, which is - at least in Germany - a 
relevant source of POPs created unintentionally. While the formation of PCDDs/PCDFs was ascertained to be < 50 mg/a in 2003, the quantity of 
HCH released annually was almost 1,500 kg. The departments responsible within the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) have developed an 
action plan for phasing out the use of smoke munitions which when fired cause PCDDs/ PCDFs and HCB to be formed. 
For munitions shot from tank howitzers, substitute materials are already available that from 2011 will completely replace the old smoke munitions. 
In the case of mortar munitions, phase-out is only possible in the medium term, since the introduction of substitute munitions was not scheduled to 
start until 2008. Nevertheless, the goal of continuous reduction in consumption figures has been set, with a reduction of 1/3 in 2006, followed by 
continuing reduction until complete replacement is achieved once substitute materials have been received. Implementation of the strategy was 
achieved in 2014. Current status of implementation with released HCB: 
2013 9.9 kg; 
2014 < 2 kg; 
2015 < 2 kg. 

Legal framework is in place which supports environmental permitting and sets requirements for monitoring and limiting of substances: Waste 
Act, Ambient Air Protection Act, Water Act, Chemicals Act, Industrial Emissions Act and Plant Protection Act. This enables efficient control 
of all polluting substances, including POPs. 

"National POP Regulations 

In 2010 Ireland introduced national legislation concerning POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutant Regulations 20106). The  regulations designate 
the EPA as the competent authority for the purposes of the EU POP Regulation (Regulation (EC) 850/2004). The EPA’s responsibilities include 
the  preparation  and  maintenance  of  release  inventories  and,  in  consultation  with  certain  public  authorities  concerned  and  the  public,  the 
preparation of a national action plan and implementation plan setting out how Ireland is meeting its obligations under the Stockholm Convention. 
The regulations also set out the roles of certain public authorities concerned in relation to POPs. 

Controls on emissions from major industrial and waste management activities 

The  Industrial  Emissions  Directive  (IED)7  is  the  main  EU  instrument  for  the  control  of  emissions  including  dioxins  from  major  industrial 
installations and certain waste installations. Such installations are required to have permits/licences for their operations and must comply with 
certain conditions including compliance with emission limit values. The IED supersedes seven previous directives, including the IPPC Directive, 
the Waste Incineration Directive and others8. National legislation in Ireland also addresses industrial and waste facilities  that are outside the 
scope of IED, under IPC and Waste Licensing regimes, respectively. 

In Ireland, more than 700 industrial facilities and waste facilities currently hold licences from EPA through IED, IPC and waste licensing. The 
EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement undertakes regular inspections of these operations. Emissions monitoring is also undertaken to 
ensure compliance with their licence conditions. Local Authorities also have a role in regulating and enforcing specified waste activities. 

EPA licensed operations are required to operate to Best Available Techniques (BAT) Guidance and have monitoring requirements imposed as 
part of their licences. The concept of BAT is further strengthened in the IED, where BAT Conclusions are legally binding once published as 

159 

 
 
Commission Implementing Decisions and are the reference for setting the licence conditions at installations covered by the IED. In addition, 
for activities regulated by Irish legislation (e.g. under IPC and Waste Licensing regimes) the principles of BAT are applied. Where relevant, 
controls  on  POPs  emissions  are  included  in  order  to  ensure  BAT  compliance  and  minimise  emissions  from  specific  sectors.  Three  metal 
shredders operate in Ireland and measures have been built into their licences to address control and monitoring of POPs from the activity. 

National Waste Prevention Programme 

Under the National Waste Prevention Programme the EPA publishes annual reports detailing the work that was carried out under the programme 
which includes work that has been undertaken in relation to POPs and PCBs. The annual reports for 2012, 2013 and 2014 are available at: 

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/waste/prevention/. The annual report for 2015 is due to be published in the coming months. 

