The LRTAP POPs Protocol and its Relevance to the Global POPs Negotiations

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the Protocol to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants (LRTAP POPs Protocol) and evaluates its suitability as a model for global negotiations on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The author argues that while the Protocol is a positive regional step, it is inadequate as a global model because it focuses on risk management and air transmission rather than total elimination and pollution prevention, and it lacks provisions for developing countries.

• The LRTAP POPs Protocol is considered an inadequate model for a global agreement because it focuses exclusively on the transmission of POPs through air and was negotiated without the participation of developing countries. It lacks provisions for compensation, liability for damages in developing nations, and technical or financial assistance for replacing POPs-dependent technologies.
• The briefing argues that the Protocol's stated objective of to "control, reduce or eliminate" discharges is too weak. It suggests that a global agreement should unequivocally aim for total elimination, as POPs are viewed as unmanageable risks that can cause endocrine disruption even at extremely low concentrations (parts per trillion), rendering traditional risk management approaches based on "safe" levels ineffective.
• The Protocol regulates 16 substances across three categories: Annex I (elimination), Annex II (restrictions on use), and Annex III (emission reductions). The substances in Annex III—polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, furans, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB)—are managed via 'best available techniques' (BAT), which the author criticizes as primarily 'end-of-pipe' solutions that do not promote clean production or ban POPs-producing technologies like waste incineration.
• The Protocol allows several exceptions to the elimination of POPs, some of which were included due to disclosures by Russia regarding continued production. For example, DDT is permitted for malaria and encephalitis control, and PCBs have specific elimination deadlines for countries with economies in transition (CETs), with production elimination by 31 December 2005 and use elimination by 31 December 2015.
• The process for adding new chemicals to the Protocol's annexes is criticized for being politicized because it requires a consensus of the parties. This allows any single party to effectively veto the addition of a substance, regardless of whether a scientific 'risk profile' based on toxicity, persistence, bio-accumulation, and long-range transport suggests it should be listed.
• The International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) advocates for a global agreement based on a 'POPs Elimination Platform.' This platform emphasizes the total phase-out of production, use, and trade, the destruction of all stockpiles, and a transition regime that is rapid and just without compromising health and safety (e.g., in infectious disease control).

APA

Saladin, C. (n.d.). The LRTAP POPs Protocol and its Relevance to the Global POPs Negotiations. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/LRTAPPOPsProtocolGlobal.pdf

Chicago

Saladin, Claudia. The LRTAP POPs Protocol and its Relevance to the Global POPs Negotiations. Center for International Environmental Law, n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/LRTAPPOPsProtocolGlobal.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Saladin |first1=Claudia |title=The LRTAP POPs Protocol and its Relevance to the Global POPs Negotiations |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/LRTAPPOPsProtocolGlobal.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{saladinndlrtap, author = {Saladin, Claudia}, title = {{The LRTAP POPs Protocol and its Relevance to the Global POPs Negotiations}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/LRTAPPOPsProtocolGlobal.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }