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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(80)319
Vol.1980/0115

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(80)319 final\ .,■χ-AV' .tv\: f.A
(Ij-''/"Brussels./1q:june1980
/<v-'Vc,"C-npi V>J
UN*Sr^ 1."r^j
PROPOSAL FORACOUNCILDECISION
supplementing AnnexIVtotheConvention ontheProtection
oftheRhineagainstChemicalPollution
COMMUNICATION FROMTHECOMMISSION TOTHECOUNCIL
ontherecommendation bytheInternational Commissionforthe
ProtectionoftheRhineagainstPollution oncontrolling
dischargesofmercurybythechlor-alkali electrolysis industry
(presentedbytheCommissiontotheCouncil)
COM(80)319final

Explanatory nemorandum
Background ."
On25July1977,theCouncildecidedtoconcludetheConvention on
theProtection oftheRhineagainstChemical--Pollutionandthe
Additional AgreementtotheAgreementsignedinBerneon29April
1963on.theInternational Commission fortheProtection ofthe
RhineagainstPollution C77/586/EEC).1
TheConvention andtheAdditional Agreement weresignedinBonnon
3December1976bytheFederalRepublicofGermany,theFrench ,
Republic,theGrandDuchyofLuxembourg,theKingdomofthe
Netherlands,theSwiss'Confederation andtheEuropeanEconomic
Community,andenteredintoforceon1February1979.
UndertheCouncilDecisionof25July1977,theCommunityis
represented bytheCommissionwithintheInternational Commission
fortheProtection oftheRhineagainstPollution.
ThepurposeoftheConvention ontheProtection oftheRhine
againstChemicalPollution (hereinafter calledthe"Convention")
istoeliminateorreducethepollutionofthesurfacewatersof
theRhinebasinbydangeroussubstancesofthefamiliesandgroups
ofsubstances listedinAnnexesIandIItotheConvention .
Consequently ,ithasthesameobjectives and,inmanyrespects,
laysdownthesamemeasuresasCouncilDirective 76/464/EECof
4May197ff*onpollution causedbycertaindangerous substances
dischargedintotheaquaticenvironment oftheCommunity.2
Tobecomeacontracting partytotheConvention,theCommunity had
toaccedetotheAgreementsignedinBerneon29April1963onthe
International CommissionfortheProtection oftheRhineagainst .
Pollution (hereinafter calledthe"Internationa ICommission").
TothisendthesaidAgreement hasbeenamendedbytheAdditional ,
Agreementreferredtoabove.
Purposeoftheproposal -
Articles 5and14oftheConvention providefortheInternational
Commissionto,proposetotheContracting Partieslimitvaluesfor
thedischargeofthesubstanceslistedinAnnexIintothewaters
oftheRhine.Theseproposalsenterintoforceaftertheir
unanimousadoptionbytheContracting Partiesandarethen
includedinAnnexIVtotheConvention .
OJL240of19.09.1977,page35.
20JL129of18.05.1976,page23.

3
-6- •
ThisadoptionmustbenotifiedtotheGovernment oftheSwiss
Confederation .
ThefirstproposalsoftheInternational Commission areconcerned
withdischarges ofmercuryanditscompounds bythechlor-alkali
electrolysis industry,whicharethemainpointsourceofmercury
emissionsintotheRhine.
Itisproposedthatthelimitvalues-expressedintermsofcon­
centration andmaximumquantity-shouldbeset,aswellasatime-
limitinrespectofthedischarges bythechlor-alkali electrolysis
industry.
1.3.Participation bytheCommission inthedraftingoftheproposal
andconsistency withCommunity measures
ThisproposalwasdrawnupandadoptedbytheInternational
Commission .TheCommunity,represented byCommission departments,
tookpartinthepreparatory workandhelped,inparticular,to
ensurethattheresultsofthisworkshouldbeconsistent withthe
implementation ofCouncilDirective76/464/EECof4May1976''.
Aspartoftheapplication ofthisDirective,theCommission,
incidentally ,putbeforetheCouncilon20June1979aproposal
foraDirective onlimitvaluesfordischarges ofmercuryintothe
aquaticenvironment bythechlor-alkali electrolysis industry^.
ThisproposaltotheCouncilcontainsmeasureswhicharecompatible
withtheproposalmadebytheInternational Commission,apartfrom
thetimelimitsforthelimitvalues-whichareshorterinthe
caseoftheRhine.
Thelatterproposalprovidesthatthelimitvalueof0.5gof
mercurypertonneofchlorineproduction capacitybeappliedbythe
Contracting Partieson1July1983atthelatest.
Thismeasure,whichisjustified bythewishoftheContracting
PartiestotheConvention toeliminatemercurypollutioninthenear
future,iscompatible withDirective 76/464/EEC,Article10of
whichprovidesthat"whereappropriate,oneormoreMemberStates
mayindividually orjointlytakemorestringent measuresthanthose
providedforunderthisDirective", . <• ,
0JL129of18.05.1976,page23.
20JC169of06.07.1979,page2.