National Hazardous Waste Management Plan 

The National Hazardous Waste Management Plan 2014 - 2020 is the third National Hazardous Waste Management Plan to be issued, the first 
plan having been published in 2001. The NHWMP 

Code of Practice for unregulated waste disposal sites 

Controls on waste disposal by burning 

Farm Hazardous Waste Collection Scheme 

Restrictions on the sale and residential use of bituminous fuels 

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food 

Greece  

Spain  

France  

Other enforcement activities 

No response  

No information provided  

Y 

Y 

Reduction of emissions to air and land: 

A third National plan Environmental health was adopted covering 2015-2019 with an overall aim to reduce emissions. The plan includes an 
action to reduce 6 toxic substances, including dioxines and furans, PDB and HAP. The objective was to reduce emissions to air and water by 
30% between 2007 and 2013. 

The third paln focusses on contamination of soil/land, actions started in 2015. The actions to prevent and reduce exposure to contamination 
consider the diffuse character of the sources and the vulnarables groups (e.g. children). First action focuses on PCB, a second one relates to 
protecting the population against risks from using pestices in oversea areas (use of chlodecone in the Antilles). 

Reduction of emissions to water: 

160 

 
 
Croatia  

Y 

In  2013  hazardouses  substances  from  all  installations  discharging  industrial  wastewater  needed  to  be  monitored  and  for  some  of  these 
substances, technical and economic studies envisaging the reduction  these emissions will have to be undertaken by the operator, including 
establishing a plan of the envisaged reduction measures. 

In 2010, a micropollutant plan 2010-2013 was launched to define the global for reducing the presence of micropollutants in aquatic environments 
and to describe the corresponding actions. 14 POPs are included in this plan: hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclohexane, pentachlorobenzene, 
aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, DDT, heptachlor, chlordane, chlordecone, mirex, toxaphene, PFOS and PCBs. 

At  the  end  of  2014,  3722  establishments  representing  41  sectors  of  activity  had  been  controlled.  Approximately  500,000  analyzes  were 
performed and 112 substances analyzed. 

A second micropolluting plan (2016-2021) has just been implemented. 

Reductions in exposures to Chlordecone 

The government has put in place important means through a first (2008-2010) and second national action plan (2011-2013) to respond to the 
pollution by the chlordecone, to secure populations and take into account the impacts of this protection in agriculture and fisheries." 

Action plan: Measures to reduce releases from unintentional production (Article 5) 
Highest emissions of PCDD and PCDF occur due to residential wood burning. Other activities that contribute to these emissions are the 
processes of steel production in arc furnaces, fuel combustion in transport sectors, waste incineration and cremation. The HCB emission 
occurs mainly due to biomass and solid fuel combustion and to a lesser extent from waste incineration, if it exists in the county. In the 
Republic of Croatia, dominant source of HCB emission is fuel combustion in the stationary energy sectors. The dominant source of PCBs is 
emission from the refrigeration and air conditioning equipment using halogenated hydrocarbons and the electrical equipment. Other sources 
like steel production, clinical waste incineration and fuel combustion have minor contribution in total PCBs emission in the Republic of 
Croatia. 

The main objective of this action plan is to ensure an adequate framework for the PCDD/PCDF management in the Republic of Croatia, 
including the reduction and prevention of their future releases into the environment. 
As Parties to the Stockholm Convention have an obligation to revise action plan related to Article 5 every five years, during the revision of 
NIP this activity was made. Those action plans / activities and measures are included in this document. 

The proposed measures are divided into four categories of activities / specific objectives: 
1. Further development and maintenance of POPs releases inventory 
2. Strengthening the capacity of the competent authorities, enhancing cooperation and information dissemination for the efficient management 
of POPs 
3. Development and dissemination of information program 
4. Reduction and elimination of the releases of POPs listed in Annex C 

1. Further development and maintenance of POPs releases inventory 

161 

 
 
 
 
Proposed measures: 
• Harmonization of reporting requirements for making and reporting under LRTAP Convention and Stockholm Convention 
• Development of instructions/guidelines for data collection and inventory 
• Periodic Review of the Emission Inventory 
Measures within the framework of these activities aim to improve the methods of data collection and future revisions of the Emission 
Inventory. First of all, it is necessary to compare and harmonize the reporting requirements under LRTAP Convention and Stockholm 
Convention in order to allow better insight into activity data in each category of sources, as well as information on the status of equipment for 
emission reduction / restriction and data on specific technological processes, and to avoid duplication in data collection process. 

