Colombia Amendments as regards hazardous chemicals Hazardous Chemicals

Hazardous Chemicals

In addition to the Rotterdam Convention, Colombia is also party to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (also referred to as the POP Convention), a treaty designed to curb and eventually abolish the production, use and trade of toxic, long-lasting chemicals by requiring its signatories to take measures to eliminate or restrict the production and use of POPs and to minimise any possible unintentional releases of such substances into the environment. Exemptions, i.e. the continued use and/or production of one or more chemicals covered by the treaty for a certain period of time, may be applied for by the member states. Furthermore, amendments to the treaty (lastly done so in 2009 with the addition of nine more chemicals to the original list of twelve chemicals) are subject to the approval and ratification of each signatory state, thereby allowing the country time to implement the measures required to adhere to the new stipulations. As a consequence, imports and exports of the chemicals covered by the Stockholm Convention may be subject to prohibitions or severe restrictions.

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