(1)

Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 implements in the law of the Union the commitments set out in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (hereinafter ‘the Convention’) approved by Council Decision 2006/507/EC of 14 October 2004 concerning the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community, of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2) and in the Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants (hereinafter ‘the Protocol’) approved by Council Decision 2004/259/EC of 19 February 2004 concerning the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community, of the Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants (3).

(2)

Following nominations of substances received from the European Union and its Member States, Norway and Mexico, the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee established under the Convention has concluded its work on the nine proposed substances, which have been found to meet the criteria of the Convention. At the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on 4–8 May 2009 (hereinafter ‘COP4’) it was agreed to add all nine substances to the Annexes to the Convention.

(3)

In view of the decisions taken at COP4 it is necessary to update Annexes I and III to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004. Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 should be amended to take into account that substances can be listed only in the Convention.

(4)

The COP4 decided to list eight of the substances in Annex A (elimination) to the Convention. The ninth substance, Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives (hereinafter PFOS) is still widely used worldwide and COP4 decided to list it in Annex B (restriction) with a range of exemptions. Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 has a similar structure with Annex I (prohibition) and Annex II (restriction). The Convention contains obligations to prohibit or restrict production, use, import and export of the substances listed in its Annexes A and B. By listing the substance covered by the COP4 decisions in Regulation (EC) No 850/2004, the scope of the restriction is brought in conformity with the COP4 decision as Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 includes conditions for production, use and waste management in addition to restricting placing on the market.

(5)

Placing on the market and use of PFOS has been restricted in the Union by virtue of Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) (4). The existing restriction on PFOS in the Union contains only few exemptions compared to those included in the COP4 decision. PFOS was also listed in Annex I to the revised Protocol adopted on 18 December 2009. Therefore PFOS should be listed together with the other eight substances in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004. Derogations that were applicable for PFOS when listed in Annex XVII are carried over and listed in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 with only few amendments. The derogations should be subject to the use of best available technique where applicable. The specific derogation to use PFOS as wetting agents for use in controlled electroplating systems is time limited in accordance with the COP4 decision. If technically justified the deadline can be prolonged, subject to approval by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. Member States must report every four years on the use of the allowed derogations. The European Union as a Party to the Convention should report to it based on the Member State reports. The Commission should continue to review the remaining derogations and the availability of safer alternative substances or technologies.

(6)

The provisions in Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 regarding substances occurring as an unintentional trace contaminant should be defined for PFOS to ensure a harmonised enforcement and control of that Regulation, while at the same time guaranteeing conformity with the Convention. By virtue of Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 PFOS was allowed to be used in quantities below certain thresholds. Until further information becomes available, the thresholds in Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 for PFOS in articles correspond to a level below which PFOS can not be meaningfully used while enabling control and enforcement through existing methods. These thresholds should therefore limit the use of PFOS to a level corresponding to unintentional trace contaminants. For PFOS as substances or in preparations, this Regulation should establish a threshold corresponding to a similar level. To rule out intentional use, this level should be lower than the level applied in Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.

(7)

Placing on the market and use of pentabromodiphenyl ether and octabromodiphenyl ether have been restricted in the Union by virtue of Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 with a maximum concentration limit of 0,1 % by weight below which it is not considered restricted. The COP4 decided to list congeners present in the commercial forms of pentabromodiphenyl ethers and octabromodiphenyl ethers having POPs characteristics. For reasons of coherence the listing in Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 should follow the approach of Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 for those derivatives identified by COP4 as having POP characteristics; therefore hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether, tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether derivatives should be listed in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004.

(8)

The provisions in Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 regarding substances occurring as an unintentional trace contaminant should be defined for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to ensure a harmonised enforcement and control of that Regulation, while at the same time guaranteeing conformity with the Convention. This Regulation should establish a fixed threshold for considering unintentional trace contaminants regarding PBDEs in substances, preparations and articles. Subject to further information that becomes available and a review by the Commission, in line with the objectives of this Regulation, the thresholds in Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 for PBDEs in articles produced from recycled materials should limit the use of PBDEs to unintentional trace contaminants in that they are considered to correspond to a level below which PBDEs can not be meaningfully used while enabling control and enforcement through existing methods. For PBDEs as substances, in preparations or in articles, this Regulation should establish a threshold corresponding to a similar level.

(9)

It is necessary to clarify that the prohibition in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 does not apply to articles containing PBDEs and PFOS already in use on the date of entry into force of this Regulation.

(10)

DDT and Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH), including lindane, should be listed without derogations. Part A of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 allows Member States to maintain existing production and use of DDT for the production of dicofol. No Member State is currently using the derogation. In addition, dicofol was denied for inclusion in Annex I to Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market (5) as well as in Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (6). That derogation should therefore be deleted. HCH, including lindane, is listed in Part B of Annex I Regulation (EC) No 850/2004, with two specific derogations for certain specific uses. The derogations expired on 1 September 2006 and on 31 December 2007 and should therefore be deleted.

(11)

In conformity with the COP4 decisions pentachlorobenzene should be added to Annexes I and III to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 so that it becomes subject to a general prohibition as well as the release reduction provisions in that Regulation. Chlordecone and hexabromobiphenyl should be moved to Annex I, Part A as they are now listed to both international instruments.

(12)

In accordance with Article 22 of the Convention, amendments to Annexes A, B and C thereto enter into force one year from the date of communication by the depositary of an amendment, which will fall on 26 August 2010. Consequently and for reasons of coherence this Regulation should apply from the same date. This Regulation should therefore enter into force as a matter of urgency.

(13)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Directive 67/548/EEC,