The Commission has just published a <link https: eur-lex.europa.eu legal-content en txt pdf _blank>report and a <link https: eur-lex.europa.eu legal-content en txt pdf _blank>working document on the review and update of the second European Union Implementation Plan of the <link https: eur-lex.europa.eu legal-content en txt pdf _blank>Regulation (EC) 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

The review and update of the second implementation plan has been done to take into account the inclusion of a number of new persistent organic pollutants into the Stockholm Convention, and the technical and legislative progress made in this area.

This plan aims to:

• review the existing Union level measures related to POPs;
• assess their efficiency and sufficiency in meeting the obligations of the Stockholm Convention;
• identify needs for further Union level measures;
• establish a plan for implementing the further measures;
• identify and strengthen links and potential synergies between POPs management and other environmental policies and other policy fields; and
• increase awareness on POPs and their control measures.

The report also reminds that even if a significant progress towards the elimination of POPs has been achieved, a main challenge for the EU is to eliminate POPs from the waste cycle and remaining stockpiles as these still present a major emission source. The release of POPs due to unintentional production also remains one of the most important issues to be tackled in the EU.