PIC Regulation sees 22 substances added

The European Commission has completed its annual review of chemicals subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation, based on developments in EU law and the Rotterdam Convention. As a result, 22 substances have been added to the list of those where exporters are required to notify their designated national authority at least days before exporting them as a product or in mixtures, as of 1 September. In 20 cases, consent from the importing country is also needed.

Most were added because they are banned as active substances in plant protection products within the EU. Some are also severely restricted under the Biocidal Products Regulation and only approved only for a limited number of biocidal products. Among those added, following their listing under the Rotterdam Convention in 2019, were the pesticide phorate and the industrial chemical hexabromocyclododecane. The latter is already banned from export under Annex V of PIC.

In addition, a series of mercury-containing articles have been added to Annex V and thus banned from export. Two more mercury compounds can only be exported for uses in laboratory scale research and analysis.