Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Liechtenstein's National Implementation Plan.

The Plan states that all pesticides covered by the Stockholm Convention as aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex and toxaphene have never been produced or used in Liechtenstein. While, Liechtenstein’s problems with POPs are mainly related to unintentionally produced dioxins. The Plan provides that measures were taken to reduce the emissions, including provision of air pollution threshold, building and plant regulations, provisions of fuel and the prohibition of waste burning outdoors. In addition, it is assessed that there are no stockpiles or contaminated sites of POP’s waste. All known contaminated sites are continuously monitored using groundwater observation. In summary, Liechtenstein fulfils all obligations of the Convention; monitoring of the POPs could be enforced to ensure an absolute absence of POPs, especially the unintentionally produced PCDDs and PCDFs.
Liechtenstein does not have any waste incineration plant. All waste materials are disposed of in Switzerland. About 98% of the waste water from the entire private and public sectors passes through waste water treatment stations. In the industrial sector all companies are connected with the sewage water system (basis 2005). Part 2.2.4 of the Plan provides a table on agreements or ordinances directly or indirectly mentioning persistent organic pollutants or the actual list of POPs that shows only the Swiss legislation, which is applicable in Liechtenstein. The text further provides that due to the fact that Liechtenstein does not have any heavy and just an inconsiderable chemical industry and all waste is disposed in Switzerland the release of PCDDs / PCDFs is rather small. Furthermore, the level of information and general POPs-awareness in Liechtenstein is high, especially with regard to chemicals in electrical and electronic appliances. Liechtenstein is already very far advanced in the elimination of the Stockholm Convention POPs, so that in addition to eliminating sources of unintentionally produced POPs an effort to reduce other persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances (PBTs) should be made. Liechtenstein will review the possibility of the close collaboration with the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape (FOEN) concerning the environmental monitoring in general and specifically concerning POPs. This Plan is designed in 3 Parts as follow: (1) Introduction; (2) Country baseline; (3) Strategy and Action Plan Elements of the NIP.