On 13th June, the Council adopted stricter rules on the so-called Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), a list of chemical substances which are dangerous for both the human health and the environment. The adoption of the recast regulation marks the convergence of EU rules with those contained in the Stockholm Convention, while also bringing them closer to other EU policies, for example on chemicals.
Persistent Organic Pollutants
POPs are organic compounds of anthropogenic origin which are transported across international boundaries, far from their sources, and persist in the environment, accumulate in the food chain, and thereby pose a threat to human health and the environment.
Such chemical substances as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and DDT, have been associated with adverse human health effects, sometimes expressed through asthma-like symptoms due to chronic and/or occupational exposure.
The adoption of the regulation was the final step in the legislative procedure, and its implementation will be binding in all Member States.