TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS SERIES 13073 

________________________________________________________________________ 

LONG-RANGE TRANSBOUNDARY 

AIR POLLUTION 

 Protocol Between the 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

and OTHER GOVERNMENTS 

 Done at Gothenburg November 30, 1999 
 

NOTE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

 Pursuant to Public Law 89—497, approved July 8, 1966 

(80 Stat. 271; 1 U.S.C. 113)—

“. . .the Treaties and Other International Acts Series issued 

under the authority of the Secretary of State shall be competent 

 evidence . . . of the treaties, international agreements other than 

treaties, and proclamations by the President of such treaties and 

international agreements other than treaties, as the case may be, 

therein contained, in all the courts of law and equity and of maritime 

jurisdiction, and in all the tribunals and public offices of the 

United States, and of the several States, without any further proof 

or authentication thereof.” 
 

 MULTILATERAL 

Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution 

Protocol done at Gothenburg November 30, 1999; 

Entered into force May 17, 2005. 
PROTOCOL

TO THE 1979 CONVENTION

ON LONG-RANGE

TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION

TO ABATE ACIDIFICATION,

EUTROPHICATION

AND

GROUND-LEVEL

OZONE

UNITED NATIONS

1999
The Parties,

Determined to implement the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air

Pollution,

Aware, that nitrogen oxides, sulphur, volatile organic compounds and

reduced nitrogen compounds have been associated with adverse effects on human

health and the environment.

Concerned that critical loads of acidification, critical loads of

nutrient nitrogen and critical levels of ozone for human health and vegetation

are still exceeded in many areas of the United Nations Economic Commission for

Europe's region,

Concerned also, that emitted nitrogen oxides, sulphur and volatile organic

compounds, as well as secondary pollutants such as ozone and the reaction

products of ammonia, are transported in the atmosphere over long distances and

may have adverse transboundary effects,

Recognizing that emissions from Parties within the United Nations

Economic Commission for Europe's region contribute to air pollution on the

hemispheric and global scales, and recognizing the potential for transport

between continents and the need for further study with regard to that

potential,

Recognizing also that Canada and the United States of America are

bilaterally negotiating reductions of emissions of nitrogen oxides and

volatile organic compounds to address the transboundary ozone effect,

Recognizing furthermore that Canada will undertake further reductions of

emissions of sulphur by 2010 through the implementation of the Canada-wide

Acid Rain Strategy for Post-2000, and that the United States is committed to

the implementation of a nitrogen oxides reduction programme in the eastern

United States and to the reduction in emissions necessary to meet its national

ambient air quality standards for particulate matter,

Resolved to apply a multi-effect, multi-pollutant approach to preventing

or minimizing the exceedances of critical loads and levels,

Taking into account the emissions from certain existing activities and

installations responsible for present air pollution levels and the development

of future activities and installations,

Aware that techniques and management practices are available to reduce

emissions of these substances,

Resolved to take measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize emissions of

these substances, taking into account the application of the precautionary

approach as set forth in principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment

and Development,

Reaffirming that States have, in accordance with the Charter of the

United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to

exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and

developmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities

within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of

other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction,

Conscious of the need for a cost-effective regional approach to combating

air pollution that takes account of the variations in effects and abatement

costs between countries,
Noting the important contribution of the private and non-governmental

