Stockholm Convention POPRC 22 Agenda Sets 2026 Scrutiny For Flame Retardants

The Stockholm Convention Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee will meet in Rome from 21 to 25 September 2026 to consider new technical work on persistent organic pollutants, including proposed listings for two brominated flame retardants: DBDPE and TBPH. The agenda signals potential future controls affecting chemicals, electronics, construction, automotive, textiles, plastics, waste, recycling and supply chain compliance teams.

POPRC 22 Agenda: What Is Being Considered?

The provisional agenda for the twenty-second meeting includes technical work on draft risk profiles, proposed chemical listings, PFAS-related exemptions and monitoring activities. A key item is the consideration of chemicals proposed for listing in Annexes A, B and/or C of the Stockholm Convention.

The Committee will review decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) and its related brominated substance, proposed by Norway, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), proposed by the European Union.

If the Committee finds that the proposals meet Article 8 and Annex D requirements, it may agree workplans for draft risk profiles. This is an early but important step towards possible global restriction or elimination measures.

DBDPE And TBPH: Why Industry Should Pay Attention

DBDPE is a non-reactive brominated flame-retardant additive used in electrical and electronic equipment, automotive components, construction materials and textiles. The proposal states that EU imports are between 10,000 and 100,000 tonnes per year, with significant production or import also reported in the United States, Canada, Australia and China.

TBPH is used mainly as a non-reactive flame retardant and plasticiser, including in flexible PVC for wires and cable insulation, rigid polyurethane in construction and flexible polyurethane in upholstery. The EU proposal notes that TBPH is registered under REACH at 100 to 1,000 tonnes per year in the EEA.

Both proposals cite concerns around persistence, bioaccumulation, long-range environmental transport and adverse effects. These are core screening areas under the Stockholm Convention.

What Companies Should Do Before September 2026

Manufacturers, importers, formulators, article producers, retailers and recyclers should begin mapping whether DBDPE, TBPH or related trade names appear in substances, mixtures, components, coatings, foams, cables, plastics, textiles or legacy stock.

Practical steps include requesting supplier declarations, reviewing safety data sheets and bills of materials, checking flame-retardant specifications, identifying affected product lines, and assessing substitution options. Waste handlers and recyclers should also review exposure risks from treated articles entering reuse or recycling streams.