Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are toxic and do not readily degrade. They can accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals. Once released, they can spread around the globe via air or water or through the food chain, and thus have toxic effects on people and the environment far from where they were originally released. They can also cause cancer, disrupt the endocrine system or harm reproduction. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants was negotiated to reduce the release of these substances into the environment.

The Convention was ratified by Switzerland on 30 July 2003 and entered into force on 17 May 2004. In particular, it contains the following obligations:

1. Bans and restrictions on the manufacture and use of the following commercial products (pesticides and/or industrial chemicals):

Annex A: Elimination

Aldrin
Alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane
Beta-hexachlorocyclohexane
Chlordane
Chlordecone
Decabromodiphenylether
Dechlorane Plus
Dicofol
Dieldrin
Endrin
Endosulfan
Heptachlor
Hexabromobiphenyl
Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)
Hexabromodiphenylether and heptabromodiphenylether
Hexachlorobenzene
Hexachlorobutadiene
Lindane
Methoxychlor
Mirex
Pentachlorobenzene
Pentachlorophenol, its salts and esters
Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts and PFHxS-related compounds
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Polychlorinated naphthalenes
Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs)
Tetrabromodiphenylether and pentabromodiphenylether
Toxaphene
UV-328

Annex B: Restriction

DDT
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride

In Switzerland the manufacture, placing on the market, import and use of these substances are either banned or – as is the case for PFOS – subject to stringent restrictions. The bans and restrictions are regulated in the Ordinance on Chemical Risk Reduction (ORRChem).

2. The unintentional production of the following substances, which for example may occur and be released in the course of incineration processes, should be minimised or eliminated wherever possible:

Hexachlorobenzene
Hexachlorobutadiene
Pentachlorobenzene
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)
Polychlorinated naphthalenes

3. The Stockholm Convention specifies criteria and procedures according to which additional substances may be included in the Annexes to the Convention. The substances must be very persistent, be capable of bio-accumulating in animals or plants and of being transported over long distances, and must have toxic effects on human health or the environment.

4. Transformers and capacitors containing PCBs must be removed from operation by 2025 and their contents must be disposed of by an environmentally sound procedure. The use of the best available technology and best environmental practices in the incineration and production processes in which POP emissions could arise should be encouraged.

5. In order to implement these obligations, measures will have to be taken, especially in developing and newly industrialised countries. The Convention provides for instruments that support such countries, such as financial aid and knowledge and technology transfer.

6. A further obligation under the Stockholm Convention concerns the development of a national implementation plan, which depicts a country's situation in relation to POPs and outlines strategies for the elimination of these pollutants. Switzerland presented its plan in April 2006, with a first revision in August 2012 and a second revision in 2023.

7. The effectiveness of the Stockholm Convention is evaluated on a periodical basis. Concentrations of POPs in the air and in human matrices (such as blood or mother's milk) are measured. Switzerland participated in studies on POPs in mother's milk that were coordinated by the WHO and UNEP (2008–2009, 2015–2016).

Schweiz beteiligt sich an «WHO/UNEP-Coordinated Exposure Study» zur Messung von POPs in Muttermilch (PDF, 117 kB, 16.03.2011)Summary report