Since the publication of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in 2019, Annex I of Part A of this important piece of legislation has been amended several times.
When the Regulation was published, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was listed in Annex I of the Regulation without a trace limit value for unintentional contaminants (UTC). Since the publication of the Regulation, the European Commission (EC) has identified HCB as an impurity in certain substances, mixtures and articles, including chlorinated solvents, coatings, inks, paints and toners, pesticides, wood and textile applications, as well as plastics.
The EC website has made available a draft Regulation to establish a limit of no more than 10 mg/kg for HCB in Part A of Annex I of the Regulation. This defined limit would facilitate enforcement.
Comments will be accepted until 6th December 2021.
According to the EC website, adoption of the draft regulation is proposed for the fourth quarter of 2021 and will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU).
