Persistent organic pollutants triennial report 2019 to 2021
Published 19 December 2024
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Executive summary
This is the triennial report for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) covering the reporting period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021.
Article 13 of assimilated Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on POPs (the POPs Regulation) covers reporting within the UK. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is required to compile and publish a report containing information specified in Article 13(4). This includes information on:
- the control of manufacturing, placing on the market and use of listed POPs
- stockpiles
- releases of POPs
- waste management
- infringements and related enforcement activity
This report is prepared in accordance with Article 13 of the POPs Regulation for the reporting period of 2019 to 2021.
Production
The data in this report show that between 2019 and 2021, no POPs listed in Annex I or Annex II of the POPs Regulation have been produced in the UK. Only small quantities (less than 10kg per notification) have been exported or imported for laboratory-scale research.
Stockpiles
There were permitted stockpiles reported for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
Stockpiles of PCB were reported in 2019, 2020 and 2021 with decreasing quantity, and appropriate action is ongoing to remove these stockpiles. One stockpile of PFOS was reported in 2019 – this was removed and no PFOS stockpiles were reported in 2020 or 2021. It was not required to report PFOA stockpiles until 2021, when 6 stockpiles were reported. Measures are in place to ensure the management and removal of these stockpiles.
There were no reported stockpiles for non-permitted POPs.
Emissions
The report details emissions during 2019 to 2021 to air, land, water, residue and product for substances listed in Annex III of the POPs Regulation and Annex C of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (Stockholm Convention).
The lockdown measures implemented from March 2020 in response to COVID-19 illustrated decreases in emissions to air, land and water. These emissions showed an increase in 2021 with the relaxing of the measures. Viewing these data in isolation could lead to the conclusion that emissions in some instances are increasing.
Waste management
The report details the requirements for waste management. It confirms that competent authorities have not issued any authorisations to exempt the destruction or irreversible transformation of POP content above the specified concentration limit in the period of 2019 to 2021.
Non-compliance
Data on non-compliance and enforcement activities are included in the report. The most frequent non-compliance category was waste management. The most frequent enforcement activity was written advice for the reporting period of 2019 to 2021.
Data for 2022 to 2024
The next triennial report will cover data from 2022 to 2024 and will be compiled once these data are available. The UK also reports at periodic intervals directly to the Stockholm Convention, the last one being in 2022.
Introduction and background
POPs are organic chemical substances that have been identified as meeting the 4 criteria set out in the Stockholm Convention. They:
- are persistent – they do not readily break down, so remain in the environment for long periods of time
- bioaccumulate – they build up in the tissue of humans and wildlife
- cause adverse effects – they have harmful impacts on human health and/or on the environment
- are subject to long-range environmental transport – they become widely distributed geographically, being found far from where they were used or produced
POPs have been identified as substances that require specific attention for many years and the international community has called for actions to reduce and eliminate their production, use and release.
There are currently 34 POPs listed in the convention, however, at the end of the reporting period (2019-2021) there were 30. These fall into 3 broad categories of:
- pesticides
- industrial chemicals
- unintentional by-products of combustion and some industrial and non-industrial processes
Stockholm Convention – measures to protect human health and the environment
The Stockholm Convention entered into force on 17 May 2004. The convention’s objective is to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that have a long-term, cumulative adverse impact on humans and the environment. It establishes an international framework for promoting global action on POPs, which are divided into 3 groups according to their mechanism of production and level of restriction.
The POPs listed in Annex A and Annex B of the convention are subject to measures to reduce or eliminate releases from international production and use. Time-limited specific exemptions are available in some cases and some uses remain acceptable (without a time limit).
The POPs listed in Annex C of the convention are unintentionally produced, and parties are required to take measures to reduce their release with the goal of ultimate elimination, where feasible. The main tool for this is the development of source and emission inventories as well as plans for release reductions. Also required is the use of best available techniques and best environment practices to limit releases of unintentionally produced POPs from the major sources, as categorised in the convention.
