On 23 February 2021 the European Commission published a new regulation (2021/277) amending the limit for PCP and its salts and esters.

The Commission identified its presence as an impurity in some articles, in particular imported fabrics and in wood chips recovered for the production of wood-based panels.

Pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters are listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 with no unintentional trace contaminant limit value. It should be recalled that, for the same reason, it has recently been removed from REACH.

In order to allow for the continuous recycling of wood chips and to facilitate the monitoring of compliance with the Regulation, it has been decided to set an unintentional trace contaminant limit of 5mg/kg (0.0005% by weight) for pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters.

Therefore, in Part A of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1021, in the fourth column (‘Specific exemption with regard to a use as an intermediate or other specification’) of the entry for PCP and its salts and esters, the following text is added:

“For the purposes of this entry, Article 4(1) (b) shall apply to concentrations of PCP and its salts and esters of 5 mg/kg (0,0005 % by weight) or less, when present in substances, mixtures or articles.

This amendment came into force on 15th March 2021.