The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (the ‘Convention’) entered into force on 17 May 2004 and was concluded by the Union by means of Council Decision 2006/507/EC1.

Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council2 implements the Convention within the Union.

In accordance with Article 8 of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties may list chemicals in Annexes A, B and/or C to the Convention and specify control measures related to those chemicals.

In order to protect human health and the environment from further releases of dicofol, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds, it is necessary to reduce or eliminate the production and use of those chemicals at global level and to support their listing in the relevant Annexes to the Convention. In addition, it is necessary to further reduce or eliminate the use of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF), by amending or deleting the acceptable purposes and/or specific exemptions in Annex B to the Convention.

At its ninth meeting, the Conference of the Parties is expected to decide whether to list those chemicals in Annex A to the Convention and to modify existing entries in Annex B to the Convention.

It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union's behalf at the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties as regards amendments to Annexes A and B to the Convention, as those amendments will be binding on the Union,