Evaluation

In accordance with paragraph 5 of Part III of Annex B to the Convention, The Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention evaluates the continued need for PFOS, its salts and PFOSF for the various acceptable purposes and specific exemptions on the basis of available scientific, technical, environmental and economic information, including:

  1. Information provided in the national report;
  2. Information on the production and use of these chemicals;
  3. Information on the availability, suitability and implementation of alternatives to these chemicals:
  4. Information on progress in building the capacity of countries to transfer safely to reliance on such alternatives.

The process for the evaluation of the continued need for PFOS, its salts and PFOSF for the various acceptable purposes and specific exemptions was adopted at COP-6 in 2013 (decision SC-6/4).

The first evaluation was held at COP-7 in 2015. The Conference of the Parties concluded that Parties may need to continue to produce and/or use PFOS, its salts and PFOSF for acceptable purposes as provided in Annex B to the Convention and consequently need to notify the Secretariat of their intention to produce and/or use those chemicals for those purposes (decision SC-7/5).

The Conference of the Parties noted, pursuant to paragraph 9 of Article 4, that as there are no longer any parties registered for specific exemptions for the production and use of PFOS, its salts and PFOSF for carpets, leather and apparel, textiles and upholstery, paper and packaging, coatings and coating additives and rubber and plastics, no new registrations may be made with respect to them (decision SC-7/1).

The second evaluation was held at COP-9 in 2019. Having considered the report on the assessment of alternatives to PFOS, its salts and PFOSF (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.14/INF/13) submitted by the POPs Review Committee and the report on the evaluation of PFOS, its salts and PFOSF (UNEP/POPS/COP.9/INF/12) submitted by the Secretariat, taking note of the recommendations of the POPs Review Committee on the continued need for the various acceptable purposes and specific exemptions of PFOS, its salts and PFOSF (decision POPRC-14/3), the Conference of the Parties amended Annex B to the Convention with regard to the listing of PFOS, its salts and PFOSF to have the following as acceptable purposes and specific exemptions:

  • Acceptable purpose: Insect baits with sulfluramid (CAS No. 4151-50-2) as an active ingredient for control of leaf-cutting ants from Atta spp. and Acromyrmex spp. for agricultural use only
  • Specific exemptions: Metal plating (hard-metal plating) only in closed-loop systems; fire-fighting foam for liquid fuel vapour suppression and liquid fuel fires (Class B fires) in installed systems, including both mobile and fixed systems, in accordance with paragraph 10 of Annex A

In its decision SC-9/5, the Conference of the Parties decided to undertake the next evaluation at its eleventh meeting in 2023. The Conference of the Parties also reminded Parties that are using insect baits with sulfluramid (CAS No. 4151 50 2) as an active ingredient for the control of leaf-cutting ants from Atta spp. and Acromyrmex spp. for agricultural use to register for the acceptable purpose by notifying the Secretariat, and encouraged Parties and others to undertake additional research on the development of alternatives to PFOS, its salts and PFOSF, including monitoring activities related to sulfluramid, PFOS and other relevant degradation products in the different environmental media (e.g., soil, groundwater, surface water) on application sites.

Furthermore, the Conference of the Parties encouraged Parties and others to use alternatives to PFOS, its salts and PFOSF where such alternatives are available, feasible and efficient, while considering that fluorine-based fire-fighting foams could have negative environmental, human health and socioeconomic impacts owing to their persistency and mobility.