Stockholm Convention Exemption Process

Overview of the Stockholm Convention

Introduction

Main Provisions

POPs covered under the Stockholm Convention
Exemptions

What Are Exemptions

List of Specific Exemptions & Acceptable Purposes

Registration & Notification

Expiration & Withdrawal
Fact Sheets

Hexabromocyclododecane

Endosulfan

Hexabromodiphenyl ether

Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (tetraBDE)

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid salts
Appendix

A - Acronyms

B - Case Study: Japan

Exemptions - What Are Exemptions

It is important to distinguish between specific exemptions, acceptable purposes and other notifications that may be transmitted by Parties in accordance with Article 4 or the relevant Parts of Annexes A and B to the Convention.

Parties can:

Register for Specific Exemptions - The Convention allows Parties to register specific exemptions to give the time that may be needed to adapt and take necessary measures required by the Convention. Specific exemptions under Article 4 have a limited time frame. Often this is for chemicals for which there are alternatives available but Parties may require a transitional period and so register for one or more types of specific exemptions listed in Annexes A or B. All specific exemptions may be exercised by Parties that have notified the Secretariat to register for specific exemptions in accordance with Article 4 or relevant parts of Annexes A or B, with the exception of PCBs which may be used by Parties without the need for registration. Specific exemptions expire five years after the date of entry into force of the Convention with respect to a particular chemical. Exception: PCBs and PBDEs listed in Annex A to the Convention
Notify Acceptable Purposes – Parties can notify acceptable purposes for production and use of chemicals listed in Annex B relating to DDT, PFOS, its salts and PFOSF. The COP evaluates the continued need for acceptable purposes. In principle, acceptable purposes are available when there are no feasible alternatives to the production and use of a chemical, which is, for this reason, listed in Annex B to the Convention. Acceptable purposes are reviewed by the COP on a regular basis in accordance with the process agreed by the COP.
Notify Articles in Use or Closed-system Site-limited Intermediates – The Convention also provides for POPs in articles in use and for the production and use of quantities of chemicals listed in Annexes A and B as closed-system site-limited intermediates. These are set out in specific provisions of the Convention covering:
- Constituents of articles; and
- Closed-system site-limited intermediates.

Except when the Convention provides otherwise, it does not apply when no significant quantities of the chemical are expected to reach humans and environment e.g. use for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard, or unintentional trace contaminants in products and articles.