1.4.Consultation oftheEuropeanParliament
Thepowersfortheactionsrequiredfortheadoptionofthis
presentdecisionarenotincludedintheTreatyestablishing the
EEC,anditisnecessarytohaverecoursetoArticle235ofthat
Treaty.InviewofthecontentofthatArticle,theopinionof
theEuropeanParliamentisnecessary.
1.5.Recommendation totheCouncil
Inconclusion,theCommission recommendsthattheCounciladopt
thisproposalfromtheInternational CommissionfortheProtection
oftheRhineagainstPollution andtakenoteoftheRecommendation
1,setoutatpoint2hereafter.

6
-8-
ProposalforaCouncilDecisionsupplementing AnnexIV
totheConvention ontheProtection ofthe
RhineagainstChemicalPollution
THECOUNCIL OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomic
Community,andinparticularArticle235thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropeanParliament,
WhereasbyCouncilDecision77/586/EECof27July1977theEEC
concludedtheConventionfortheProtectionoftheRhineagainst
ChemicalPollution (hereinafter calledthe"ChemicalConvention ")
andtheAdditional AgreementtotheAgreementsignedatBerneon
29April1963concerning theInternational Commissionforthe
Protection oftheRhineagainstPollution (hereinafter calledthe
International Commission);
#
Whereas,underArticle5oftheChemicalConvention the
International Commissionistopropose,bymeansofamendmentsto
AnnexIVtotheChemicalConvention,limitvaluesforthedischarge
ofcertainsubstances intothesurfacewatersoftheRhinebasin
whereasunderArticle14oftheChemicalConvention unanimous
adoptionbytheContracting PartiestotheConventionisrequired
fortheentryintoforceofsuchamendments;
WhereastheInternational Commission hasestablished limitvaluesfor
mercuryintheformofaproposalintendedtosupplement AnnexIV
totheChemicalConvention;
WhereasitisdesirablethattheCommunity,asaContracting Party
totheChemicalConvention,adopttheabovementioned
proposal;
HASDECIDED:
Article 1
TheproposalfromtheInternational Commission fortheProtection
oftheRhineagainstPollutionintendedtosupplement AnnexIVto
theConventionfortheProtection oftheRhineagainstChemical
Pollution,signedinBonnon3December1976,isherebyadopted
onbehalfoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunity.
ThetextoftheproposalisannexedtothisDecision.
OJNoL240,19.9.1977,p. ••9mm

Jo.
-9-
Article2
111 1
ThePresidentoftheCouncilwillnotifytheGovernmentofthe
SwissConfederation ,inaccordancewithArticle14oftheConvention
oftheadoptionoftheproposalreferredtoinArticle 1.
DoneatBrussels/
FortheCouncil,
ThePresident,

.■/,_.¥
-10-
RECOMMENDATION FOR APROPOSAL
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OFTHE RHINE
AGAINST POLLUTION
tosupplement Annex IVtothe Convention fortheProtection ofthe
Rhine against Chemical Pollution ,signed inBonn on3December 1976 .
TheInternational Commission fortheProtection oftheRhine against
Pollution ,
Having regard totheConvention fortheProtection oftheRhine
against Pollution ,
Having regard ,inparticular Articles 3,4,^.5 and ,14thereof .
Proposes tothe Contracting Parties tothe Convention that Annex IV
totheConvention of3December 1976 besupplemented asfollows in
respect ofmercury :

-11-Annex1
LIMITVALUES(Article5)
Substance
orgroupof
substancesOriginLimitvalueintermsof
themaximumconcentration
ofasubstanceLimitvalueintermsof
themaximumquantity
ofasubstanceTime-limit
forexisting
dischargesRemarks
Mercury Chlor-alkali
electrolysis
establish--
mentsThelimitvaluesinterms
ofthemaximumconcentra­
tionofmercuryare
calculatedbydividing
thelimitvaluein.terms
ofthemaximumquantity
ofwaterusedpertonne
ofchlorineproduction
capacityAmonthlyaverageof1,
0.5grammeofmercury
pertonneofchlorine
productioncapacity.
Adailyaverageof
2grammesofmercury
pertonneofchlorine
productioncapacity
-•• * v *•
\ ' •i
1July1983Thelimitvaluessetout
intheprecedingcolumns
aretobeappliedto
mercuryderivingfrom
productionactivityand
mustthereforebe
observedattheoutlet
fromtheproduction
plants.
Asregardsmeasuring,
analysingandsampling
methods,seethe
recommendation ofthe
International Commission
dated28December1979
PursuanttoArticles14and19oftheConvention,themeasuressetoutintheabovetablewillenterintoforceafter
theirunanimousadoptionbytheContractingPartiestotheConvention.TheContractingPartieswillnotifytheir
adoptiontotheGovernmentoftheSwissConfederation,whichwillacknowledgereceptionofnotification .

