UK Persistent Organic Pollutants (Amendment) Regulations 2026 — New Prohibitions Proposed

The United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has published a proposal to amend the UK Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation through the Persistent Organic Pollutants (Amendment) Regulations 2026. The proposal has been formally notified to the WTO TBT Committee under reference GBR/119.

The amendment adds five substances to Annex I of the UK POPs Regulation - the list of substances subject to prohibition. Once in force, the manufacture, use, and placing on the UK market of products containing these substances will be prohibited, subject to time-limited exemptions. Unintentional trace contaminant (UTC) concentration limits will be established for each substance. The existing UTC limit for PFOS will also be revised.

The five substances newly entering the scope of the UK POPs prohibition are:

• UV-328 (CAS 25973-55-1):  a benzotriazole UV stabiliser used in plastics, coatings, and rubber
• Dechlorane Plus and its syn- and anti-isomers (CAS 13560-89-9, 135821-03-3, 135821-74-8): a chlorinated flame retardant used in wire and cable insulation, electrical connectors, and roofing materials
• Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) (CAS 85535-85-9 and others): plasticisers and flame retardants used in plastics, rubber, and metalworking fluids
• Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs), their salts and related compounds: a class of PFAS used in fluoropolymer processing and surface treatments
• Chlorpyrifos (CAS 2921-88-2) — an organophosphate insecticide

The regulation is proposed for adoption on 14 October 2026, with entry into force on 16 December 2026. Comments may be submitted to TBTEnquiriesUK@trade.gov.uk  until 28 June 2026.

Manufacturers and suppliers placing products on the UK market should determine whether any of the five substances above are present in their articles or materials. This is particularly relevant for products incorporating flame retardants, UV stabilisers, chlorinated plasticisers, or fluorinated surface treatments. Full Material Declarations (FMD) and substance disclosures in CDX should be reviewed and updated ahead of the December 2026 implementation date.

The full text of the proposed statutory instrument is available via the WTO TBT notification GBR/119.