There are special provisions for those parties with regulatory assessment schemes both to review existing chemicals for POP characteristics and to take regulatory measures to prevent the development, production and marketing of new substances with POP characteristics.
The convention also makes provision for the identification and safe management of stockpiles and waste containing, consisting of, or contaminated with POPs. Waste must be disposed of in such a way that the POP content is destroyed or irreversibly transformed. Where this does not represent the environmentally preferable option or where the POP content is low, waste must be otherwise disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Disposal operations that may lead to the recovery or re-use of POPs are forbidden.
The Stockholm Convention is implemented in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) by the POPs Regulation, and in Northern Ireland by Regulation (EU) 2019/1021, which applies directly under the Windsor Framework.
Reporting requirements
Article 13 of the POPs Regulation details the POPs reporting required within the United Kingdom. There are annual and triennial data collection requirements on competent authorities and the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to report information to the Secretary of State (SoS).
Article13(1)(a) requires the annual reporting of statistical data on the actual or estimated total production and placing on the market of any substance listed in Annex I or II of the POPs Regulation. Article 13(1)(b) requires the reporting every 3 years of information on infringements and penalties and summary information compiled from the notifications, concerning stockpiles, received pursuant to Article 5(2).
For each reporting period, the SoS must compile information on the application of the POPs Regulation. This includes information on enforcement activities, infringements and penalties, and summary information compiled from stockpile notifications.
It is required that this information is integrated with information available in the context of:
- the UK Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)
- the production and placing on the market data
- summary information from the release inventories
- summary information on the presence in the environment of the dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls
- information on the use of derogations under the waste management provisions in Article 7(4) of the POPs Regulation
The SoS must then prepare a report for each reporting period (each 3-year period starting in 2019). This report covers the period covering 2019, 2020 and 2021.
1. Control of manufacturing, placing on the market and use of listed POPs
In accordance with Article 3 of the POPs Regulation, the manufacturing, placing on the market and use of substances listed in Annex I are prohibited. This applies whether the substances are on their own, in mixtures or in articles, subject to any exemptions.
The manufacturing, placing on the market and use of substances listed in Annex II are restricted. This applies whether the substances are on their own, in mixtures or in articles, subject to exemptions.
Data have been collected from the Environment Agency (EA), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) (the competent authorities for England, Scotland and Wales respectively), DAERA and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The following tables detail information relevant to the production or manufacturing, placing on the market and use of listed POPs.
POPs produced in the UK for the reporting period of 2019 to 2021
Table 1 details chemicals listed in Annex I or II produced in the UK during this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
Table 1: Chemicals listed in Annex I or II produced in the UK for the reporting period of 2019 to 2021
| Substance | Volume of chemical produced (kg) |
|---|---|
| None | Not applicable |
POPs placed on the market in the UK or exported from the UK in the reporting period of 2019 to 2021
The following tables detail chemicals listed in Annex I or II placed on the market in the UK or exported from the UK during this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
Exporting POPs is banned under assimilated Regulation (EU) 649/2012 concerning the export and import of hazardous chemicals (the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation). But a special reference identification numbers (RINs) procedure allows for chemicals to be exported for the purpose of research or analysis in quantities of 10kg or less per exporter, per year and per importing country.
Research and analysis is the only reason that chemicals listed in Part 4 or 5 of the ‘GB PIC List’ published under the PIC Regulation can be exported. Research and analysis exports are otherwise exempt from the requirements of the PIC Regulation and are not required to be included in the annual reporting of exports and imports that it requires.
It should be noted that for all years (2019, 2020 and 2021) the exports were reported as foreseen by the exporting company. It is possible that not all were needed, therefore the numbers of requests and associated volumes are a worst-case estimate. The amount expected to be exported for the special RIN procedure is not recorded but will not exceed 10kg for research and analysis purposes.