2. Strengthening the capacity of the competent authorities, enhancing cooperation and information dissemination for the efficient management 
of POPs 

Proposed measure: 
• Further improvements in the implementation of the supervision over the fulfilment of the requirements of the Stockholm Convention. 

Implementation of the Convention and efficient management of POPs require inclusion of bodies and organization from different fields of 
responsibility. To ensure adequate cooperation and information dissemination as well as regular monitoring of implementation it is necessary 
to further improve the implementation of the supervision over the fulfilment of the requirements of the Stockholm Convention.  

3. Reduction and elimination of the releases of POPs listed in Annex C 

Proposed measures: 
• The implementation of measures from the Plan for air protection, ozone layer and climate change mitigation in the Republic of Croatia for 
the period from 2013 to 2017 (Official Gazette, No. 139/13); further work on the promotion and enhancement of energy efficiency in the 
industrial and public sectors, as well as households, renewable energy, and education and dissemination of information about the proper use 
of fuel and management of fuel combustion plants and the effects of uncontrolled combustion in residential buildings. 
• Dissemination of information about the hazards and potential hazards to health and the environment. 

Important target group for reduction of releases of POPs listed in Annex C is households, which participate with around 65 % in total air 
emissions of dioxins and furans. Reduction of these releases includes measures for awareness raising and informing the public on the 
appropriate selection of combustion plants and fuel and the effects of uncontrolled combustion in residential buildings. 

In addition, the existence of sites contaminated with POPs listed in Annex C has not been confirmed during the inventory of POPs in first NIP 
and contaminated sites were only preliminary recognized. A prerequisite for the determination of contaminated sites is a consideration / 
adjustment of existing and / or new regulations that will determine the limit values of pollutants in soil for various purposes. The present legal 
framework exists for the soil used in agricultural purpose, the Ordinance on Agricultural Land Protection against Pollution (Official Gazette, 
No. 9/14).  

162 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Italy  

Cyprus 

Latvia 

No response  

No information provided  

Y 

Y 

Various measures to reduce uncontrolled burning have been taken. These are explained in detail in the updated National Implementation Plan 
of Stockholm Convention for Persistent Organic Pollutants (NIP) which has been communicated to the Secretariat of the POPs Convention on 
the 24/10/2014. 

Fireworks are checked for Hexachlorobenzene before their import to the Cyprus market. 

"Law ""On Pollution"" and Cabinet of Ministers November 30, 2010 Regulations Nr. 1082 ""Procedures for applying for Category A, B and C 
polluting activities and for issuing permits for Category A and B polluting activities"" (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) shall be 
provided for by Directive No. 2010/75 / EU on the Implementation of the Requirements for Industrial Emissions in Latvia. Contamination 
permits include conditions 

on the characterization of emission sources in the air and compliance with certain emission limits, on the management of hazardous chemical 
substances and mixtures (in the manufacture of raw materials, consumables or in the form of intermediates or finished products). 

The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E  - PRTR) established pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council. 166/2006 on Europe 

The introduction of the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register is compiled by information from annual national statistical reports “No.2-Air. 
Air Defence Review, No.2-Water. Overview of Water Use ”and“ No.3-Waste. Waste Overview" 

Lithuania  

No response  

No information provided  

Luxembourg 

Y 

see response to III.2.1 

Hungary 

Malta  

No response  

No information provided  

No response  

No information provided  

Netherlands  

Y 

a. The IPPC and IED directives are applicable to a number of sources 

b. A license following national law is granted 

c. The license may contain conditions on emissions  

Austria 

Poland 

Y 

Y 

The NAP 2008, the NAP 2012 as well as the NAP 2017 listed a variety of measures which on the one hand contribute to lower POPs emissions 
from relevant sources and which on the other hand would improve the availability of data on POPs in the environment.  

