In a CARACAL meeting, the European Commission has introduced the latest update of the ‘Rolling List of (groups of) substances for restriction’, which is part of the Restrictions Roadmap. HEAL has provided feedback to the updated rolling list and note concerns on the repeated delays in the implementation of restrictions of groups of substances that have been included in the Roadmap for several years.
HEAL supports the EU’s proposal to list PBDD/F and PBCDD/F as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Annex C (= unintentional production) under the Stockholm Convention, due to the chemicals’ persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties as well as the well documented global exposure to the pollutants.
PBDD/F and PBCDD/F are dangerous unintended degradation products of brominated flame retardants or other brominated aromatics, with clear adverse effects on humans and ecosystems.