COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2022/997

of 7 April 2022

on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants as regards the proposal for amendment of Annex A to that Convention

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1) in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (the ‘Convention’) entered into force on 17 May 2004 and was concluded on behalf of the Union by Council Decision 2006/507/EC (1).

(2) Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) implements the Convention within the Union.

(3) Pursuant to Article 8 of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention may list chemicals in Annexes A, B and/or C to the Convention and specify control measures related to such chemicals.

(4) At its tenth meeting, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention is expected to adopt a decision to list further chemicals in Annex A to the Convention.

(5) In order to protect human health and the environment from further releases of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts and PFHxS-related compounds, it is necessary to reduce or eliminate the production and use of those chemicals at global level and to support their listing in the relevant annexes to the Convention.

(6) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties as regards amendments to Annex A to the Convention, as those amendments will be binding on the Union,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants shall be to support the listing of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts and PFHxS-related compounds in Annex A to the Convention, taking due account of the relevant recommendations of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee without specific exemptions.

Article 2

Refinements of the position referred to in Article 1, in light of the developments at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, may be agreed upon by representatives of the Union, in consultation with the Member States, during on-the-spot coordination meetings without a further decision of the Council.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Luxembourg, 7 April 2022.

For the Council

The President

J. DENORMANDIE

(1)  Council Decision 2006/507/EC of 14 October 2004 concerning the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community, of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (

OJ L 209, 31.7.2006, p. 1

).

(2)  Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on persistent organic pollutants (

OJ L 169, 25.6.2019, p. 45

).