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Starting from February 18, 2025, European Commission is initiating public consultation on amending the Unintentional Trace Contaminant (UTC) limit values for PBDE and PCB under Annex I to the Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (EU POPs Regulation). The feedback deadline is March 18, 2025.
PCB Amendment
As proposed, a UTC limit value is set for PCB as follows:
- 0,2 mg/kg (0,00002% by weight) where present in substances, mixtures and articles
For organic pigments and dyes, 25 mg/kg (0,0025 % by weight) upon entry into force of this Regulation and 10 mg/kg (0,001 % by weight) three years after entry into force
Note: According to Article 4(1) b, a substance present as unintentional trace contaminant is exempt from control measures.
PBDEs Amendment
Overall, a UTC limit value of 10 mg/kg is introduced for the sum of the concentrations of the following PBDEs present in mixtures and articles upon entry into force of this Regulation:
Tetrabromodiphenyl ether C12H6Br4O, CAS: 40088-47-9 and others
Pentabromodiphenyl ether C12H5Br5O, CAS: 32534-81-9 and others
Hexabromodiphenyl ether C12H4Br6O, CAS: 36483-60-0 and others
Heptabromodiphenyl ether C12H3Br7O, CAS: 68928-80-3 and others
Bis(pentabromophenyl) ether (decabromodiphenyl ether; decaBDE), CAS: 1163-19-5
The Commission is also paying special attention to the potential exposure to PBDE present in childcare products and toys. Therefore, a specific UTC limit value is set for the sum of abovementioned PBDE as follows:
500 mg/kg upon entry into force of this Regulation
350 mg/kg as of 30 December 2025
10 mg/kg 18 months after entry into force
This is applicable to PBDEs present in toys subject to Directive 2009/48/EC, or in any product facilitating children’s seating, sleep, relaxation, hygiene, changing and general body care, feeding, sucking, transportation and protection, containing or made of recovered material containing tetra-, penta-, hexa-, hepta- or decaBDE.
Due to past and current recycling activities the substances occur in products made from recovered materials, including products for the general public. Therefore, a specific UTC limit value is set for the sum of abovementioned PBDEs present in mixtures or articles containing or made of recovered material as follows:
500 mg/kg upon entry into force of this Regulation
350 mg/kg as of 30 December 2025
200 mg/kg as of 30 December 2027
Notably, all these specific exemptions do not apply to food contact materials subject to Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004.
The proposed changes are made in Annex I, Part A to the Regulation (EU) 2019/1021. Here are the draft delegated regulation and Annex for PCB and PBDEs.
