The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) recently issued the National Management Plan for Implementation of the Stockholm Convention on POPs (2023 Supplement) (Draft) to solicit public comments till 18 September 2023. The Draft Plan specifies management of 5 POPs, including:
Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD)
Pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its salts and esters
Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs)
Decabromobiphenyl ether (DecaBDE)
Short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs)
There are 21 specific implementation requirements for the management of these 5 POPs set in the Draft Plan. Major points are summarized below.
Revise the Catalogue for Guiding Industry Restructuring and categorize these 5 POPs as “Phased-out”, subject to strict elimination or restriction measures.
Impose stricter content control limits on decaBDE, SCCPs, HCBD.
List these 5 POPs in the catalogues of goods prohibited from import or export.
Reduce or eliminate the emissions of HCBD and PCNs that emerged unintentionally.
Carry out monitoring of these 5 POPs in air, water and human bodies.
Carry out information investigation and collect data on the production, use, stock, waste disposal, import and export of these 5 POPs, and prepare national reports.
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The draft can be accessed here.
Background
In China, the amendments to the Stockholm Convention regarding these 5 POPs went into force on 6 June 2023 (CL news), meanwhile, the corresponding environmental risk control measures have been stipulated. As required by the convention, contracting parties should submit their national implementation plans within two years after the entry into force of the amendments. Therefore, the MEE formulated the Draft Plan and released it for public consultation on 5 September 2023. It aims to further improve the management mechanism to improve the implementation of the convention and promote green development.
