Understanding EU Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation: An Overview

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are toxic, long-lasting, and globally regulated. Found in electronics, textiles, pesticides, and industrial waste, POPs are now at the center of Europe’s toughest environmental law: Regulation (EU) 2019/1021.

What Are POPs?

POPs — Persistent Organic Pollutants — are hazardous chemicals that:

• Persist in the environment
• Bioaccumulate in living organisms
• Travel globally through air, water, and wildlife
• Cause serious health issues like cancer, reproductive harm, immune disruption, and neurological damage

Even in low concentrations, POPs are dangerous. Exposure comes from food, air, and everyday materials — from flame-retardant plastics in electronics to surfactants and coatings in textiles.

Examples include:

• DDT – pesticide
• PCBs – industrial chemicals
• Dioxins & Furans – by-products of combustion or degradation
• PFHxS – added in 2023 under EU POPs Recast

What Is the EU POPs Regulation?

The EU POPs Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 enforces the Stockholm Convention across all EU member states. It restricts or bans substances that meet POP criteria and ensures their safe management throughout the product lifecycle.

EU POPs Regulation Timeline:

• Replaces POP Regulation (EC) No 850/2004
• Came into force July 2019
• Continuously updated with new substances added to its Annexes

EU POPs Core Compliance Requirements

Under EU POPs, companies must:

• Ban the use of POPs listed in Annex I (unless exemptions apply)
• Restrict certain uses under Annex II
• Control and reduce emissions of unintentional POPs (Annex III)
• Dispose of POPs waste following strict thresholds (Annex IV & V)

This regulation affects all manufacturers, importers, and recyclers in the EU, especially in electronics, chemicals, agriculture, coatings, and flame retardants.

EU POPs Recast: What Changed?

The recast regulation aligned POP definitions with REACH and the Waste Framework Directive and included:

1. New POPs added to Annex I

   • Deca-BDE and PCP (Pentachlorophenol)
   • Limited exemptions for Deca-BDE in electronics

2. Lower trace limits

   • For Tetra- to Hepta-BDEs as unintentional contaminants

3. New substances in Annex III

   • Pentachlorobenzene, Hexachlorobutadiene, Polychlorinated naphthalenes

4. PFHxS group added in 2023

   • Including salts and related degradation compounds
   • Regulated under EU POPs Annex I as of August 2023

5. PFOS Controls Strengthened under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/718 The latest amendment tightens controls on Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) to align with updated technical and scientific feasibility:

   • Entry renamed to: “PFOS, its salts and PFOS-related compounds” — now explicitly covering salts and degradation compounds.

   • Stricter UTC (Unintentional Trace Contaminant) thresholds:

     • PFOS and its salts: lowered to 0.025 mg/kg (0.0000025% by weight)
     • Sum of PFOS-related compounds: capped at 1 mg/kg (0.0001% by weight)

   • Obsolete provisions removed:

     • Elimination of the exemption for PFOS as a mist suppressant in non-decorative hard chromium (VI) plating
     • Removal of references to analytical method availability

   • Effective Date:

     • Regulation takes effect 20 days after publication in the Official Journal
     • New limits apply from 3 December 2025, giving stakeholders time to adapt

Who Enforces the EU POPs Regulation?

• European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) coordinates implementation
• National enforcement authorities handle inspections and penalties
• ECHA also proposes new POPs for listing under the Stockholm Convention

How to Stay Compliant: 5 Key Steps

1. Know your legal obligations — based on where your products are sold
2. Engage suppliers — and request POPs declarations across your BOM
3. Screen materials — for banned or restricted substances in Annexes I–III
4. Replace legacy chemicals — with safer alternatives where possible
5. Track regulation updates — to avoid surprises in your next audit

Why Acquis Makes POPs Compliance Easier

Staying compliant isn’t just about having a database — it’s about visibility, action, and proof. Acquis gives manufacturers the tools and workflows to manage POPs risk with confidence.

Here’s how we help:

• BOM analysis + screening for Annex I/II substances
• Supplier engagement workflows for declaration collection
• Live regulation tracking for EU POPs, Stockholm Convention, TSCA, and REACH
• On-demand reports for internal audits and external enforcement

You don’t need more spreadsheets — you need systemized compliance.

POPs compliance isn’t optional if you sell into the EU. Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 is strict, updated regularly, and enforced at the national level.

Acquis helps you stay compliant, stay ready, and stay in business.

Need help navigating EU POPs and supplier screening?

Book a compliance risk review with Acquis. Let’s assess your current exposure and close the gaps before they become enforcement actions.