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On 18 March 2026, the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) launched an 8-week consultation on the Draft Persistent Organic Pollutants (Amendment) Regulations 2026. This proposed statutory instrument aims to amend the assimilated Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) as it applies in Great Britain. The consultation reflects decisions adopted under the Stockholm Convention to list five new substances for global elimination and is part of the Government's Environmental Improvement Plan to reduce environmental pollution and exposure to hazardous chemicals. The consultation will close on 13 May 2026, with the proposed changes intended to enter into force on 16 December 2026.
The core of the proposed legislation involves adding five new POP substances to Annex I of the assimilated POPs Regulation, which dictates the prohibition of production, placing on the market, and use. The five substances are:
Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs),
Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs) including their salts and related compounds,
Chlorpyrifos,
UV-328, and
Dechlorane Plus.
As a Party to the Stockholm Convention, the UK is obligated to implement these global prohibitions domestically. The consultation outlines the proposed regulatory approaches, scope definitions, and specific exemptions for these substances.
A key component of the proposals is the introduction of Unintentional Trace Contaminant (UTC) limits and specific use exemptions. UTC limits define the maximum concentration at which a POP can be unintentionally but lawfully present in substances, mixtures, or articles. Defra proposes specific UTC limits for all five new substances to provide clarity for industry. Time-limited specific-use exemptions, which apply only to defined activities, are proposed for MCCPs, LC-PFCAs, UV-328, and Dechlorane Plus, aligning with those available under the Stockholm Convention. No exemptions are proposed for Chlorpyrifos, as it has not been supplied or used in the UK as a plant protection product since 2020.
In addition to the new substances, Defra is proposing technical amendments to the existing Annex I entry for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its derivatives. These amendments include revising the unintentional trace contaminant limits to reflect scientific and technical progress, and removing an outdated derogation for use in hard chromium plating. These changes align the UK framework more closely with international developments and EU equivalent changes.
The consultation seeks evidence and views from a wide range of industry sectors, including manufacturers, users, importers, and exporters of these substances or products containing them. Potentially affected sectors include aerospace, automotive, electronics, construction, agriculture, and plastics, among others. Stakeholders are invited to provide information on ongoing uses, supply chain dependencies, transition times to alternatives, and the potential impacts of differing regulatory requirements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework. Additionally, the consultation seeks views on the potential implications of recent EU amendments to UTC limits for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