The NAP 2017 evaluates the measures, lists implemented measures and proposes additional activities.  

In the reporting period, there were no changes in relation to the data provided  in the three-Year report for the period from 1 January 2007 until 
31 December 2010 

163 

 
 
Portugal  

Romania 

Slovenia 

N/R 

Y 

Y 

No response received  

See the information included in the triennial report submitted in 2013 for the period 2010-2012. 

"Fundamental Slovenian strategic document in the field of environmental protection is the Resolution on National Environmental Action Plan 
2005-2012 (OJ RS, No. 2/2006). Its basic goals are improvement of environment, quality of life and protection of natural resources. It addresses 
climate change, nature and biodiversity, waters, air, chemicals, noise, electromagnetic radiation, urban environment, waste, industrial pollution 
and related international commitments. For each of the above mentioned areas, targets, preferential tasks and measures to achieve the targets 
are set. Based on NEAP, policies for specific issues are developed. For POPs, the following three policy documents are relevant: 

• National Implementation Plan (NIP) as pursuant to article 7 of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (adopted by the 
Government in 2009); 

•  Action  plan  of  reduction  and  minimization  of  releases  of  PAH,  PCDD/DF  and  HCB  (in  use  by  the  Ministry  of    Agriculture  and    the 
Environment  

•  Operational programme for the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls for the period of 2009 – 2012 (adopted 
by the Government on 19.3.2009) 

•  Operational programme for the disposal of waste and a programme of prevention of waste in the RS, June 2016 

The Environment Protection Act (OJ RS, No 41/04, 20/06, 39/06, 70/08, 108/09, 48/12, 57/12, 92/13, 56/15, 102/15, 30/16, 61/17-GZ and 
21/18-ZNorg)  requires  that  all  major  stationary  sources  have  to  apply  for  an  integrated  environmental  permit  (for  larger  so  called  IPPC 
installations and for smaller installations). This applies to both existing and new installations, which is regulated in Decree on activities and 
installations causing large-scale environmental pollution (OJ RS, No.  57/15); Decree on the emission of substances into the atmosphere from 
stationary sources of pollution (OJ. RS, No.  31/07, 70/08, 61/09 and 50/13) and Rules on initial measurements and operational monitoring of 
the emission of substances into the atmosphere from stationary pollution sources and on the conditions for their implementation (OJ. RS, No. 
70/1996, OJ. RS, No. 71/2000, 99/2001, 17/2003, 105/2008). For existing industrial installations permits in most cases are issued and some are 
still in preparation; the emission reduction requirements in permits are based on BAT, as defined in the BREF documents of the European IPPC 
Bureau in Sevilla. 

PCB in existing products, when taken out of use, is considered in Slovenian legislation as hazardous waste and has to be treated accordingly, in 
line with the EU legislation and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. 

Production of electrical equipment containing PCB (transformers and capacitors) in Slovenia  was terminated in January 1985. A study  “A 
Concept  of  Handling  the  PCB/PCT  in  Slovenia”  was  made  in  1999.  The  Ministry  for  Environment  and  Spatial  Planning  also  defined  the 
measures on how to eliminate electrical equipment (capacitors or transformers) contaminated with PCB from 2003 to 2006.  PCB  containing 
equipment has to be registered to the competent authority - ARSO. The following data have to be reported: location and amount of the PCB 
equipment in kg (it comprises the amount of PCB substance and the overall contaminated parts of the equipment – an estimation), the planned 

164 

 
 
(estimated) date of the disposal of the PCB equipment, type of the PCB equipment (whether it is a transformer, capacitor or waste oil containing 
PCB) and the name of the owner (legal person) responsible for the PCB equipment and its disposal. ARSO keeps the inventory on these data. 