Table 2: The number of RIN requests for POPs listed on Annex I or Annex II of the POPs Regulation in 2019. It is unclear if all these requests would have been fulfilled by industry.
| Substance | Number of RIN requests | Placed on the market, imported or exported | Countries exporting to or importing from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heptachlor | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
Table 3: The number of RIN requests for POPs listed on Annex I or Annex II of the POPs Regulation in 2020. It is unclear if all these requests would have been fulfilled by industry.
| Substance | Number of RIN requests | Placed on the market, imported or exported | Countries exporting to or importing from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldrin | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Chlordane | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Chlordecone | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| DDT | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Endosulfan | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Heptachlor | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Hexabromocyclododecane | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Hexachlorobenzene | 2 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | 15 | Exported | Not applicable |
| PFOS | 1 (a) | Imported | Russia |
(a) The volume of this request was reported as 0.5kg.
Table 4: The number of RIN requests for POPs listed on Annex I or Annex II of the POPs Regulation in 2021. It is unclear if all these requests would have been fulfilled by industry.
| Substance | Number of RIN requests | Placed on the market, imported or exported | Countries exporting to or importing from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldrin | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Chlordecone | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Endosulfan | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Endrin | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Heptachlor | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Hexabromocyclododecane | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Pentabromodiphenyl ether | 1 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Pentachlorobenzene | 3 | Exported | Not applicable |
| Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | 18 | Exported | Not applicable |
In the case of exports to the EU, the 10kg limit applies to each member state rather than to the EU as a whole.
Although there are specific exemptions in place for some of the listed POPs for specific uses, there have not been any exports or imports notified to the UK under the PIC Regulation other than the ones detailed in tables 1 to 4. All of them were small quantities for research and analysis. It is also important to note that special RIN exports and imports quantities do not need to be reported to the designated national authority, which is the HSE, under the PIC Regulation.
2. Stockpiles
The holder of a stockpile greater than 50kg, consisting of or containing any substance listed in Annex I or II and the use of which is permitted, must provide the competent authority with information concerning the nature and size of that stockpile. This is in accordance with Article 5(2) of the POPs Regulation.
The holder is required to manage the stockpile in a safe, efficient and environmentally sound manner. The holder must also take all adequate steps to ensure that the stockpile is managed in a manner that will protect human health and the environment.
Tables 5, 6 and 7 detail the substances listed in Annex I or II with the number of notified stockpiles and associated total quantity of those stockpiles. There have been no instances of stockpiles being reported where the use is not permitted.
Permitted stockpiles
Substances listed in Annex I or Annex II of the POPs Regulation, the use of which is permitted, include:
- PCBs
- PFOS
- PFOA, its salts and PFOA-related compounds
Table 5: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockpile type | PCB containing equipment | PCB containing equipment | PCB containing equipment |
| Number of notified stockpiles | 272,507 | 257,364 | 227,101 |
In England the Chemical Compliance Team within the EA is responsible for regulating and monitoring compliance with the Environmental Protection (Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Dangerous Substances) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000, as amended (the PCB Regulations). A registry of PCB-containing equipment is kept and updated annually in September. This register covers England and Wales. Registrations under the PCB Regulations are reported here as they also constitute stockpiles under the POPs Regulation.
As summarised in table 5, on 30 September 2019 there were 64 holders with a total of 272,507 items of equipment registered in England and Wales. On 30 September 2020 there were 51 holders with a total of 257,364 items of equipment in England and Wales. On 30 September 2021 there were 51 holders with a total of 227,101 items of equipment in England and Wales.
The competent authority in Northern Ireland, DAERA, reported no stockpile notifications for PCBs in this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
The competent authority in Scotland, SEPA, reported no stockpile notifications for PCBs in this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
Table 6: Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its derivatives
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockpile type | substance | substance | substance |
| Number of notified stockpiles | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The competent authority in England, the EA, recorded one stockpile notification for PFOS in 2019 totalling 56.8kg. The use of the PFOS in table 6 was described as being added to chromic acid plating tanks as a mist suppressant.
