Impact assessment

Request to inform substance Risk Profiles (Annex E of the Stockholm Convention)

Updated 15 August 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

The UK is a party to the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are substances that persist in the environment, accumulate in living organisms and pose a risk to our health and the environment.

They can be transported by air, water or migratory species across international borders, reaching regions where they have never been produced or used.

Substances listed in the convention are generally prohibited from production, marketing or use unless specific exemptions apply or acceptable purposes have been agreed.

There is a process for parties to propose a substance for listing if they have gathered evidence that suggests it may be a POP. The POPs Review Committee (POPRC), the technical scientific committee of the Stockholm Convention, then considers and further develops the evidence that the substance demonstrates POP characteristics.

If there is evidence that it is a POP, they then consider the socio and economic impacts of a ban or restriction and make recommendations to the Stockholm Convention Conference of Parties, which is held every 2 years.

Risk Profiles as specified in Annex E (Information requirements for the Risk Profile) of the Stockholm Convention

A Risk Profile for chlorpyrifos has been drafted to further elaborate on, and evaluate, information submitted in the original proposals that recommended that chlorpyrifos be restricted as a POP.The Risk Profile sets out the evidence that this substance meets the criteria for a POP.

This draft Risk Profile was reviewed at the Eighteenth POPRC meeting (POPRC-18) in September 2022, but a final decision on it was deferred until the next POPRC meeting.

Further information is now required, relating to the adverse effects resulting from long-range transport of chlorpyrifos, to enable revisions to the draft Risk Profile ahead the next POPRC meeting.

This is therefore the second call for information for chlorpyrifos to satisfy criteria in Annex E of the Stockholm Convention. On this occasion, the requested information primarily focuses on long-range transport effects.

If the redrafted Risk Profile is agreed at the next POPRC meeting(October 2023), the proposal will move to the next stage: drafting of a Risk Management Evaluation (as specified in Annex F of the Stockholm Convention). There would then be a further request for information focusing on socio-economic impacts.

However, please do feel free to share any socio-economic information you may hold on this substance, even though it is not yet required at this stage.

Examples of such information might include potential risk management measures, alternatives, costs, benefits related to the use of chlorpyrifos and justified requests for exemptions if no alternatives are available.

Chlorpyrifos

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate pesticide. It has been widely applied as an insecticide in agriculture and as a biocide to control non-agricultural pests. In 2008, chlorpyrifos pro­ducts were authorised for use in more than 88 countries.

However, in 2008, usage as a biocide was phased-out in the Europe, and in 2000 its use in most non-agricultural applications was phased out. However, usage as a biocide, for example, for termite control in buildings, is still practiced in other countries.