24.4.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunitiesNoC104/5
II
(PreparatoryActs)
COMMISSION
ProposalforaCouncilDecisionconcerningtheconclusion,onbehalfoftheCommunity,ofthe
conventiononenvironmentalimpactassessmentinatransboundarycontext
(92/C104/05)
COM(92)93final
(SubmittedbytheCommissionon25March1992)
Whereas,byadoptingDirective85/337/EEConthe
assessmentoftheeffectsofcertainpublicandprivate
projectsontheenvironment (3),theCouncildefined
commonrulesforenvironmental impactassessmentina
transboundary context;whereastheserulesareamply
reaffirmedintheprinciples,objectivesandmain
provisionsoftheConvention ;
WhereastheConvention ,pursuanttoArticle17,isopen
forratification,acceptanceorapprovalbytheMember
Statesandbyregionaleconomicintegrationorganiz­
ations;
WhereasitisessentialfortheCommunitytoapprove
thisConvention ;THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
EconomicCommunity ,andinparticularArticle130s
thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropean
Parliament ,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomicand
SocialCommittee ,
WhereastheCommission ,onbehalfoftheCommunity,
participatedinthenegotiations(l)conductedwithinan
adhocworkingpartyconvenedundertheauspicesofthe
UnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforEurope
(ECE)withaviewtopreparingaconventionon
environmental impactassessmentinatransboundary
context;
Whereas,attheconclusionofthenegotiationson25
February1991,theEspoo(Finland)Conventionon
environmental impactassessmentinatransboundary
contextwasadoptedandsignedbytheCommunityon
thebasisofanauthorization fromtheCouncil(2);Whereastheforegoingconsiderations relatetothe
Community'sobligations,underwhichtheCouncil
shouldconcludethisConvention ;
WherascertainprovisionsoftheConventionfallwithin
thefieldofcompetenceoftheMemberStates;whereasit
isnecessaryforalltheMemberStatestobecome
ContractingPartiessothatalltheobligationsarising
fromtheConventioncanbeproperlyfulfilled;
WhereasitishencenecessaryfortheMemberStatesto
ratifytheConventioninaccordancewiththeirspheresof
competence ;
WhereasthepurposeofthisConventionistoensurethat
preventivemeasuresaretakentoreduceandcontrolany
significantadversetransboundaryenvironmentalimpact;WhereasitisessentialforalltheMemberStatesto
completeassoonaspossibletheproceduresfortheir
accessiontotheConvention inordertoenablethe
CommunityandtheMemberStatestodeposit,simulta­
neouslyifpossible,theirinstrumentsofratification,
acceptanceorapproval,
(')CouncilDecisionof24September1990,notpublishedin
theOfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities .
(2)CouncilDecisionof24February1991,notpublishedinthe
OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities . OOJNoL175,5.7.1985.

NoC104/6 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.4.92
AnnextothisDecisioninaccordancewiththeprovisions
ofArticle17(5)oftheConvention .
Article3
MemberStateshalltakethenecessarystepstoensure
thattheCommunityandtheMemberStatesdeposittheir
instrumentsofratification,acceptanceorapprovalatthe
sametimeifpossibleandnolaterthan...
MemberStatesshallinformtheCommission nolater
than...oftheirdecisiontoaccedetotheConventionor
toratifyitor,accordingtothecircumstances ,ofthe
probabledateofcompletionoftheseprocedures .In
cooperationwiththeMemberStates,theCommission
shallchoseadate,atalleventspreceding ...for
depositingtheseinstrumentssimultaneously .HASADOPTEDTHISDECISION :
Article1
TheConventiononenvironmental impactassessmentin
atransboundarycontext,adoptedatEspoo,Finland,on
25February1991,isapprovedbytheEuropean
EconomicCommunity .
Thetextoftheabovementioned Conventionisappended
tothisDecision .
Article2
1.OnbehalfoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
thePresidentoftheCounciloftheEuropean
Communitiesshalldeposittheinstrumentofapproval
withtheSecretary-General oftheUnitedNationsin
accordancewiththeprovisionsofArticle17ofthe
Convention .
2.Atthesametime,thePresidentshalldepositthe
declarationofthespheresofcompetencesetoutintheArticle4
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheMemberStates.
ANNEX
DeclarationbytheEuropeanEconomicCommunityinrelationtotheextentofitscompetencein
accordancewithArticle17(5)oftheEspoo(Finland)Conventiononenvironmental impactassessmentina
transboundary context
AsprovidedforintheEECTreatyandinthelightofexistingCommunitylegislationinthefieldcovered
bytheEspooConvention,moreparticularlyCouncilDirective85/337/EECof27June1985,the
Communitypossessescompetenceatinternationallevelinthisfield.ItsharesitwithitsMemberStatesas
regardsthematterswhicharecoveredbytheEspooConvention,butarenotyetthesubjectofCommunity
legislation.
FromthisitfollowsthattheCommunity,withinthelimitsindicatedabove,iscompetenttoenterinto
bindingcommitmentsonitsownbehalfwithnon-membercountrieswhichareContractingPartiestothe
EspooConvention .