Evaluation

In accordance with paragraph 5 of Part III of Annex B to the Convention, The Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention evaluates the continued need for PFOS, its salts and PFOSF for the various acceptable purposes and specific exemptions on the basis of available scientific, technical, environmental and economic information, including:

  1. Information provided in the national report;
  2. Information on the production and use of these chemicals;
  3. Information on the availability, suitability and implementation of alternatives to these chemicals:
  4. Information on progress in building the capacity of countries to transfer safely to reliance on such alternatives.

The process for the evaluation of the continued need for PFOS, its salts and PFOSF for the various acceptable purposes and specific exemptions was adopted at COP-6 in 2013 (decision SC-6/4).

The first evaluation was held at COP-7 in 2015. The Conference of the Parties concluded that Parties may need to continue to produce and/or use PFOS, its salts and PFOSF for acceptable purposes as provided in Annex B to the Convention and consequently need to notify the Secretariat of their intention to produce and/or use those chemicals for those purposes (decision SC-7/5).

The Conference of the Parties noted, pursuant to paragraph 9 of Article 4, that as there are no longer any parties registered for specific exemptions for the production and use of PFOS, its salts and PFOSF for carpets, leather and apparel, textiles and upholstery, paper and packaging, coatings and coating additives and rubber and plastics, no new registrations may be made with respect to them (decision SC-7/1).

The second evaluation was conducted at COP-9 in 2019. Based on the POPs Review Committee’s report on alternatives (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.14/INF/13) and its recommendations (decision POPRC-14/3), as well as the Secretariat’s evaluation on PFOS, its salts ad PFOSF (UNEP/POPS/COP.9/INF/12), the Conference of the Parties amended Annex B to the Convention (decision SC-9/4). The amendments specified:

  • Acceptable purpose: Insect baits with sulfluramid (CAS No. 4151-50-2) as an active ingredient for control of leaf-cutting ants from Atta spp. and Acromyrmex spp. for agricultural use only
  • Specific exemptions:
    • Metal plating (hard-metal plating) only in closed-loop systems
    • Fire-fighting foam for liquid fuel vapour suppression and liquid fuel fires (Class B fires) in installed systems, including both mobile and fixed systems, in accordance with paragraph 10 of part III of Annex B
  • At COP-11 in 2023, the third evaluation reviewed reports on alternatives (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.18/INF/19/Rev.1) and the evaluation of PFOS (UNEP/POPS/COP.11/INF/15) and recommendations (decision POPRC-18/7). The Conference of the Parties
  • Encouraged Parties to:
    • Conduct research on alternatives to PFOS and monitor sulfluramid and related degradation products in environmental media.
    • Avoid replacing PFOS in hard-metal plating with chemicals exhibiting POP characteristics as per Annex D.
    • Use available, feasible, and efficient alternatives to PFOS, noting that fluorine-based fire-fighting foams have significant environmental and health impacts.
  • Reminded Parties using sulfluramid insect baits for agricultural purposes to notify the Secretariat to register this use as an acceptable purpose.