sectors to knowledge of the effects associated with these substances and

available abatement techniques, and their role in assisting in the reduction

Bearing of emissions to the atmosphere,

in mind that measures taken to reduce emissions of sulphur,

nitrogen oxides, ammonia and volatile organic compounds should not constitute

a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised

restriction on international competition and trade,

Taking into consideration best available scientific and technical

knowledge and data on emissions, atmospheric processes and effects on human

health and the environment of these substances, as well as on abatement costs,

and acknowledging the need to improve this knowledge and to continue

scientific and technical cooperation to further understanding of these issues,

Noting that under the Protocol concerning the Control of Emissions of

Nitrogen Oxides or their Transboundary Fluxes, adopted at Sofia on

31 October 1988, and the Protocol concerning the Control of Emissions of

Volatile Organic Compounds or their Transboundary Fluxes, adopted at Geneva on

18 November 1991, there is already provision to control emissions of nitrogen

oxides and volatile organic compounds, and that the technical annexes to both

those Protocols already contain technical guidance for reducing these

emissions,

Noting also that under the Protocol on Further Reduction of Sulphur

Emissions, adopted at Oslo on 14 June 1994, there is already provision to

reduce sulphur emissions in order to contribute to the abatement of acid

deposition by diminishing the exceedances of critical sulphur depositions,

which have been derived from critical loads of acidity according to the

contribution of oxidized sulphur compounds to the total acid deposition in

1990,

Noting furthermore that this Protocol is the first agreement under the

Convention to deal specifically with reduced nitrogen compounds,

Bearing in mind that reducing the emissions of these substances may

provide additional benefits for the control of other pollutants, including in

particular transboundary secondary particulate aerosols, which contribute to

human health effects associated with exposure to airborne particulates,

Bearing in mind also the need to avoid, in so far as possible, taking

measures for the achievement of the objectives of this Protocol that aggravate

other health and environment-related problems,

Noting that measures taken to reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides and

ammonia should involve consideration of the full biogeochemical nitrogen cycle

and, so far as possible, not increase emissions of reactive nitrogen including

nitrous oxide which could aggravate other nitrogen-related problems,

Aware that methane and carbon monoxide emitted by human activities

contribute, in the presence of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds,

to the formation of tropospheric ozone, and

Aware also of the commitments that Parties have assumed under the United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,

Have agreed as follows: -2-
Article 1

DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of the present Protocol,

1. "Convention" means the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air

Pollution, adopted at Geneva on 13 November 1979;

"EMEP" 2. means the Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of

Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe;

3. "Executive Body" means the Executive Body for the Convention constituted

under article 10, paragraph 1, of the Convention;

4. "Commission" means the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe;

5. "Parties" means, unless the context otherwise requires, the Parties to

the present Protocol;

6. 'Geographical scope of EMEP means the area defined in article 1,

paragraph 4, of the Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-range

Transboundary Air Pollution on Long-term Financing of the Cooperative

Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air

Pollutants in Europe (EMEP), adopted at Geneva on 28 September 1984;

7. "Emission" means the release of a substance from a point or diffuse

source into the atmosphere;

8. "Nitrogen oxides" means nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, expressed as

nitrogen dioxide (NO2);

9. "Reduced nitrogen compounds" means ammonia and its reaction products;

10. "Sulphur" means all sulphur compounds, expressed as sulphur dioxide

(SO2);

11. 'Volatile organic compounds", or "VOCs", means, unless otherwise

specified, all organic compounds of an anthropogenic nature, other than

methane, that are capable of producing photochemical oxidants by reaction with

nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight;

12. "Critical load" means a quantitative estimate of an exposure to one or

more pollutants below which significant harmful effects on specified sensitive

elements of the environment do not occur, according to present knowledge;

13. 'Critical levels" means concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere

above which direct adverse effects on receptors, such as human beings, plants,

ecosystems or materials, may occur, according to present knowledge;

14. "Pollutant emissions management area", or "PEMA", means an area

designated in annex III under the conditions laid down in article 3,

paragraph 9;

15. "Stationary source" means any fixed building, structure, facility,

installation or equipment that emits or may emit sulphur, nitrogen oxides

volatile organic compounds or ammonia directly or indirectly into the

atmosphere;

16. 'New stationary source" means any stationary source of which the

construction or substantial modification is commenced after the expiry of one

year from the date of entry into force of the present Protocol. It shall be a

matter for the competent national authorities to decide whether a modification

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is substantial or not, taking into account such factors as the environmental

benefits of the modification.

Article 2

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present Protocol is to control and reduce emissions

of sulphur, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and volatile organic compounds that are

caused by anthropogenic activities and are likely to cause adverse effects on

human health, natural ecosystems, materials and crops, due to acidification,

eutrophication or ground-level ozone as a result of long-range transboundary

atmospheric transport, and to ensure, as far as possible, that in the long

term and in a stepwise approach, taking into account advances in scientific

knowledge, atmospheric depositions or concentrations do not exceed:

(a) For Parties within the geographical scope of EME P and Canada, the

critical loads of acidity, as described in annex I;

(b) For Parties within the geographical scope of EMEP, the critical

loads of nutrient nitrogen, as described in annex I; and

(c) For ozone:

(i) For Parties within the geographical scope of EMEP, the

critical levels of ozone, as given in annex I;

(ii) For Canada, the Canada-wide Standard for ozone; and

(iii) For the United States of America, the National Ambient Air

Quality Standard for ozone.

