Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants: The 1998 Agreement for the UNECE Region

The 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution provides a framework for detailed agreements on particular substances through Protocols to the Convention. The Protocol on Persisten Organic Pollutants was adopted by 36 Parties in 1998. So far, 6 countries have ratified the Protocol, another 10 need to do so before it enters into force. The Protocol was the culmination of work under the Convention started in 1989 and led initially by Canada and Sweden. An ad hoc Working Group under the Convention provided the necessary information and draft text for the negotiations. The adopted Protocol covers 16 substances or groups of substances that were selected by a screening procedure followed by negotiations. For most of the substances (aldrin, chlordane, chlordecone, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexabromobiphenyl, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, PCB, toxaphene) the obligation of Parties is for elimination of production and use; the substances are mainly pesticides with well-demonstrated persistence and toxicity. For three substances (DDT, HCH, PCB) there are restrictions of use, and for another group of substances (PAHs, dioxins/furans, and hexachlorobenzene) there are obligations to reduce emissions from specified reference years. A mechanism for selecting substances to add to the Protocol, through an amendment procedure included in the Protocol, was agreed separately in a Decision by the Executive Body for the Convention. Amendments are possible once the Protocol enters into force. Review procedures to ascertain the sufficiency and effectiveness of the obligations are included in the Protocol, the first such review is to be within three years of the Protocol entering into force.