It is also obligatory for the proprietors / owners of the PCB/PCT equipment to report to the competent authority, whether they disposed of the 
PCB equipment and when and how the PCB equipment was disposed of and in addition where it was sent according to the principles of shipment 
of hazardous waste.  

Slovenia has taken all necessary measures to ensure that all PCB/PCT containing material in the environment will be disposed until 2010. Based 
on the Directive 96/59/EC on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT), the following legislative 
documents were adopted and implemented in Slovenia: 

- Rules on the Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polychlorinated Terphenyls (OJ RS, No. 15/00, 54/02, 18/03) – no longer valid  - 
replaced by another legislative act 

-  Operational  programme  for  the  disposal  of  polychlorinated  biphenyls  and  polychlorinated  terphenyls  for    2003-2006  (adopted  by  the 
Government in 2003) – no longer valid – replaced by another programme 

- Decree on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls, (OJ RS, No. 34/08 and 9/09), 

- Operational programme for the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls for the period of 2009 – 2012 (adopted 
by the Government on 19.03.2009), 

- Decree on waste (OJ RS, No.  37/15 and 69/15),   

- Decree on waste oils (OJ RS, No. 24/12 ),  

It  should  be  stated,  that  all  the  PCB/PCT  waste  (capacitors  and  transformers)  were  not  disposed  until  the  end  of  2010,  but  the  quantity  is 
diminishing over the years. 

Slovakia  

Y 

Within the SR, the emission limit values for waste incineration plants and equipment are applied co-incineration of waste, which are listed in 
Annex VI of the European Parliament Directive and Council Directive 2010/75 / EU of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions. 

Finland  

Yes, as a part of 
the National 
Implementation 
Plan (NIP) for the 
Stockholm 
Convention. 
Latest update is 
from 2012 
(www.ymparisto.f
i/POP). 

The following measures, inter alia, have been included in the National Action Plan and the NIP: 
• Regulating emission requirements for stoves, furnaces, and boilers to be placed on the market. Other measures will include ensuring proper 
combustion by means of instructions and training 
• Providing citizens with education on the combustion of wood and other biofuels. 
• Paying special attention to the good management of PCDD/F and PCB releases in the environmental permit process when dealing with 
industrial processes, energy production, and waste incineration. 
• Improving companies’ awareness of POPs, their management, and obligations concerning their release. Permit applications will examine the 
possible formation of dioxin and furan releases in industrial and energy production processes. 
• The authorities produce new data on POPs created during industrial processes and combustion to support the environmental permit process 
and companies’ voluntary environmental management systems. 
• Measures to reduce traffic related emissions and landfills  

165 

 
Sweden 

Y 

• Rehabilitation plan for river Kymi’s contaminated sediments 
• Mapping the possibilities to reduce or to prevent POP emissions from landfills 
• Evaluating more detailed the atmospheric emission for PeCB. Estimating the emissions of PeCB, HCB and PCB on surface water and soil 
• Screening the POP concentrations in slude and evaluating the possible risks of using sewage sludge on agriculture or on landscaping 
purposes 
It is also worth mentioning that in 2012 a decision to not remediate the sediments of River Kymi for the time being was made based on 
Environmental Impact Assessment. River Kymi is the most significant source of POPs in Finland today, and also accounts for the largest 
single input of dioxins into the Baltic Sea. The total amount of contaminated sediments between Kuusankoski and the Gulf of Finland is 
approximately 5 million cubic meters. These sediments contain about 6,000 kg of PCDD/F (corresponding to 17 kg ITEQ). Concentrations of 
PCDD/F up to 350 μg/kg ITEQ have been recorded in riverbed sediments. The river also transports polychlorinated phenols (PCP, max. conc. 
720 ìg/kg) and polychlorinated diphenyl ether (PCDE, 500 ìg/kg) into the Gulf of Finland. 
This EIA can be downloaded at http://ely-
centralen.fi/fi/ELYkeskukset/KaakkoisSuomenELY/Tehtavatjatoiminta/ProjektitJaHankkeet/Documents/Environmental%20impact%20asses
ment%20procedure.pdf   
(14 MB) 