Article 3 

BASIC OBLIGATIONS

1. Each Party having an emission ceiling in any table in annex II shall

reduce and maintain the reduction in its annual emissions in accordance with

that ceiling and the timescales specified in that annex. Each Party shall, as

a minimum, control its annual emissions of polluting compounds in accordance

with the obligations in annex II.

2. Each Party shall apply the limit values specified in annexes IV, V and VI

to each new stationary source within a stationary source category as

identified in those annexes, no later than the timescales specified in annex

VII. As an alternative, a Party may apply different emission reduction

strategies that achieve equivalent overall emission levels for all source

categories together.

3. Each Party shall, in so far as it is technically and economically

feasible and taking into consideration the costs and advantages, apply the

limit values specified in annexes IV, V and VI to each existing stationary

source within a stationary source category as identified in those annexes, no

later than the timescales specified in annex VII. As an alternative, a Party

may apply different emission reduction strategies that achieve equivalent

overall emission levels for all source categories together or, for Parties

outside the geographical scope of EMEP, that are necessary to achieve national

or regional goals for acidification abatement and to meet national air quality

standards.

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4. Limit values for new and existing boilers and process heaters with a

rated thermal input exceeding 50 MW th and new heavy-duty vehicles shall be

evaluated by the Parties at a session Of the Executive Body with a view to

amending annexes IV, V and VIII no later than two years after the date of

entry into force of the present Protocol.

5. Each Party shall apply the limit values for the fuels and new mobile

sources identified in annex VIII, no later than the timescales specified in

annex VII.

6. Each Party should apply best available techniques to mobile sources and

to each new or existing stationary source, taking into account guidance

documents I to V adopted by the Executive Body at its seventeenth session

(decision 1999/1) and any amendments thereto. 

7. Each Party shall take appropriate measures based, i nter alia, on

scientific and economic criteria to reduce emissions of volatile organic

compounds associated with the use of products not included in annex VI or

VIII. The Parties shall, no later than at the second session of the Executive

Body after the entry into force of the present Protocol, consider with a view

to adopting an annex on products, including criteria for the selection of such

products, limit values for the volatile organic compound content of products

not included in annex VI or VIII, as well as timescales for the application of

the limit values.

8. Each Party shall, subject to paragraph l0:

(a) Apply, as a minimum, the ammonia control measures specified in

annex IX; and

(b) Apply, where it considers it appropriate, best available techniques

for preventing and reducing ammonia emissions, as listed in guidance document

V adopted by the Executive Body at its seventeenth session (decision 1999/1)

and any amendments thereto.

9. Paragraph 10 shall apply to any Party:

(a) Whose total land area is greater than 2 million square kilometres;

(b) Whose annual emissions of sulphur, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and/or

volatile organic compounds contributing to acidification, eutrophication or

ozone formation in areas under the jurisdiction of one or more other Parties

originate predominantly from within an area under its jurisdiction that is

listed as a PEMA in annex III, and which has presented documentation in

accordance with subparagraph (c) to this effect;

(c) Which has submitted upon signature, ratification, acceptance or

approval of, or accession to, the present Protocol a description of the

geographical scope of one or more PEMAs for one or more pollutants, with

supporting documentation, for inclusion in annex III; and

(d) Which has specified upon signature, ratification, acceptance or

approval of, or accession to, the present Protocol its intention to act in

accordance with this paragraph.

10. A Party to which this paragraph applies shall:

(a) If within the geographical scope of EMEP, be required to comply with

the provisions of this article and annex II only within the relevant PEMA for

each pollutant for which a PEMA within its jurisdiction is included in annex

III; or

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(b) If not within the geographical scope of EMEP, be required to comply

with the provisions of paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 and annex II, only

within the relevant PEMA for each pollutant (nitrogen oxides, sulphur and/or

volatile organic compounds) for which a PENA within its jurisdiction is

included in annex III, and shall not be required to comply with paragraph 8

anywhere within its jurisdiction.

11. Canada and the United States of America shall, upon their ratification,

acceptance or approval of, or accession to, the present Protocol, submit to

the executive Body their respective emission reduction commitments with

respect to sulphur, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds for

automatic incorporation into annex II.

12. The Parties shall, subject to the outcome of the first review provided

for under article 10, paragraph 2, and no later than one year after completion

of that review, commence negotiations on further obligations to reduce

emissions.