Additionally, the system it was used in was described as being closed loop and waste routes clearly defined and concentrations below any actionable level. The one company with the stockpile returned a nil return in the years preceding 2019, and there have been no further notifications of PFOS in the UK since 2019.
DAERA recorded no stockpile notifications for PFOS in this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
SEPA recorded no stockpile notifications for PFOS in this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
The competent authority in Wales, NRW, recorded no stockpile notifications for PFOS in this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
Table 7: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockpile type | Not applicable (a) | Not applicable (a) | Mixture |
| Number of notified stockpiles | Not applicable (a) | Not applicable (a) | 3 |
(a) There was no requirement to notify the stockpile of PFOA in 2019 or 2020, because it was not regulated in the POPs Regulation until 2020.
The EA recorded 3 stockpile notifications for PFOA in firefighting foams in 2021 totalling 7912kg. Since this 2019 to 2021 reporting period, the EA has produced and distributed technical guidance on PFOA containing firefighting foams to over 25 trade associations from varying industry sectors. Within a year of this communications campaign launch, the EA had registered over 700 tonnes of PFOA containing foams. These data will be included in the next triennial report.
Stockpile notifications are due for renewal every 12 months. Stockpiles that are safely replaced and disposed of are removed from the register.
DAERA recorded no stockpile notifications for PFOA in this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
SEPA recorded no stockpile notifications for PFOA in this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
NRW recorded no stockpile notifications for PFOA in this reporting period (2019 to 2021).
There were no non-permitted stockpiles reported in the reporting years covered by this report. Notification of such stockpiles is not required under the POPs Regulation and any such stockpile needs to be managed as waste.
3. Release reduction, minimisation and elimination
For POPs listed on Annex C (unintentionally produced) of the Stockholm Convention, parties to the convention have an obligation to develop and maintain emission inventories. The emission inventories are further intended to support parties with identification of the key sources and trends for unintentional releases, which feeds into the work on National Implementation Plans (NIPs) to minimise emissions as far as possible.
The UK’s emission inventories for Annex C substances are updated on an annual basis and report emission estimates from 1990 to the current ‘emission year’. This is 2 years behind the current year to allow statistical publications to be released and data to be suitably checked and validated prior to publication. Emissions estimates are currently available covering the period 1990 to 2022. The data from the emission inventories is also used in the report under Article 15 of the Stockholm Convention, which requires parties to update an online reporting system hosted by the convention secretariat. These reports can be accessed via the Stockholm Convention website.
However, the emissions data in this triennial report are not directly comparable to those reported in the last Stockholm Convention Article 15 reporting as the inventory has been updated since the last Stockholm Convention reporting cycle. The UK’s next update to the Stockholm Convention’s Article 15 reporting is likely to be in 2026.
Under Article 6(1) of the POPs Regulation, an emissions inventory for the UK must be maintained for substances listed in Annex III to the Regulation released to air, water and land. Annex III of the POPs Regulation is based on Annex C of the Stockholm Convention, and is reproduced as follows.
Annex III – List of substances subject to release reduction provisions:
Part A:
- Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Part B:
- Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (CAS No. 118-74-1)
- Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) (CAS No. 608-93-5)
- Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) (CAS No. 87-68-3)
- Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) (CAS No. 70776-03-3 and others)
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
The emission inventories have been developed following the standard practices and guidelines outlined in the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) guidebook. More detail of the methodology for development, maintenance and updating the UK POPs multi-media emissions inventory (MMEI) can be found in MMEI annual reports.
