The European Union (EU) is pressing for international action to phase out further Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which cause long-term damage to people and the environment.

The EU is also encouraging the active participation of environment and industry Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the first global, legally binding agreement to protect human health, wildlife and the environment from the toxic effects of chemicals.

Colin Church, Head of the UK Delegation and acting President of the EU Delegation to the first Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Uruguay this week, announced:

"The EU welcomes and supports the nomination by Norway of the flame retardant pentabromodiphenyl ether and the plan by Mexico to nominate hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), including the pesticide lindane. Both of these are already severely restricted in the EU because of the danger they pose to people and the environment. The EU is nominating two further candidates - the pesticide chlordecone and the brominated flame retardant hexabromobiphenyl.

"Our prime aim is to ensure that this meeting takes the decisions necessary for effective implementation and further development of the Stockholm Convention. In doing this, we have been seeking to work closely with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to take their particular concerns into account.

"We are very much aware of the particular difficulties faced by developing countries who, for example, rely on POPs for disease and pest control . We fully recognize the importance of helping them to implement the Convention effectively. A sound financial mechanism will be the key to ensuring that this support materializes. The EU is the largest contributor to the Global Environment Facility, which is the interim financial mechanism for providing this support, paying 45 per cent of the third replenishment."

The European Union met NGOs early in the Conference in order to try to ensure that NGO views were taken into account in decisions made by the Parties to the Convention.

The main concerns expressed by environment and health NGOs are connected with a perceived lack of ambition in terms of the practical technical implementation of the Convention objectives, such as the dioxin toolkit (to assist countries in estimating dioxin emissions), disposal of waste containing POPs and guidelines on Best Available Technology and Best Environmental Practice (BAT / BEP) to minimise releases of unintentionally-produced dioxins and furans. (Dioxins and furans are by-products from some industrial and combustion processes.)

Jill Hanna, Head of the European Community Delegation, paid tribute to the role played by NGOs in the Stockholm Convention.

"We are very grateful for the important contribution made by NGOs throughout the process leading to this first Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention", she said.

"They took part constructively in the work to develop the dioxin toolkit, BAT / BEP guidance and guidelines on acceptable POPs levels in disposable waste, so they are well aware of the benefits and limitations of the documents and the reasons for them.

"We too recognise that much work remains to be done, but the way forward we propose is both pragmatic and sensible and provides developed and developing countries with a sound platform from which to progress. It is also a testament to what can be achieved through a spirit of co-operation and building on common ground rather than concentrating on differences."

Irish MEP Avril Doyle, leading the group of Members of the European Parliament in Uruguay this week, commented:

"It is vitally important to strike the right balance between implementing the current provisions of the Stockholm Convention and expanding its scope. We welcome in particular that work is now in progress to set up a non-compliance mechanism, which will give teeth to this Convention so that it is not just a paper tiger. This will be further elaborated at a special meeting immediately before the second Conference of the Parties. Another key achievement has been to set up a POPs Review Committee to assess toxic substances to be added to the blacklists in the Convention."