Article 4 

EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Each Party shall, in a manner consistent with its laws, regulations and

practices and in accordance with its obligations in the present Protocol,

create favourable conditions to facilitate the exchange of information,

technologies and techniques, with the aim of reducing emissions of sulphur,

nitrogen oxides, ammonia and volatile organic compounds by promoting inter

(a) The development and updating of databases on best available

techniques, including those that increase energy efficiency, low-emission

burners and good environmental practice in agriculture;

(b) The exchange of information and experience in the development of

less polluting transport systems;

(c) Direct industrial contacts and cooperation, including joint

ventures; and

(d) The provision of technical assistance.

2. In promoting the activities specified in paragraph 1, each Party shall

create favourable conditions for the facilitation of contacts and cooperation

among appropriate organizations and individuals in the private and public

sectors that are capable of providing technology, design and engineering

services, equipment or finance.

Article 5 

PUBLIC AWARENESS

1. Each Party shall, in a manner consistent with its laws, regulations and

practices, promote the provision of information to the general public,

including information on:

(a) National annual emissions of sulphur, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and

volatile organic compounds and progress towards compliance with the national

emission ceilings or other obligations referred to in article 3; -6-
(b) Depositions and concentrations of the relevant pollutants and, where

applicable, these depositions and concentrations in relation to critical loads

and levels referred to in article 2;

(c) Levels of tropospheric ozone; and

(d) Strategies and measures applied or to be applied to reduce air

pollution problems dealt with in the present Protocol and set out in

article 6.

2. Furthermore, each Party may make information widely available to the

public with a view to minimizing emissions, including information on:

(a) Less polluting fuels, renewable energy and energy efficiency,

including their use in transport;

(b) Volatile organic compounds in products, including labelling;

(c) Management options for wastes containing volatile organic compounds

that are generated by the public;

(d) Good agricultural practices to reduce emissions of ammonia;

(e) Health and environmental effects associated with the pollutants

covered by the present Protocol; and

(f) Steps which individuals and industries may take to help reduce

emissions of the pollutants covered by the present Protocol.

Article 6 

STRATEGIES, POLICIES, PROGRAMMES, MEASURES AND INFORMATION

1. Each Party shall, as necessary and on the basis of sound scientific and

economic criteria, in order to facilitate the implementation of its

obligations under article 3:

(a) Adopt supporting strategies, policies and programmes without undue

delay after the present Protocol enters into force for it;

(b) Apply measures to control and reduce its emissions of sulphur,

nitrogen oxides, ammonia and volatile organic compounds;

(c) Apply measures to encourage the increase of energy efficiency and

the use of renewable energy;

(d) Apply measures to decrease the use of polluting fuels;

(e) Develop and introduce less polluting transport systems and promote

traffic management systems to reduce overall emissions from road traffic;

(f) Apply measures to encourage the development and introduction of

low-polluting processes and products, taking into account guidance documents I

to V adopted by the Executive Body at its seventeenth session (decision

1999/1) and any amendments thereto;

(g) Encourage the implementation of management programmes to reduce

emissions, including voluntary programmes, and the use of economic

instruments, taking into account guidance document VI adopted by the Executive

Body at its seventeenth session (decision 1999/1) and any amendments thereto;

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(h) Implement and further elaborate policies and measures in accordance

with its national circumstances, such as the progressive reduction or phasingout of market imperfections, fiscal incentives, tax and duty exemptions and

subsidies in all sectors that emit sulphur, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and

volatile organic compounds which run counter to the objective of the Protocol,

and apply market instruments; and

(i) Apply measures, where cost-effective, to reduce emissions from waste

products containing volatile organic compounds.

2. Each Party shall collect and maintain information on:

(a) Actual levels of emissions of sulphur, nitrogen compounds and

volatile organic compounds, and of ambient concentrations and depositions of

these compounds and ozone, taking into account, for those Parties within the

geographical scope of EMEP, the work plan of EMEP; and

(b) The effects of ambient concentrations and of the deposition of

sulphur, nitrogen compounds, volatile organic compounds and ozone on human

health, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and materials.

3. Any Party may take more stringent measures than those required by the

present Protocol.

