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On October 28, 2025, The European Union has adopted Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1482, which amends the existing Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This amendment shall enter into force on November 17, 2025.
This update focuses on Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs), a group of flame retardants now classified as POPs. The regulation addresses the total concentration of five PBDEs: tetra-, penta-, hexa-, hepta-, and decaBDE.
| Substance | CAS No. | EC No. |
Tetrabromodiphenyl ether C12H6Br4O | 40088-47-9 and others | 254-787-2 and others |
| Pentabromodiphenyl ether C12H5Br5O | 32534-81-9 and others | 251-084-2 and others |
| Hexabromodiphenyl ether C12H4Br6O | 36483-60-0 and others | 253-058-6 and others |
| Heptabromodiphenyl ether C12H3Br7O | 68928-80-3 and others | 271-031-2 and others |
| Bis(pentabromophenyl) ether (decabromodiphenyl ether; decaBDE) | 1163-19-5 | 214-604-9 |
Pursuant to Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021, the manufacturing, placing on the market and use, whether on their own, in mixtures or in articles, of PBDEs listed in Annex I to that Regulation are prohibited.
However, listed PBDEs can present as Unintentional Trace Contaminants (UTCs) limit value of 500 mg/kg for the sum in mixtures and articles.
New Concentration Limits
The core change is the establishment of new, lower concentration limits for the sum of these PBDEs in mixtures and articles:
General Limit: The maximum allowed concentration for the sum of PBDEs in new mixtures or articles is now set at 10 mg/kg. This limit applies from November 17, 2025.
Phased-out Derogations for Recovered Materials
Crucially, the new regulation introduces specific derogations for PBDEs to support the circular economy by allowing higher, phased-out limits for materials made from recovered (recycled) waste.
| Application/Material Type | Limit as of November 17, 2025 | Limit as of December 30, 2025 | Limit as of Year 2027 |
| General Recovered Material | 500 mg/kg | 350 mg/kg | 200 mg/kg (as of December 30) |
| Recovered Material in Toys (subjec to Directive 2009/48/EC) & Childcare Articles | 500 mg/kg | 350 mg/kg | 10 mg/kg (as of May 17) |
The regulation explicitly excludes food contact materials from these derogations, which remain subject to the stricter Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004.
The Regulation (EU) 2025/1482 can be accessed here.
