Policy paper

Request for information: POPs 2026 (Stockholm Convention)

Published 15 October 2026

Background

The UK is a party to the UN Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). POPs are substances that persist in the environment, accumulate in living organisms and pose a risk to our health and the environment. They can be transported by air, water or migratory species across international borders, reaching regions where they have never been produced or used.

Substances listed in the convention are generally prohibited from production, marketing or use, unless specific exemptions apply or acceptable purposes for continued use have been agreed.

There is a process for parties to propose a substance for listing if they have gathered evidence that suggests it may be a POP. The POPs Review Committee (POPRC), the technical scientific committee of the Stockholm Convention, then considers and further develops the evidence that the substance demonstrates POP characteristics.

If there is evidence that a substance demonstrates POP characteristics, the POPRC then considers the socioeconomic impacts of a ban or restriction of this substance. They make recommendations to the Stockholm Convention’s Conference of Parties, which is held every 2 years.

Purpose of this request for information

This request for information will help inform the POPRC’s evaluation of these substances.

This includes the drafting of the risk profile and risk management evaluations to determine:

• whether these substances should be recommended as new POPs under the convention
• to what extent any specific exemptions and acceptable purposes for continued use may be required

You can find out more about the POPRC’s 2026 call for information on the Stockholm Convention’s website.

Substances in this request for information

Decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE)

Decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) and its related substance 1,1’-ethane-1,2-diylbisbenzene, brominated are nonreactive brominated flame-retardant additives.

DBDPE and its related substance 1,1’-ethane-1,2-diylbisbenzene have been proposed to meet the POPs criteria, including environmental toxicity and persistence in the environment. They have historic global uses in a range of applications, including electrical and electronic equipment, automotive components, textiles and building materials.

Bis (2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate (TBPH)

Bis (2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate (TBPH) and its isomers are brominated flame retardants.

TBPH and its isomers have been proposed to meet the relevant POPs criteria, including the potential for environmental toxicity and persistence and bioaccumulation in the environment. They have been used in cable insulation, in rigid polyurethane (PUR) in construction and in flexible PUR in upholstery.

Polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) and mixed polybrominated/chlorinated dibenzofurans (PBCDD/Fs)

There is currently no known intentional manufacture of PBDD/Fs and PBCDD/Fs. They are unintentionally generated through thermal processes involving brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and other brominated (and chlorinated) organics. This includes the uncontrolled burning of waste, emissions from metallurgical industries and thermal disposal of e-waste.

DBDPE and TBPH: information requested

The POPRC has requested additional information about the sources, behaviour and adverse effects of 2 nominated chemicals:

• ‘decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) and its related substance 1,1’-ethane-1,2-diylbisbenzene, brominated’
• ‘bis (2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate (TBPH) and any of its isomers’

This is to inform the completion of draft risk profiles for these chemicals (as specified in Annex E of the Stockholm Convention).

If the draft risk profiles for these substances are agreed at the next POPRC meeting in October 2027, the proposal will move to the next stage. This stage is the drafting of a risk management evaluation (as specified in Annex F of the Stockholm Convention).

We encourage stakeholders to also collate or share any socioeconomic knowledge available about these substances at this stage, to inform any potential future risk management evaluation.

Providing risk profile information on DBDPE and TBPH

You should provide information that can help the POPRC determine the extent to which these substances meet threshold criteria for:

• persistence
• bioaccumulation
• toxicity
• potential for long-range environmental transport

Providing risk management information on DBDPE and TBPH

You can also share any socioeconomic knowledge on these substances.

For example, you could provide information regarding these substances’ production, use, presence in articles, including historic, current, and anticipated ongoing needs.

Other information of interest includes:

• potential alternatives
• existing risk management measures
• emissions
• monitoring
• costs
• impacts on society
• proposed control measures
• proposed requests for exemptions to enable continued use, if prohibited

PBDD/Fs and PBCDD/Fs: information requested

The draft risk profile for polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) and mixed polybrominated/chlorinated dibenzofurans (PBCDD/Fs) was adopted at the September 2026 POPRC meeting.

The scope of the proposal covers PBDD/Fs and PBCDD/Fs. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) are not included in the scope of the proposal as they are already listed in Annex C of the Stockholm Convention.

The POPRC is now requesting information to inform preparation of a draft risk management evaluation.

This draft will be considered by the committee at the next POPRC meeting in October 2027. It may result in a recommendation to the Convention’s Conference of the Parties (COP) on whether this proposal should be a new listing under the Stockholm Convention on POPs.

Providing risk management information on PCDD/Fs and PBCDD/Fs

You should provide information that can help inform the risk management evaluation for this substance.

For example, information regarding these substances’ production, use, presence in articles, including historic, current, and anticipated ongoing needs.

Other information of interest includes:

• potential alternatives
• existing risk management measures
• emissions
• monitoring
• costs
• impacts on society
• proposed control measures
• proposed requests for exemptions to enable continued use, if prohibited

How to respond

Send your responses to pops@defra.gov.uk before 11:59pm on 29 November 2026.

You should use the relevant information submission form or give the same information in another format. Find the forms on the request for information cover page.

Using and sharing your information

How we use your personal information is set out in Defra’s research privacy notice with the following changes: 

1. Your personal data will be used to assess whether the UK wishes to submit information during the intersessional period ahead of the next POPRC meeting in 2027. 

2. We will publish any comments we receive on GOV.UK approximately 2 to 6 months after the commenting closing date. It is your responsibility to remove confidential information from any comments and attachments. Comments will only be attributed to a company or organisation name.

Defra respects your personal privacy when responding to access to information requests. We only share information when necessary to meet the statutory requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.