The annual amendment to the EU PIC Regulation took effect on October 1, further expanding the scope of export regulation for hazardous chemicals and pesticides. The regulation introduces an annual revision to Annex I and Annex V of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation, adding more than 30 newly controlled substances in total.
The PIC Regulation is one of the EU's main regulations implementing the Rotterdam Convention, applying management measures such as export notification, prior informed consent, and export bans to the international trade of hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
Among them, Annex I mainly concerns export notification and the PIC procedure, while Annex V imposes export bans on specific chemicals. The two types of regulatory measures have different scopes of application.
3 POPs substances newly added to export ban
This amendment adds UV-328, Dechlorane Plus, and Methoxychlor to Annex V of the PIC Regulation.
In principle, the three substances may not be exported from the EU. Among them, UV-328 and Dechlorane Plus may be exempt from the export ban when they meet specific exemption conditions or concentration limits under the POPs Regulation; Methoxychlor also has concentration-limit-related exemptions.
36 substances newly added to Part 1 of Annex I
Annex I adds 36 chemicals this time, covering multiple categories including industrial chemicals, UV absorbers, and pesticides.
The newly added substances include industrial chemicals such as DEHP, DBP, trichloroethylene, arsenic trioxide, arsenic acid, chromic anhydride, certain chromium compounds, MOCA, UV-320, UV-327, and UV-350, as well as pesticides such as carbendazim, dodine, pyraclostrobin, PHMB, DOTE/MOTE reaction mixture, and trifloxysulfuron-methyl.
17 substances newly added to Part 2 of Annex I
Part 2 of Annex I adds 17 substances. These are mostly industrial chemicals and pesticides that are also listed in Part 1, but they will be subject to stricter prior informed consent procedures when exported.
Some of the above substances were already restricted or regulated under EU regulations such as REACH and CLP. With their further inclusion in Annex I of the PIC Regulation, export notification or the PIC procedure will apply according to the corresponding category.
Two pesticide formulations included in the PIC procedure
In accordance with the relevant decisions of the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention in 2025, specific ultra-low-volume formulations of carbosulfan and fenthion have been included in the PIC procedure.
Among them, the listing status of carbosulfan in Annex I has been adjusted accordingly.
In addition, this amendment also updates relevant information for some existing substances. The CN code for terbufos-related mixtures has been changed from ex 3808.59 to ex 3808.91.
EU chemical export regulation continues to tighten
This amendment covers industrial chemicals, pesticides, and various substances of high concern. It not only adds new subjects for export notification and PIC management, but also expands the scope of substances subject to export bans.