Article 7 

REPORTING

1. Subject to its laws and regulations and in accordance with its

obligations under the present Protocol:

(a) Each Party shall report, through the Executive Secretary of the

Commission, to the Executive Body, on a periodic basis as determined by the

Parties at a session of the Executive Body, information on the measures that

it has taken to implement the present Protocol. Moreover:

(i) where a Party applies different emission reduction strategies

under article 3, paragraphs 2 and 3, it shall document the

strategies applied and its compliance with the requirements

of those paragraphs;

(ii) Where a Party judges certain limit values, as specified in

accordance with article 3, paragraph 3, not to be technically

and economically feasible, taking into consideration the

costs and advantages, it shall report and justify this;

(b) Each Party within the geographical scope of EMEP shall report,

through the Executive Secretary of the Commission, to EMEP, on a periodic

basis to be determined by the Steering Body of EMEP and approved by the

Parties at a session of the Executive Body, the following information:

(i) Levels of emissions of sulphur, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and

volatile organic compounds using, as a minimum, the

methodologies and the temporal and spatial resolution

specified by the Steering Body of EMEP;

(ii) Levels of emissions of each substance in the reference year

(1990) using the same methodologies and temporal and spatial

resolution;

(iii) Data on projected emissions and current reduction plans; and

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(iv) Where it deems it appropriate, any exceptional circumstances

justifying emissions that are temporarily higher than the

ceilings established for it for one or more pollutants; and

(c) Parties in areas outside the geographical scope of EMEP shall make

available information similar to that specified in subparagraph (b), if

requested to do so by the Executive Body.

2. The information to be reported in accordance with paragraph 1 (a) shall

be in conformity with a decision regarding format and content to be adopted by

the Parties at a session of the Executive Body. The terms of this decision

shall be reviewed as necessary to identify any additional elements regarding

the format or the content of the information that is to be included in the

reports.

3. In good time before each annual session of the Executive Body, E MEP shall

provide information on:

(a) Ambient concentrations and depositions of sulphur and nitrogen

compounds as well as, where available, ambient concentrations of volatile

organic compound' and ozone; and

(b) Calculations of sulphur and oxidized and reduced nitrogen budgets

and relevant information on the long-range transport of ozone and its

precursors.

Parties in areas outside the geographical scope of MEP shall make available

similar information if requested to do so by the Executive Body.
compounds and volatile organic compounds, as well as of the formation of ozone

and secondary particulate matter;

(d) The improvement of the scientific understanding of the long-term

fate of emissions and their impact on the hemispheric background

concentrations of sulphur, nitrogen, volatile organic compounds, ozone and

particulate matter, focusing, in particular, on the chemistry of the free

troposphere and the potential for intercontinental flow of pollutants;

(e) The further elaboration of an overall strategy to reduce the adverse

effects of acidification, eutrophication and photochemical pollution,

including synergisms and combined effects;

(f) Strategies for the further reduction of emissions of sulphur,

nitrogen oxides, ammonia and volatile organic compounds based on critical

loads and critical levels as well as on technical developments, and the

improvement of integrated assessment modelling to calculate internationally

optimized allocations of emission reductions taking into account the need to

avoid excessive costs for any Party. Special emphasis should be given to

emissions from agriculture and transport;

(g) The identification of trends over time and the scientific

understanding of the wider effects of sulphur, nitrogen and volatile organic

compounds and photochemical pollution on human health, including their

contribution to concentrations of particulate matter, the environment, in

particular acidification and eutrophication, and materials, especially

historic and cultural monuments, taking into account the relationship between

sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, volatile organic compounds and

tropospheric ozone;

(h) Emission abatement technologies, and technologies and techniques to

improve energy efficiency, energy conservation and the use of renewable

energy;

(i) The efficacy of ammonia control techniques for farms and their

impact on local and regional deposition;

(j) The management of transport demand and the development and promotion

of less polluting modes of transport;

(k) The quantification and, where possible, economic evaluation of

benefits for the environment and human health resulting from the reduction of

emissions of sulphur, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and volatile organic compounds;

and

(1) The development of tools for making the methods and results of this

work widely applicable and available.

Article 9

COMPLIANCE

Compliance by each Party with its obligations under the present Protocol

shall be reviewed regularly. The Implementation Committee established by

decision 1997/2 of the Executive Body at its fifteenth session shall carry out

such reviews and report to the Parties at a session of the Executive Body in

accordance with the terms of the annex to that decision, including any

amendments thereto. -10-
Article 10

REVIEWS BY THE PARTIES AT SESSIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BODY

I. The Parties shall, at sessions of the Executive Body, pursuant to

article 10, paragraph 2 (a), of the Convention, review the information

supplied by the Parties, EMEP and subsidiary bodies of the Executive Body, the

data on the effects of concentrations and depositions of sulphur and nitrogen

compounds and of photochemical pollution as well as the reports of the

Implementation Committee referred to in article 9 above.

