Published: 26.02.2022.

General information on the Rotterdam Convention and the PIC Regulation (Export-Import of Dangerous Chemicals)

The Prior Informed Consent Regulation governs the trade of certain hazardous chemicals that are banned or severely restricted in the EU. It places obligations on companies that wish to export these chemicals to non-EU countries or import them into the EU.

PIC implements the Rotterdam Convention within the EU.

In the European Union the Rotterdam Convention requirements are implemented by regulation on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC, Regulation (EU) No. 649/2012).

PIC Legislation.

The PIC Regulation determine the import and export of certain hazardous chemicals and places obligations on companies who wish to export these chemicals to non-EU countries. It aims to promote shared responsibility and cooperation in the international trade of hazardous chemicals, and to protect human health and the environment by providing developing countries with information on how to store, transport, use and dispose of hazardous chemicals safely.

The PIC Regulation applies to banned or severely restricted chemicals listed in Annex I, containing industrial chemicals, pesticides and biocides, for example, benzene, chloroform, atrazine and permethrin. The export of these chemicals is subject to two types of requirement: export notification and explicit consent.

The PIC Regulation also applies to chemicals that are banned for export as listed in Annex V and to all chemicals when exported regarding their packaging and labelling, which must comply with relevant EU legislation.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is responsible for the administrative and technical tasks related to the PIC Regulation. ePIC is the IT tool which has been established and is maintained by ECHA to ensure that requirements under the PIC Regulation are supported by appropriate IT systems.

The PIC Regulation entered into operation on 1 March 2014.

Currently State Plant Protection Service of Latvia (for plant protection products) and Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (for industrial chemicals) and are designated national authorities for the implementation of the PIC Regulation

For more information on the requirements of the Regulation can be obtained by the State Plant Protection Service of Latvia (phone: +371 26638255) or the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (phone: +371 67032028).

Read more:

  • The PIC Regulation applies to a list of entries (for individual chemicals or groups of chemicals), which are included in Annex I, and to mixtures containing such chemicals in a concentration that triggers labelling obligations under the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (irrespective of the presence of any other substance), as well as to articles containing these chemicals in an unreacted form. This list is updated regularly as a result of regulatory actions under EU legislation, and developments under the Rotterdam Convention and is available:

http://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals/pic/chemicals

  • Currently most important regulations for chemicals are banned or severely restricted within European Union: 
    • Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market;
    • Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH);
    • Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures; 
    • PIC Circular