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Stockholm Convention
Earth Negotiations Bulletin
 
Summary and Analysis
 
Monday, 20 October 2008
 
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Fourth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-4) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

13-17 October 2008 | Geneva, Switzerland

Highlights for Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Scene from POPRC-4
Daily Highlights
Monday, 13 October - Tuesday, 14 October - Wednesday, 15 October - Thursday, 16 October - Friday, 17 October

On Wednesday morning, POPRC-4 heard reports from the contact groups on short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), and from the drafting groups on commercial octabromodiphenyl ether (c-octaBDE) and  alpha- and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH).

As Norway's proposal to include hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) had not been circulated in time, the Committee exchanged views on the proposal and agreed to consider it at POPRC-5. The Committee also considered guidance on flame retardant alternatives to pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE) as well as new information on perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) submitted for inclusion in an annex to the PFOS risk management evaluation adopted at POPRC-3.

In the afternoon, POPRC-4 discussed the proposal to list endosulfan under the Convention. Members consulted Masa Nagai, the Convention’s legal advisor, to determine whether, in evaluating the proposal against the Annex D criteria, the POPRC can consider information other than that provided in the original proposal for listing.

Nagai clarified that POPRC can operate in a flexible way and referred to the POPRC’s custom of incorporating information submitted by its Members in a transparent and balanced manner. The POPRC then began discussions of whether endosulfan satisfies the Annex D criteria, and a drafting group was tasked with preparing new text.

Drafting groups on c-octaBDE, alpha- and beta-HCH, and endosulfan, and a contact group on PeCB, were scheduled to meet on Wednesday evening, while contact groups on endosulfan and SCCPs will be meeting on Thursday morning.
Alfredo Cueva (Ecuador), Chair of the drafting group on c-octaBDE.
Jianxin Hu (China) noted that Norway's proposal to list HBCD had not been circulated in time for review by Committee members.
G.K. Pandey (India) questioned the legality of considering supplemental information submitted by POPRC members in evaluating endosulfan against the Annex D criteria for listing.
Stefan Posner, The Swerea Group, Sweden, presented on guidance on flame retardant alternatives to pentaBDE.
Mario Yarto (Mexico), Chair of the drafting group on alpha- and beta-HCH
Georg Becher, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, presented Norway's proposal for including HBCD in Annex A of the Convention.
 
 
Daily Highlights
Monday, 13 October - Tuesday, 14 October - Wednesday, 15 October - Thursday, 16 October - Friday, 17 October

Related Links
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants resources
POPRC-4 Meeting’s website
Meeting’s documents
POPRC-4 Annotated provisional agenda
Scenario note for the fourth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee
Tentative schedule for the fourth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee

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