With the publication of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1423, the European Union updates the list of persistent organic pollutants to include chlorpyrifos, a substance already under close scrutiny at international level. A development that directly concerns companies, who are now required to check for its presence, even accidental, in their products.
What are POPs
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemical substances that degrade very slowly in the environment, accumulate in living organisms along the food chain, and can travel long distances from their point of emission, including through air and water.
Because of these characteristics, they are regulated internationally under the Stockholm Convention and, at EU level, under Regulation (EU) 2019/1021.
Chemical substances identified as POPs include:
- pesticides, such as DDT
- industrial chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- unintentional by-products formed during industrial processes, degradation or combustion, such as dioxins and furans
Monitoring them matters because their effects are not confined to where they originate: a persistent substance can turn up, years after its use, in food matrices, water or biological tissue far from its original source. This is why the list of regulated substances is updated periodically, and for companies working with products, raw materials or production chains, keeping track of it is a compliance requirement, not just good practice.
The new Regulation
On 10 September 2026, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1423 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 to include chlorpyrifos in the list of regulated substances.
What changes
Chlorpyrifos (CAS 2921-88-2, EC 220-864-4) is added to Part A of Annex I to the POPs Regulation, with no specific exemptions.
This is because the substance is not currently approved as an active substance in either plant protection products or biocidal products under EU legislation.
The Regulation also sets a limit for chlorpyrifos occurring as an unintentional trace contaminant: 0.01 mg/kg (0.000001% by weight) in substances, mixtures and articles. Above this threshold, the restrictions set out in Article 3(1) of the POPs Regulation apply.
Entry into force
The Regulation enters into force on 30 September, the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal, and is directly applicable in all Member States, with no need for national transposition.
Why it matters
For companies operating across the chemical, manufacturing and agri-food supply chains, this update introduces a new compliance parameter to monitor.
Checking for the presence of chlorpyrifos in their products, even as an unintentional contaminant, becomes a necessary step to ensure compliance with the new regulatory limit.