14 October 2011: The seventh meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC 7) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) addressed a number of emerging concerns, in addition to reviewing substances nominated for listing in the Stockholm Convention’s annexes, and established intersessional working groups to address the emerging issues that go beyond the Committee’s usual scope.

POPRC 7 took place from 10-14 October 2011, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Committee adopted decisions on, inter alia: advancing chlorinated naphthalenes and hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) to the risk profile stage; recommending that parties consider listing hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in Annexes A, B, and/or C of the Convention; effective participation in the Committee’s work; the assessment of alternatives to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in open applications, DDT, and endosulfan; and the implications of climate change on POPs.

POPRC 7 also established nine intersessional working groups to address HBCD, HCBD, chlorinated naphthalenes, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its salts and esters, alternatives to endosulfan and DDT, alternatives to PFOS in open applications, the draft risk profile on short-chained chlorinated paraffins, consideration of toxic interactions, and the impact of climate change on the Committee’s work. These working groups will report back at POPRC 8, which is scheduled for October 2012.

The POPRC did not reach a decision on PCP, and agreed to a proposed work programme which includes: inviting stakeholders to conduct studies on PCP in relevant environmental conditions, and establishing an intersessional working group to prepare the outcome of the work programme for consideration at POPRC 8. [IISD RS Coverage of POPRC 7] [UN Press Release]