EU bans chlorpyrifos insecticide under persistent organic pollutants rules

The European Commission has adopted Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1423, adding the insecticide chlorpyrifos to Annex I of the EU Regulation on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), Regulation (EU) 2019/1021. The measure, signed on 30 June 2026 by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series) on 10 September 2026 and enters into force on the twentieth day after publication.

The delegated regulation implements a decision of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which at its twelfth meeting (28 April to 9 May 2025) agreed to add chlorpyrifos to Annex A of the Convention. The Union backed that inclusion through Council Decision (EU) 2025/868 of 23 April 2025.

Scope of the ban

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that is no longer approved as an active substance in the EU, either in plant protection products under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 or in biocidal products under Regulation (EU) No 528/2012. Because it is not approved in either category, the Commission lists it in Part A of Annex I to the POPs Regulation without specific exemptions, meaning the general prohibition applies in full.

Under the new entry, the following are banned across the Union:

• the production, placing on the market and use of chlorpyrifos;
• the import and export of the substance;
• the use of products and articles containing it, in line with Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021.

Trace-contaminant limit

To reinforce enforcement, the regulation sets a limit value for chlorpyrifos occurring as an unintentional trace contaminant. Concentrations equal to or below 0.01 mg/kg (0.000001 % by weight) in substances, mixtures or articles fall under the exemption in Article 4(1), point (b), of the POPs Regulation, so that negligible residual traces do not trigger the ban.

The substance is identified in the entry by its CAS number 2921-88-2 and EC number 220-864-4. The text is marked as having EEA relevance, extending its application to the European Economic Area.

Impact for readers

The addition of chlorpyrifos to the POPs list closes a regulatory gap: although the insecticide had already lost its approval for plant protection and biocidal use, it was not yet formally listed as a persistent organic pollutant. The new entry gives national authorities a clear legal basis to prohibit any remaining production, trade or use of chlorpyrifos across the EU, while the 0.01 mg/kg threshold provides a practical, enforceable benchmark for detecting the substance as an unintentional contaminant in everyday products.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, 10 September 2026, p. 1 (official reference: CELEX 32026R1423).