There are emission inventories for all POPs listed in Annex III (Parts A and B) apart from hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
HCBD was added to Annex C of the convention in 2018, assessments had previously been undertaken for this substance and it had been concluded that there are no unintentional emissions for the UK. However, as highlighted in the UK’s most recent NIP, there is a need to conduct further investigation on sources and emissions of HCBD in the UK. This substance may be added to the UK’s emissions inventories in the future, or further information explaining why an inventory is not needed will be supplied.
PAHs are not listed as a POP on the Stockholm Convention and as such are not listed on Annex C of the convention, however they are listed on Annex III of the POPs Regulation. The emission inventories for PAHs are not developed in the same way as for the other POPs, but emission estimates have been made based on the reported air data from the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory (NAEI). For emissions to water, a ratio was applied to the NAEI data, and then compared against the UK PRTR data for PAHs emitted to water. While these UK PRTR data are from point sources only, this comparison process forms part of the emissions inventory model validation.
The UK also has an emission inventory for pentachlorophenol (PCP). PCP was added to Annex A of the convention in 2013, it is not listed on Annex C of the convention or Annex III of the Regulation, this has been included in this report for completeness. PCP was added to the UK inventory as there was the possibility it could be proposed for Annex C listing. We continue to update this inventory as it provides useful information to inform the other inventories, in particular the inventory for dioxins. The production, use and burning of PCP is a source of dioxins and furans.
Tables 8, 9 and 10 show the annual release for Annex III substances for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Table 8: Annual release Annex III substances 2019
| Substance | Units | Air | Land | Water | Residue | Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCDDs and PCDFs | g I-TEQ | 135.09 | 107.76 | 13.12 | 128.56 | 69.17 |
| Dioxin-Like PCBs | g WHO-TEQ | 14.60 | 6.35 | 0.00 | 1.41 | 1.30 |
| PCBs | kg | 465.61 | 433.58 | 5.58 | 390.78 | 12.74 |
| HCB | kg | 39.06 | 4.14 | 1.61 | 29.67 | 9.12 |
| PeCB | kg | 23.01 | 3.83 | 3.10 | 21.06 | 5.91 |
| HCBD | kg | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| PCNs | kg | 129.11 | 48.81 | 0.00 | 0.31 | 17.55 |
| PCP | kg | 239,103.75 | 779.03 | 12.03 | 13.04 | 6.69 |
| PAHs | kg | 23,254 | Not applicable | 1035 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Table 9: Annual release Annex III substances 2020
| Substance | Units | Air | Land | Water | Residue | Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCDDs and PCDFs | g I-TEQ | 125.32 | 106.45 | 13.02 | 128.55 | 71.27 |
| Dioxin-Like PCBs | g WHO-TEQ | 13.74 | 5.49 | 0.00 | 1.45 | 1.31 |
| PCBs | kg | 424.18 | 318.95 | 5.61 | 333.68 | 12.86 |
| HCB | kg | 38.34 | 3.00 | 1.58 | 33.12 | 10.13 |
| PeCB | kg | 23.39 | 3.33 | 3.12 | 23.46 | 6.54 |
| HCBD | kg | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| PCNs | kg | 139.48 | 42.86 | 0.00 | 0.29 | 17.23 |
| PCP | kg | 221,184.77 | 784.07 | 7.59 | 13.84 | 7.42 |
| PAHs | kg | 21,604 | 962 |
Table 10: Annual release Annex III substances 2021
| Substance | Units | Air | Land | Water | Residue | Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCDDs and PCDFs | g I-TEQ | 115.72 | 107.56 | 13.09 | 140.62 | 73.27 |
| Dioxin-Like PCBs | g WHO-TEQ | 13.13 | 5.20 | 0.00 | 1.49 | 1.20 |
| PCBs | kg | 420.53 | 366.69 | 5.72 | 370.16 | 12.72 |
| HCB | kg | 39.40 | 3.00 | 1.59 | 35.49 | 10.98 |
| PeCB | kg | 24.19 | 3.19 | 3.13 | 25.00 | 6.87 |
| HCBD | kg | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| PCNs | kg | 146.51 | 41.18 | 0.00 | 0.29 | 17.13 |
| PCP | kg | 204,060.24 | 786.98 | 5.64 | 14.68 | 7.82 |
| PAHs | kg | 21,132 | 941 |
For multiple POPs, the emission sources are associated with manufacturing and combustion of certain types of fuels. The lockdown measures implemented from March of 2020 in the response to COVID-19 illustrated significant decreases in emissions to air, land, and water (for example, as much as 10% of total emissions). The emission estimates for 2021 following the removal of lockdown measures illustrate increases in emissions as manufacturing and consumption rates returned to normal.