2.	(a) The Parties shall, at sessions of the Executive Body, keep under

review the obligations set out in the present Protocol, including:

(i) Their obligations in relation to their calculated and

internationally optimized allocations of emission reductions

referred to in article 7, paragraph 5. above; and

(ii) The adequacy of the obligations and the progress made towards

the achievement of the objective of the present Protocol;

(b) Reviews shall take into account the best available scientific

information on the effects of acidification, eutrophication and photochemical

pollution, including assessments of all relevant health effects, critical

levels and loads, the development and refinement of integrated assessment

models, technological developments, changing economic conditions, progress

made on the databases on emissions and abatement techniques, especially

related to ammonia and volatile organic compounds, and the fulfilment of the

obligations on emission levels;

(c) The procedures, methods and timing for such reviews shall be

specified by the Parties at a session of the Executive Body. The first such

review shall commence no later than one year after the present Protocol enters

into force.

Article 11

SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES

1. In the event of a dispute between any two or more Parties concerning the

interpretation or application of the present Protocol, the parties concerned

shall seek a settlement of the dispute through negotiation or any other

peaceful means of their own choice. The parties to the dispute shall inform

the Executive Body of their dispute.

2. When ratifying, accepting, approving or acceding to the present Protocol,

or at any time thereafter, a Party which is not a regional economic

integration organization may declare in a written instrument submitted to the

Depositary that, in respect of any dispute concerning the interpretation or

application of the Protocol, it recognizes one or both of the following means

of dispute settlement as compulsory i pso facto and without special agreement,

in relation to any Party accepting the same obligation:

(a) Submission of the dispute to the International Court of Justice;

(b) Arbitration in accordance with procedures to be adopted by the

Parties at a session of the Executive Body, as soon as practicable, in an

annex on arbitration.

A Party which is a regional economic integration organization may make a

declaration with like effect in relation to arbitration in accordance with the

procedures referred to in subparagraph (b).

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3. A declaration made under paragraph 2 shall remain in force until it

expires in accordance with its terms or until three months after written

notice of its revocation has been deposited with the Depositary.

4. A new declaration, a notice of revocation or the expiry of a declaration

shall not in any way affect proceedings pending before the International Court

of Justice or the arbitral tribunal, unless the parties to the dispute agree

otherwise.

5. Except in a case where the parties to a dispute have accepted the same

means of dispute settlement under paragraph 2, if after twelve months

following notification by one party to another that a dispute exists between

them, the parties concerned have not been able to settle their dispute through

the means mentioned in paragraph 1, the dispute shall be submitted, at the

request of any of the parties to the dispute, to conciliation.

6. For the purpose of paragraph 5, a conciliation commission shall be

created. The commission shall be composed of an equal number of members

appointed by each party concerned or, where parties in conciliation share the

same interest, by the group sharing that interest, and a chairperson chosen

jointly by the members so appointed. The commission shall render a

recommendatory award, which the parties to the dispute shall consider in good

faith.

Article 12 

ANNEXES

The annexes to the present Protocol shall form an integral part of the

Protocol.

Article 13

AMENDMENTS AND ADJUSTMENTS

1. Any Party may propose amendments to the present Protocol. Any Party to

the Convention may propose an adjustment to annex II to the present Protocol

to add to it its name, together with emission levels, emission ceilings and

percentage emission reductions.

2. Proposed amendments and adjustments shall be submitted in writing to the

Executive Secretary of the Commission, who shall communicate them to all

Parties. The Parties shall discuss the proposed amendments and adjustments at

the next session of the Executive Body, provided that those proposals have

been circulated by the Executive Secretary to the Parties at least ninety days

in advance.

3. Amendments to the present Protocol, including amendments to annexes II to

IX, shall be adopted by consensus of the Parties present at a session of the

Executive Body, and shall enter into force for the Parties which have accepted

them on the ninetieth day after the date on which two thirds of the Parties

have deposited with the Depositary their instruments of acceptance thereof.

Amendments shall enter into force for any other Party on the ninetieth day

after the date on which that Party has deposited its instrument of acceptance

thereof.

4. Amendments to the annexes to the present Protocol, other than to the

annexes referred to in paragraph 3, shall be adopted by consensus of the

Parties present at a session of the Executive Body. On the expiry of ninety

days from the date of its communication to all Parties by the Executive

Secretary of the Commission, an amendment to any such annex shall become

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effective for those Parties which have not submitted to the Depositary a

notification in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 5, provided that

at least sixteen Parties have not submitted such a notification.

