EU POP
June 28, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.
New Substance Additions Proposed for EU POP Regulation
Provisional deal to add 6 substance groups to list of restricted substances under EU POP agreed upon
On June 21, the European Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal to add new chemical restrictions to the EU Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP) regulation.
The proposed regulation aims to bring the EU’s legislation into line with its international commitments, particularly under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
To achieve this, it will add some substances to annex IV of the POP Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants) and update the concentration limit values for some substances in annexes IV and V of that regulation.
The proposal concerns mainly the following substances:
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its salts and related compounds – found in waterproof textiles and fire-fighting foams
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) – flame retardants found in plastics and textiles used in electrical and electronic equipment, vehicles and furniture;
- Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) – flame retardant found in some plastic and textile waste, particularly in polystyrene insulation from demolition of buildings;
- Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) – flame retardants found in some rubber and plastic waste, such as rubber conveyor belts, hoses, cables and seals;
- Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) – these substances are not produced or added to materials intentionally but are present as impurities in certain ashes and in other industrial waste;
- Dioxin-like PCBs – similar to dioxins, these PCBs can be present as impurities in some ashes and industrial oils. Limits for these specific PCBs are proposed, together with those for dioxins.
The agreed upon deal will now be submitted for endorsement by the Committee of permanent representatives, and a formal adoption procedure will then be launched.
A press release of the announcement can be found here.