-12-
Communication fromtheCommission totheCouncilonthe
recommendation fromtheInternational Commission forthe
Protection oftheRhineagainstPollution onthecontrol
ofdischarges ofmercurybythechlor-alkali electrolysis
industry.

Communication bytheCommission totheCouncilcontaining the
recommendation drawnupbytheInternational Commissionforthe
controlofdischarges bythechlor-alkali electrolysis industry.
Articles 12and13oftheConvention providethat"theInternational
Commissionshall,whereapplicable,drawuprecommendations withthe
aimofprogressively improvingapplication ofthesaidConvention
andshalldraftrecommendations withaviewtoachieving comparable
resultsbytheuseofappropriate methodsofmeasurement and
analysis". ".
TheInternational Commission hasaccordingly drawnuprecommanda-
tionswhichitissendingtotheContracting Partiesfortheir
information .Theserecommendations areconcernedwithdischarges of
mercurybythechlor-alkali electrolysis industry,whicharethe
subiectoftheproposalforaCouncilDecisionreferredtoin
point1. '• ,,
Therecommendations referto:
(i)thecalculation oflimit-valuesexpressedintermsof
.maximumconcentration ofmercuryinwastewaterandthe
preservation ofthemeasurement results:
(ii)amethodofreferenceanalysis;
fiii)sampling. .
Therecommendations correspond,inessence,totheprovisions set
outintheproposalforaCouncilDirective onlimitvaluesfor
dischargesofmercuryintotheaquaticenvironment bythechlor­
alkalielectrolysis industry^.
OJC169of06.07.1979

-14-Annex2
RECOMMENDATIONS
Inviewofitsproposalof27and28June1979atBaden,
Switzerland,onthelimitvaluesfordischargesofmercuryby
thechlor-alkali electrolysis industry,theInternational
CommissionfortheProtection oftheRhineagainstPollution
makesthefollowing recommendations totheContracting Parties
totheConvention fortheProtection oftheRhineagainstChemical
Pollution,pursuanttotheprovisionsofArticles12and13
thereof:
Proceeding fromthefactthatamonthlyaverageof715litresof
wastewaterispollutedbymercurypertonneofchlorineproduction
capacity,themaximumconcentration/takingaccountofthemaximum
quantityofmercurysetat0.5grammepertonneofchlorine
productioncapacity,mustnotexceedamonthlyaverageof0.7
milligrammes ofmercuryperlitreofwastewater.
Proceedingalsofromthefactthatamaximumdailyaverageof
2,000litresofwastewaterispollutedwithmercuryperdaily
tonneofchlorineproduction capacity,themaximumconcentration ,
takingaccountofthemaximumquantitysetat2.0grammesof
mercurypertonneofchlorineproduction capacitymustnotexceed
adailyaverageof1.0milligramme ofmercuryperlitreofwaste
water.
Ifthereismorewastewaterderivingfromproduction,the
concentrations mustbereducedininverseproportion .Ifthe
quantityofwaste .waterisreducedbyspecialmeasuresaimedat
savingwaterwithoutexceeding themaximumquantities ofmercury,
themaximumconcentrations maybeincreasedininverseproportions .
Wherewastewaterderivingfromproduction isdilutedwithothers
wastewater,thisvalueistobedividedbythecorresponding
dilutionfactor.
Themonthlyaveragevaluesofdischarges areobtainedfromthe
-dailyaveragesbyapplyingtheresultsofanalysesofstatistically
representative dailysamples*
Themonthlyaverageconcentration corresponds totherelation
betweenthemonthlymaximumquantity(determined fromdaily
quantities )andthetotalmonthlyrateofout-flow.
4
Theresultsofthesedeterminations andofallmeasurements shall
bekeptfornotlessthanfouryears.
Thecompetentauthorityshallminitortheemissionstandards.This
maybedonebymeansofmeasurements bytheauthorityitselfand/or
checksonthesamplestakenandanalysedbythemanufacturer .

A
-15-
TheLimitvaluessetoutinAnnexIVforthedischargeofmercury
bythechlor-alkali electrolysis industryrelatetothedetermina
tionofmercurybyflamelessatomicabsorption at253.7nm(Hatch
andOttcoldvapourmethod)afterxidationoftheunfiltered
sample,reductionofmercuricionsbystannouschlorideand
entrainment ofmercurymetal.j
Otherequivalent analysisprocedures maybeusedninsteadofthe.
reference methoddescribed above.
Thecontrolofdischarges inanyparticular casedependsonthe
specificconditionsforeachplant.Thefollowingcontrolpro­
ceduresmay,forexample,beapplied:'.-
(i)dailycollection andanalysisofmixedsamplesover
24hoursproportional totherateofout-flow;
(ii)collection andanalysisof24mixedone-hoursamples
orcorresponding mixedsamplesrelatingtoseveral
hours. -