Information concerning the release of certain pollutants and the transfers of certain waste will be accessible to the public under an ordinance introduced by the Swiss Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (DETEC), it was announced by Swiss officials today. Under the law, a thousand establishments of average to large size will be required to notify public authorities of the release of pollutants exceeding a given threshold. The reports will be made public annually.
By founding this register, Switzerland will implement key provisions of the United Nations Commission for Europe Kiev Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to the Aarhus Convention. Switzerland signed the Kiev Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers on 21 May 2003. The Protocol is expected to enter into force in 2007.
For more information on the Swiss PRTR ordinance, see http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/fr/5445#