4. Waste management
To reduce or eliminate releases of POPs from stockpiles and wastes, waste POPs or waste containing POPs must generally have their POP content destroyed or irreversibly transformed.
Article 7(4)(b) of the POPs Regulation allows the competent authority to deal with wastes differently in exceptional cases. It allows wastes listed in Part 2 of Annex V that contain or are contaminated by a substance in Annex IV, up to concentration limits specified in Part 2 of Annex V, to be otherwise dealt with in accordance with a method listed in Part 2 of Annex V. This applies provided the following conditions are fulfilled:
- the holder concerned has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the competent authority that decontamination of the waste in relation to substances listed in Annex IV was not feasible, and that destruction or irreversible transformation of the POP content does not represent the environmentally preferable option, and the competent authority has subsequently authorised the alternative operation
- the holder concerned has provided information on the POP content of the waste to the competent authority
- the operation is in accordance with relevant assimilated law
- the competent authority has informed the SoS, the Welsh ministers and the Scottish ministers of its authorisation and the reasons for it
In the reporting years of 2019, 2020 and 2021 the competent authorities have not issued any authorisations to exempt the destruction or irreversible transformation of POP content above the concentration limits specified in Part 2 of Annex V.
5. Enforcement activities, infringements and penalties
The Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulations 2007 set out provisions on enforcement, including provisions relating to offences, penalties and powers to set fees and serve notices. It further designates the EA as the ‘competent authority’ in England, NRW in Wales, DAERA in Northern Ireland and SEPA in Scotland.
Article 13 of the POPs Regulation states that information on infringements and penalties must be included in the reporting. Specifically, it is stated that the SoS must compile information on the application of the UK POPs Regulation, including information on enforcement activities, infringements and penalties.
Tables 11 to 13 detail the numbers of non-compliance and enforcement actions. The numbers of non-compliance and enforcement activities vary between years depending on the enforcement team’s regulatory priority. The COVID-19 pandemic also affected some of the results, meaning some of the 2020 results may have been reported in 2021.
Table 11: Number of cases of enforcement activities found for each of the requirements (out of the total number of controls which addressed each requirement) under Articles 3, 5 and 7
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of cases in which the POPs Regulation was covered and/or enforced | 0 | 8 | 99 |
| Manufacturing, placing on the market and use (Article 3) | 0 | 5 | 17 |
| Stockpiles (Article 5) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Waste management (Article 7) | 0 | 3 | 82 |
Table 12: Number of cases of PCB enforcement activities for each of the following requirements, these data are presented separately due to PCB Regulations operating alongside the POPs Regulation
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of PCB cases in which the POPs Regulation was covered and/or enforced | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Failure to respond to information notice | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Late payments of registration fees | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Late renewal of registration | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Table 13: Number of and type of enforcement actions taken in the UK
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of enforcement actions taken for non-compliance | 0 | 5 | 40 |
| Investigation ongoing | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Written advice | 0 | 8 | 101 |
| Public announcement | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Admin measures or orders | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Withdrawal or recall of products from the market, confiscation or seizure, ban of sale or use, destruction of non-compliant products or waste | 0 | 5 | 17 |
| Penalties | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension or revocation of business licence | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Imprisonment | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other legal enforcement action | 0 | 0 | 3 |