Fourteenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC.14)

HIGHLIGHTS - The fourteenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-14) was held from 17 to 21 September 2018 at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. POPRC-14 was organized back-to-back with the fourteenth meeting of the Chemical Review Committee of the Rotterdam Convention, convening at the same venue from 11 to 13 September 2018.

At its fourteenth meeting, the Committee adopted the risk profile on perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts and PFHxS-related compounds moving the chemical to the next review stage requiring a risk management evaluation, that includes an analysis of possible control measures, to be prepared by an intersessional working group established for this purpose.

The Committee also adopted the addendum to the risk management evaluation on perfluorooctanoic acid  (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds and recommended to the Conference of the Parties (COP) that it consider listing the chemicals in Annex A to the Convention with specific exemptions specified in the decision.

On perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF), the Committee recommended that the COP consider amending Annex B to the Convention taking into account its recommendations on the continued need for the chemical for acceptable purposes and specific exemptions.

The Committee also discussed a report on activities for effective participation in the work of the Committee and adopted the workplan for the intersessional period between the fourteenth and fifteenth meetings of the Committee. The Committee’s fifteenth meeting is scheduled to take place from 30 September to 4 October 2019 (the exact duration of the meeting is to be determined).

SOURCE, MORE INFO AND WORKING DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE AT pops.int