EU Officially Revises POPs Regulation
On the 28 of October 2025, the European Union published Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1482, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The aim is to reduce the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (tetraBDE, pentaBDE, hexaBDE, heptaBDE, decaBDE) in mixtures and articles, including recovered materials, and toys and childcare articles containing or made of recovered materials, strengthening the protection of human health and the environment.
The text sets new concentration limits for these substances, which will be applied progressively. Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 is modified as follows:
| Category | Limit for the sum of tetraBDE, pentaBDE, hexaBDE, heptaBDE and decaBDE | Effective Date |
| General Mixtures & Articles
(Except for food contact materials subject to Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004) |
10 mg/kg (sum) | 17/11/2025 |
| Mixtures or articles containing or made of recovered materials
(Except for food contact materials subject to Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004) |
500 mg/kg (sum) | 17/11/2025 |
| 350 mg/kg (sum) | 30/12/ 2025 | |
| 200 mg/kg (sum) | 30 /12/ 2027 | |
| Toys & Childcare Articles containing or made of recovered materials
(Except for food contact materials subject to Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004) Childcare articles: any product facilitating children’s seating, sleep, relaxation, hygiene, changing and general body care, feeding, sucking, transportation and protection. |
500 mg/kg (sum) | 17/11/2025 |
| 350 mg/kg (sum) | 30/12/ 2025 | |
| 10 mg/kg (sum) | 30 /05/ 2027 |
Note: The restriction of tetra-, penta-, hexa-, hepta- and decaBDE in POP Regulation is not applicable to electric and electronic equipment within the scope of Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS).
With this measure, the EU fulfills its international commitments under the Stockholm Convention and the 1979 Protocol, reinforcing safety in products that may contain traces of PBDEs.
