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The Stockholm Convention on POPs; the treaty and interim work

Bo WahlströmSenior Scientific Advisor,UNEP Chemicals

“Persistent Toxic Substances Contamination in the European Region”, Brno, 10-12 November 2003

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OUTLINE

Presentation will address Stockholm ConventionPOPs Global Monitoring Programme

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Background: The “UNEP 12”

Aldrin, Dieldrin, EndrinDDT, Heptachlor, ChlordaneMirex, ToxapheneHexachlorobenzene (HCB)PCBsChlorinated dioxins and furans

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Stockholm Convention

UNEP GC Decision 18/32 (May 1995) to assess need for global instrumentUNEP GC Decision 19/13C (Feb. 1997) to initiate negotiationsAdopted and signed at Diplomatic Conference in Stockholm, May 2001Entry into force 2004Effectiveness evaluation +4years; 2008

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Relevant Provisions of SC

– Control provisions:Intentionally Produced POPsUnintentionally Produced POPs

– Procedure for adding new POPs

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Intentionally Produced POPs

Goal of the Convention:– elimination of production and use of all intentionally produced POPs

(i.e., industrial chemicals and pesticides) To achieve this goal, the production and use of an intentionally produced POP will be either eliminated or restricted and, in each case, trade will be restrictedAnnex A lists 9 chemicals slated for “elimination”

– aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor– hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex– polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxaphene

Annex B lists 1 chemical (DDT) slated for “restriction”, for which there is a specified “Acceptable Purpose”

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Unintentionally Produced POPs

Goal of the Convention:– continuing minimization and, where feasible, ultimate elimination of the total releases of

chemicals in Annex C (dioxins, furans, HCB, PCBs) derived from anthropogenic sourcesParties must develop action plans within 2 years of entry into force, and implement their plans to identify, characterize and address release of chemicals in Annex C. The action plan shall include the following:

– evaluate current and projected releases, including development and maintenance of source inventories and release estimates

– evaluate efficacy of Party’s laws and policies to manage such releases– develop strategies to reduce releases– promote education and training on strategies– review success of strategies every 5 years and report to COP– develop a schedule for implementation of action plan

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Identifying New POPs

New POPs will be added to the Convention through application of scientific criteria and an agreed process for evaluation of proposed candidatesPOPs Review Committee will advise the COP on proposals submitted by Parties that must address criteria (Annex D):

– chemical identity (names, structure)– persistence– bio-accumulation– potential for long range transport– adverse effects

Party must also include a statement of reasons for concern and need for global control

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Identifying New POPs

POPs Identification Criteria:Persistence:

– evidence that the half life of the chemical is > 2 months in water, or > 6 months in soil or sediment, or

– evidence that the chemical is sufficiently persistent to warrant consideration under the Convention

Bio-accumulation:– evidence that bioconcentration factor or bioaccumulation factor in aquatic

species is > 5000, or absent such data, that log KOW > 5, or– evidence that chemical presents other reasons for concern (e.g., high

bioaccumulation in other species, high toxicity or ecotoxicity), or– monitoring data in biota indicating that bioaccumulation potential of chemical

is sufficient to warrant consideration under Convention

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Identifying New POPs

POPs Identification Criteria (continued):Potential for long range transport:

– measured levels of chemical in locations distant from sources of release that are of potential concern, or

– monitoring data showing that long range environmental transport of chemical may have occurred, or

– environmental fate properties and/or model results show that chemical has potential for long-range environmental transport: if chemical migrates significantly through air, its half life in air should be > 2 days

Adverse effects:– evidence of adverse effects to human health or environment that justifies

consideration under Convention, or– toxicity or ecotoxicity data indicating potential for damage to human health or

environment

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Identifying New POPs

Information for Risk Profile (Annex E):– sources (production data, uses, releases, etc.)– hazard assessment for endpoint(s) of concern– environmental fate (chemical and physical properties, persistence,

environmental transport, degradation and transformation, etc.)– bioconcentration or bioaccumulation factor– monitoring data– exposure and bioavailability data – national and international risk evaluations, assessments, etc. – hazard classification and labeling information– status of the chemical under international conventions

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Research

Research, development, monitoring and cooperation:Parties shall, within their capabilities, encourage and/or undertake these actions on all aspects of POPs and their alternatives, including on:

environmental releasestrends in levels in the environment and humanstransport, fate and transformationeffects on humans and the environmentsocio-economic impactsrelease reduction and/or elimination

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Reporting

Parties shall report to the COP on:• measures taken by Party to implement the Convention• effectiveness of the measures taken

Parties shall provide the Secretariat:• data on, or estimates of, total quantities of POPs in

Annexes A and B that were produced, imported and exported

• list of States from which it has imported or to which it has exported POPs in Annexes A and B

COP will specify frequency and format of such reports

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Effectiveness evaluation

Effectiveness Evaluation:COP must evaluate effectiveness of Convention in reducing and/oreliminating releases of POPs:

– this will be done by establishing a mechanism to acquire comparable monitoring data on:

presence, levels and trends of POPs in environmental and biological media, andregional and global environmental transport of POPs

– mechanism will tap into existing national, regional and global networks and sources of information

– as COP must review first effectiveness report 4 years after Convention enters into force, COP1 must address this issue

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Effectiveness Evaluation

Secretariat and countries to focus on actions that would most effectively contribute to the effectiveness evaluation Secretariat to prepare report (for COP-1) on the effectiveness evaluation, including possible arrangements for consideration and decision by COP-1

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Implementation Aspects

Convention will enter into force 90 days after 50th ratificationCOP will be established to oversee implementation:

– must meet within 1 year of entry into forcethereafter at regular intervals

– must review effectiveness of convention commencing four years after entry into force, and periodically thereafter:

COP1 will arrange for:– comparable monitoring data on presence of POPs and

regional/global environmental transport, and– reports on monitoring, on regional and global basis

– COP1 to establish POPs Review CommitteeUNEP will provide secretariat

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Convention Status

During the signature period (23 May 2001-22 May 2002):– 150 countries + EU signed the Convention

Ratification, acceptance or accession decisions:– 40 Parties (to date)

INC-7 was held in July 14-18, 2003 (Geneva)– Finalized preparations for COP1– Oversaw the implementation of Stockholm resolutions– Focused on NIPs & financial & technical assistance

Convention text & information on interim work are on UNEP POPs home page:

www.pops.int

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POPs Global Monitoring Programme

General lack of data on chemicals levels in the environmentAdequate monitoring limited to OECD countries, Arctic, Baltic, North Sea, Great LakesAnalysis, evaluation and assessment of threats from individual chemicals difficult without sufficient dataMonitoring needed for effectiveness evaluation of measures taken under Stockholm Convention according to Article 16

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POPs Global Monitoring Programme

Workshop to Develop a POPs Global Monitoring Programme to Support the Effectiveness Evaluation of the Stockholm Convention on POPs held in Geneva, Switzerland, 24-27 March 2003 Objective: Develop guidance for a POPsGlobal Monitoring Programme for consideration by the POPs INC7 in June 2003

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POPs Global Monitoring Programme

Working groups were held on:• Assessment needs for the Stockholm

Convention• Substances and analytical techniques• Sample Matrices, Site Selection and

Sampling Techniques• QA/QC and Data Treatment• Data Communication

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POPs Global Monitoring Programme

The workshop proceedings are available on the GMP website:

http://www.chem.unep.ch/gmn/default.htm

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POPs Global Monitoring Programme

Next steps:Expert consultation to develop a guidancedocument for a POPs GMP, 6-7 October 2003, GenevaDevelopment of draft guidance documentTesting guidance document in a pilot regionDevelopment of an inventory of laboratories