At the meeting, an expert from the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China expressed interest in collaborating with Parties to the Protocol on establishing a PRTR system for the country, and Parties mandated the secretariat and the Bureau to follow up on possible advisory support to China. Delegates applauded significant progress achieved by Chile and its PRTR system, used by over 10,000 facilities, which was presented by a representative of the Ministry of Environment of the country. Participants also welcomed the positive experience of other countries in Latin America and Central America in establishing PRTR systems and thanked Spain and the United Nations Institute on Training and Research for promoting the Protocol in that region.
Furthermore, the Working Group expressed its appreciation to the Republic of Moldova for the political leadership it had provided to the promotion of the PRTR Protocol at the side events during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 Conference). To further the Protocol’s global promotion, the Working Group agreed on a format for a joint global round table on PRTRs to take place in Geneva on 19 November 2013 under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Another highlight of the meeting was “PRTR speed dating”, an informal thematic bilateral session specifically designed to match countries’ needs with available technical assistance from countries with developed PRTR systems. The positive outcomes from the session included the provision of free open-source PRTR database software, assistance with setting up a PRTR and advice on release measurement and estimation methodologies for countries that are in the process of establishing PRTR registers, in particular in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and in South-East Europe. Thematic surveys carried out by the secretariat were used to help in matching, as they provide significant data and useful background information for assistance and show the specific technical needs and remaining problems related to pollutant monitoring and releases in countries.
Delegates also debated a proposal on promoting the Protocol in countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia put forward by Belarus, and mandated Belarus and Armenia to hold further consultations with national focal points from those countries and to report to the Working Group at its next meeting in 2013.
In addition, the Working Group started preparations for the second session of the Protocol’s Meeting of the Parties, to take place in 2014 in the Netherlands at the invitation of the Dutch Government. Parties agreed on the procedures with regard to preparing a work programme for 2014–2017 and a strategic plan for 2015–2020, but failed to reach consensus on future financial arrangements under the Protocol and specifically whether the scheme of contributions to support the work programme should remain voluntary for the next intersessional period.
For further information, please visit www.unece.org/env/pp/welcome.html
or contact:
Ella Behlyarova
Secretary
Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
Tel: + 41 22 917 2376
E-mail: [email protected]
Note to editors
The Aarhus Convention was adopted in Aarhus, Denmark, in June 1998 and signed by the European Community (now European Union) and 39 countries from all subregions of UNECE. It entered into force in October 2001. The Convention enshrines Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, which concerns the rights of the public to access to information, participation in decision-making and access to review procedures regarding the environment. The Aarhus Convention’s amendment on public participation in decisions on the deliberate release into the environment and placing on the market of genetically modified organisms was adopted by the Meeting of the Parties at its second session, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan from 25 to 27 May 2005. The Parties to the Convention are: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Union (EU). The Parties to the amendment on genetically modified organisms are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the EU. The Parties to the Convention now include the vast majority of countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, all countries in the Caucasus and South-Eastern Europe, and all EU member States.
Protocol to the Aarhus Convention on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers
The PRTR Protocol was adopted at an extraordinary meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention on 21 May 2003. Thirty-six member States and the European Community signed the Protocol in Kyiv. The Protocol entered into force on 8 October 2009. The Parties to the PRTR Protocol are: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the EU.
All agreements enter into force for a State on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit of the State’s instrument of ratification, at which point it becomes a Party.
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Information Unit
Palais des Nations,
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel.: +41 (0) 22 917 44 44
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 05 05
Email: [email protected]
Reproduction is permitted provided that the source is acknowledged.
