6 Hazardous Chemicals Face EU Ban under Urgent POPs Convention Update

In a decisive move, the European Union has adopted Decision (EU) 2025/868, approving the addition of six high-risk chemicals to Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). This update marks a major step in curbing the use of substances that threaten ecosystems and human health.

Included in the restriction list are MCCPs, chlorpyrifos, and long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs). All three groups are now subject to global elimination with limited exemptions, particularly in aerospace, defense, and civil aviation sectors. MCCPs—often used in plastics, rubber, adhesives, and paints—were granted temporary use extensions in defense-related equipment until 2041, or the end-of-life of existing systems.

Chlorpyrifos, a highly toxic pesticide known for its danger to aquatic life, and LC-PFCAs, frequently found in packaging, textiles, electronics, and firefighting foams, were both added with strict controls and limited exceptions.

The EU also backed Ethiopia’s proposal to include UV-328 with temporary allowances in aircraft components, with a five-year maximum exemption period. Meanwhile, South Korea’s request to extend the permitted use of PFOA and PFOS in fire suppression systems was approved, but limited exclusively to South Korean systems already in use.

This decision highlights growing global momentum toward phasing out substances with long-term environmental persistence and bioaccumulation risks. Affected industries are now under pressure to transition quickly to safer alternatives or risk breaching compliance with the POPs Convention.