Consultation on potential amendments to the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation 2026

Overview

We are seeking your views on a number of proposed changes to Annex I of the assimilated Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation (EU) 2019/1021, including new additions to a list of substances that are prohibited from manufacture, use, and placing on the market in Great Britain.

This consultation focuses on legislative proposals detailed in an accompanying draft Statutory Instrument (SI). Please refer to the draft SI when responding to the consultation questions. It is available on this Citizen Space platform, within the 'Related' section at the bottom of this overview page.  

Purpose of the consultation

The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on government proposals and policy options to amend the POPs Regulations in upcoming and future legislation. Most of these proposals relate to recent additions of five new POPs under the Stockholm Convention on POPs, to which the UK is a Party. 

This consultation also provides an opportunity for respondents to share evidence regarding related amendments adopted or proposed by the EU, including their potential suitability for GB and any implications for the functioning of the UK internal market, particularly where different requirements may apply in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.

The primary focus of this consultation is to inform how these obligations should be implemented in GB, including the identification of appropriate specific use exemptions and unintentional trace contaminant (UTC) limits.

Most of the consultation refers to proposals reflected in the accompanying draft statutory instrument (SI). Beyond those proposals in the draft SI, we also provide opportunities for respondents to present evidence on potential implications of recent amendments to the EU POPs Regulation with respect to another group of POPs called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).

Finally, we also provide an opportunity to comment on the Stockholm Convention POPs Review Committee (POPRC) evaluation processes, evidence generation, and engagement regarding substances that are being considered as potential new POPs.

Why your views matter

Your feedback will help shape policies to protect human health and the environment, and will help identify potential impacts of these policies, including on businesses. 

Respondents are invited to respond to any section relevant to them and are not expected to respond to all sections within the consultation.