National Implementation Plan – Stockholm Conventionen on Persistent Organic Pollutants

National Implementation Plan – Stockholm Conventionen on Persistent Organic Pollutants

The protection of human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals is a very important issue for the Danish Government. With the increasing globalization we face these years, international regulations become a central instrument.

It is well documented, that persistent organic pollutants are dispersed throughout the entire globe through the air, with migrating animals and through trade. It is therefore crucial, that all countries contribute with an active effort to limit them.

The national implementation plans, which all Parties to the Stockholm Convention must elaborate, are very important. The plans will constitute the basis for the national efforts in the coming years. They must specify how the countries will phase out production and use and reduce emissions of the 12 chemicals covered by the convention. The Danish contribution is this implementation plan.

It is not difficult for Denmark to comply with the immediate obligations regarding the phase out of production and use of the chemicals covered by the Convention. We have since long prohibited their use. The challenge for us therefore pertains to the unintentional production and emissions, first and foremost those related to combustion processes. Through recent years we have undertaken a substantial mapping of the persistent organic pollutants, especially dioxin. We are in the midst of following up on the results of the mapping, and we have succeeded in substantially reducing the emissions of dioxin. This implementation plan describes the measures we will prioritize in the coming years.

Denmark was at the forefront of the endeavours to establish international regulation on persistent organic pollutants. The 12 substances covered I see as only the beginning. The end goal must be for the Convention to cover all problematic persistent organic pollutants.

The national implementation plans have the potential of becoming a valuable tool, for the Parties themselves as well as for the attainment of the objectives of the Convention as a whole. With their substantial content of information they can be of use as inspiration for Parties to the Convention as well as for other states, thereby contribution to solving the problem globally.

I hope that this implementation plan will contribute.

Connie Hedegaards signature

18 May 2006