5. Any Party that is unable to approve an amendment to an annex, other than

to an annex referred to in paragraph 3, shall so notify the Depositary in

writing within ninety days from the date of the communication of its adoption.

The Depositary shall without delay notify all Parties of any such notification

received. A Party may at any time substitute an acceptance for its previous

notification and, upon deposit of an instrument of acceptance with the

Depositary, the amendment to such an annex shall become effective for that

Party.

6. Adjustments to annex II shall be adopted by consensus of the Parties

present at a session of the Executive Body and shall become effective for all

Parties to the present Protocol on the ninetieth day following the date on

which the Executive Secretary of the Commission notifies those Parties in

writing of the adoption of the adjustment.

Article 14

SIGNATURE

1. The present Protocol shall be open for signature at Gothenburg (Sweden)

on 30 November and 1 December 1999, then at United Nations Headquarters in New

York until 30 May 2000, by States members of the Commission as well as States

having consultative status with the Commission, pursuant to paragraph 8 of

Economic and Social Council resolution 36 (IV) of 28 March 1947, and by

regional economic integration organizations, constituted by sovereign States

members of the Commission, which have competence in respect of the

negotiation, conclusion and application of international agreements in matters

covered by the Protocol, provided that the States and organizations concerned

are Parties to the Convention and are listed in annex II.

2. In matters within their competence, such regional economic integration

organizations shall, on their own behalf, exercise the rights and fulfil the

responsibilities which the present Protocol attributes to their member States.

In such cases, the member States of these organizations shall not be entitled

to exercise such rights individually.

Article 15

RATIFICATION, ACCEPTANCE, APPROVAL AND ACCESSION

1. The present Protocol shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or

approval by Signatories.

2. The present Protocol shall be open for accession as from 31 May 2000 by

the States and organizations that meet the requirements of article 14,

paragraph 1.

3. The instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall

be deposited with the Depositary.

Article 16 

DEPOSITARY

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall be the Depositary.

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Article 17

ENTRY INTO FORCE

1. The present Protocol shall enter into force on the ninetieth day

following the date on which the sixteenth instrument of ratification,

acceptance, approval or accession has been deposited with the Depositary.

2. For each State and organization that meets the requirements of

article 14, paragraph 1, which ratifies, accepts or approves the present

Protocol or accedes thereto after the deposit of the sixteenth instrument of

ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, the Protocol shall enter into

force on the ninetieth day following the date of deposit by much Party of its

instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

Article 28

WITHDRAWAL

At any time after five years from the date on which the present Protocol

has come into force with respect to a Party, that Party may withdraw from it

by giving written notification to the Depositary. Any such withdrawal shall

take effect on the ninetieth day following the date of its receipt by the

Depositary, or on such later date as may be specified in the notification of

the withdrawal.

Article 19

AUTHENTIC TEXTS

The original of the present Protocol, of which the English, French and

Russian texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the

Secretary-General of the United Nations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized thereto, have

signed the present Protocol.

DONE at Gothenburg (Sweden), this thirtieth day of November one thousand

nine hundred and ninety-nine.

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NOTE: Only English text of Protocol will be printed in this publication.

Annexes will not be printed in this publication.
I hereby certify that the

foregoing text is a true copy of the

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on

Long-range Transboundary Air

Pollution to Abate Acidification,

Eutrophication and Ground-level

Ozone, done at Gothenburg (Sweden)

on 30 November 1999, the original of

which is deposited with the

Secretary-General of the

United Nations.

Je certifie que le texts qui

precede est une copie conforms du

Protocole a la Convention de 1979

sur la pollution atmospherique

transfrontiere a longue distance,

relatif i la reduction de

l'acidification, de l'eutrophisation

et de l'ozone tropospherique, fait a

Goteborg (Suede) le

30 novembre 1999, et dont l'original

se trouve depose aupres du

Secretaire general des

Nations Unies.

For the Secretary-General,	Pour le Secrétaire general,

The Legal Counsel	 Le Conseiller juridique

(Under-Secretary-General	(Secrétaire general adjoint

for Legal Affairs)	 aux affaires juridiques)

Hans Corell

United Nations, New York	Organisation des Nations Unies

15 December 1999	New York, le 15 décembre 1999