"Primary sources: In Sweden has an environmental legislation that requires the use of BAT as long as not unreasonable. This legislation also 
applies to sources of substances listed in Annex III and is for example used in permitting situations. This approach has resulted in concrete 
measures to prevent and reduce releases from the industrial sectors. There are however some sectors where further measures to reduce releases 
may be necessary. One example is the metallurgical sector, where there is still reasonable scope to reduce releases to air, in particular of dioxins. 
Another area in which further measures may be necessary is the small and medium scale burning of bio-fuels and other alternative fuels.  

National regulation on chlorinated dioxins and furans exist in relation to the incineration of waste, under chapter four in the Industrial emission 
directive ((IED) (2010/75 EU). In Sweden this directive is implemented as general binding rules setting minimum standards for the whole waste 
incineration (and co-incineration) sector. Since the regulation not only includes emission limit values but also construction and management 
obligations, it is also expected to promote the reduction of other POPs than dioxins and furans. 

Secondary sources: Studies of the contributions of secondary and diffuse sources to overall environmental loadings of POPs, especially those 
that are directly connected to exposure of humans and wildlife are undertaken. Sweden is also participating at the global level to support the 
work to achieve the objectives of the Stockholm Convention. 

Households: Information and guidance are key instruments, alongside general regulations and their enforcement. Above all, it is necessary to 
create  an  awareness  of  the  importance  of  the  selection  of  optimal  fuel  and  good  practices,  and  that  these  individual  choices,  make  major 
difference to emissions. There are information campaigns done by central agencies and municipalities.   

Contaminated sites (soil, waters and sediments). Extensive work to investigate (including assessing the risks) and (when needed in order to 
reduce risks, remediate contaminated sites in Sweden is undertaken.  

166 

 
 
transboundary 

Long-range 
report: 
http://www.naturvardsverket.se/Documents/publikationer6400/978-91-620-6566-9.pdf)  dealt  with  dioxins  and  PCB  in  the  Baltic  and  was 
terminated in 2012. Peak levels of dioxins appeared during 1966-84 in coastal hot-spot areas, and later (1982-96) in off-shore areas. Sources 
related to air emission are and have been important for the Baltic region throughout the studied time period, and particularly so for the southern 
sub-basins. Previous mass-balance modelling has shown that reduction of air levels will also reduce future water and sediment levels in the 
Baltic Sea. 

programme 

pollution: 

(Baltic 

POPs 

The 

air 

United 
Kingdom  

Y 

The  Industrial  emissions  Directive  (formally  the  Integrated  Pollution  Prevention  and  Control  (IPPC))  and  related  measures  has  led  to  a 
significant reduction of releases from industrial source sectors.  The introduction of the Clean Air Act in 1956 required the use of ‘smokeless 
fuels’  for  domestic  space  heating  in  towns  and  cities  to  reduce  particle  emissions  which  consequently  reduced  the  emissions  of  pollutants 
associated with such combustion processes.  Since then increasing spread of the natural gas network and domestic heat saving initiatives has 
significantly  further decreased emissions  from domestic  solid fuel use. The implementation of  measures on  waste  management  has altered 
domestic  waste  disposal  behaviour  and  publicity  has  helped  raised  public  awareness  about  good  practice  in  backyard  burning.   
The  United  Kingdom  has  a  well-established  source  inventory  for  emissions  to  air,  this  may  be  found  at:  http://naei.defra.gov.uk 
A  comprehensive  multimedia  inventory  has  also  been  established.  This  currently  provides  emissions  data  for  air,  water,  land,  residue  and 
product vectors. This will positively increase the knowledge base which will inform measures to minimise emissions. 

167