A cover note from the EU Council, dated 2 July 2026, transmits a Commission delegated regulation that would add the pesticide chlorpyrifos to Annex I of the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation (EU) 2019/1021. The measure, once adopted, would ban the production, placing on the market, and use of chlorpyrifos in the EU, with limited exemptions for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard.
The delegated regulation follows the Commission's proposal to list chlorpyrifos as a POP due to its persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Chlorpyrifos is already banned for agricultural use in the EU since 2020, but the new listing would close remaining loopholes for industrial uses and waste management. The regulation would also set a limit of 10 mg/kg for unintentional trace contaminant (UTC) levels in substances, mixtures, or articles.
EU chemical producers and importers would face a full ban on chlorpyrifos production and sale, with compliance costs for disposal and waste treatment. Farmers and agricultural users, already prohibited from using chlorpyrifos, would see no new direct impact. Waste management operators would need to ensure that waste containing chlorpyrifos above the UTC limit is treated to destroy the substance. Environmental and health NGOs are expected to welcome the move as closing a regulatory gap.
The regulation is subject to scrutiny by the European Parliament and the Council, which have two months to object. If no objection is raised, it will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal.