Editorial note

The 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001 POPs Convention) aims to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants, and to that end it imposes measures to reduce or eliminate releases from the production and use of certain POPs (Article 1). The Convention is precautionary in approach, and initially targets 12 POPs: Annex A lists those which are targeted for elimination and Annex B lists those which are to be restricted.

Article 3(1) requires parties to eliminate the production and use of all the chemicals listed in Annex A, in accordance with that Annex, and to restrict production and use of chemicals listed in Annex B. Annexes A and B identify ‘specific exemptions’ in relation to the production and/or use of some but not all of the chemicals, and Annex B additionally identifies certain ‘acceptable purposes’. Article 3(2) requires parties to permit imports of chemicals listed in Annex A or Annex B for the purposes of environmentally sound disposal (in accordance with Article 6(1)(d)) or for a use which is permitted for the importing party under Annex A or B (Article 3(2)(a)). It also requires parties to allow exports only for environmentally sound disposal, or to a party which is permitted to use that chemical under Annex A or B, or to a state which is not a party to the Convention but which has provided an annual certification to the exporting party (Article 3(2)(b)).