P6_TA(2005)0154

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

European Parliament resolution on the EU strategy for the Punta del Este Conference on Persistent Organic Pollutants

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants of 22 May 2001 and the forthcoming first Conference of the Parties (COP-1) to be held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 2 to 6 May 2005,

- having regard to Oral Question B6-0171/2005 tabled on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety pursuant to Rule 108 of its Rules of Procedure, and having regard to the statements by the Council and the Commission,

- having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the Stockholm Convention entered into force on 17 May 2004,

B. whereas the Stockholm Convention was ratified by the European Community on 16 November 2004 [1] and has been ratified by a majority of its Member States, including the new Member States,

C. whereas the European Parliament and the Council have adopted the legislative instruments to implement the Stockholm Convention [2] and thereby demonstrated the commitment to eliminate persistent organic pollutants as far as possible,

D. whereas the first Conference of the Parties will prepare the ground for future COPs and whereas a large number of important topics will be discussed and decided upon at COP-1,

E. whereas the Stockholm Convention is not a static legislative instrument, but provides for a mechanism to add new substances,

1. Urges the EU to take an active role in the negotiations by means of effective cooperation between the Commission, the Council and Parliament;

2. Believes that the Conference will provide a good opportunity to set ambitious targets for taking measures designed in particular to eliminate the production, placing on the market and use of intentionally produced persistent organic pollutants;

3. Urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the decisions taken at COP-1 ensure effective implementation and further development of the Convention, and that those decisions are consistent with the Community's environmental and development policy objectives and legislation;

4. Urges the Commission and the Member States in particular to aim to ensure that:

(a) specific exemptions of substances listed in Annex A of the Convention are granted only in exceptional and well-justified cases;

(b) countries in malarial regions receive adequate financial assistance to replace DDT with safe and effective alternatives according to a well established timetable in order to achieve a definitive ban on the use of DDT as soon as possible;

(c) guidelines are adopted for promoting "best environmental practices" and "best available techniques" to reduce and eliminate releases of unintentionally produced POPs, in particular dioxins and furans;

5. Urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure equitable geographical representation of the EU in the POPs Review Committee, as has been achieved under the Rotterdam Convention;

6. Believes that the Global Environment Facility should continue to be the principal entity entrusted with the operation of the financial mechanism, mainly by supporting less developed countries in achieving the established goals;

7. Believes that coordination and coherence need to be ensured when implementing at Community level the provisions of the Rotterdam, Stockholm and Basel Conventions and when participating in the development of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) within the United Nations framework;

8. Urges the Commission and the Member States to establish appropriate guidance for the elaboration of national implementation plans; urges those States which have not yet done so to develop their national implementation plans as soon as possible;

9. Believes that the Members of the European Parliament who are part of the EC delegation have an essential contribution to make and expects, therefore, that they will have access to EU coordination meetings in Punta del Este, on the basis of at least observer status, with or without speaking rights;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme, with the request that it be circulated to all non-EU contracting parties.

[1] Decision 2004/.../EC of 14 October 2004 (not yet published), deposited on 16 November 2004.

[2] Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of 29 April 2004 on persistent organic pollutants and amending Directive 79/117/EEC (OJ L 158, 30.4.2004, p. 7); Corrigendum: OJ L 229, 29.6.2004, p. 5; Regulation (EC) No 304/2003 of 28 January 2003 concerning the export and import of dangerous chemicals (OJ L 63, 6.3.2003, p. 1); Council Directive 96/59/EC of 16 September 1996 on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT) (OJ L 243, 24.9.1996, p. 31).

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