EU to Update Stockholm Convention POPs Chemical Plan

The European Commission (EC) has announced that it is reevaluating and updating the implementing plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The Stockholm Convention is a "global treaty to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically and accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife." A plan was originally drawn up in 2007 and "a significant number of the actions identified in the 2007 Plan have now been finalized or are about to be finalised." Hence the need for an update.

A consultation has been opened on the European Commission web site and interested parties have between August 2 to October 25, 2012 to provide comment.

The full consultation document is available as a PDF download here.