POP Convention

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) entered into force on 17 May 2004. POPs are a group of chemicals prone to incorporating into fatty tissue.

Moreover, they feature a long half-life. Among their hazardous properties are, however, primarily their volatility, which leads to those substances being transported over long distances in the atmosphere.
 
Accordingly, they accumulate at the poles, but also in the European Alps due to their sink function, which was examined in the course of the INTERREG project “MONARPOP (Monitoring Network in the Alpine Region for Persistent Organic Pollutants)” in cooperation with regions in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia. After its completion in 2007, POP atmosphere measurements were continuously pursued at several Alpine peaks (Sonnblick (Austria), Zugspitze (Bavaria) and Weissfluhjoch (Switzerland)).

January 2008 saw the announcement of Annex G to the Stockholm Convention with regard to the settlement of disputes.

On 25 August 2008, Austria submitted the National POP Implementation Plan including the National Action Plan (concerning unintentionally formed POP) to the 4th Conference of the Parties to the Convention.

On 14 August 2012, the National POP Implementation Plan that had been revised pursuant to Article 7 Para 1 lit b including the National Action Plan was approved by the Austrian Council of Ministers and forwarded to the Secretariat of the POP Convention on 27 August 2012 on behalf of the Federal Government. Thus, Austria has complied with its obligations as prescribed by the Stockholm Convention as well as by the European POP Regulation.

In June 2018, a seminar will be held on the future of the Convention in Riga, Latvia.

Currently, the Convention lists 26 hazardous chemicals in Annexes A, B and C.

Annex A:

  • Aldrin
  • Chlordane
  • Chlordecone
  • Dieldrin
  • Endrin
  • Mirex
  • Heptachlor
  • Hexabromobiphenyl
  • Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD)
  • Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether
  • Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
  • Alpha-HCH
  • Beta-HCH
  • Lindane
  • Pentachlorobenzene
  • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)
  • Endosulfan
  • Tetrabromodiphenyl ether
  • Pentabromodiphenyl ether
  • Toxaphene (camphechlor)
  • Chlorinated naphtalenes
  • Hexachlorobutadiene
  • Pentachlorophenol (PCP)

Annex B:

  • DDT
  • PFOS

Annex C:

  • Dioxins
  • Furans
  • Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
  • Pentachlorobenzene
  • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)

At the eighth Conference of the Parties, deca-BDE, short-chain chlorinated paraffins and dicofol were included in the Convention; this amendment will enter into force on 18 December 2018.