ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (79)483
Vol.1979/0166

Disclaimer
Conformément aurèglement (CEE, Euratom) n°354/83 duConseil du1erfévrier 1983
concernant l'ouverture aupublic desarchives historiques delaCommunauté économique
européenne etdelaCommunauté européenne del'énergie atomique (JOL43du15.2.1983,
p.1),telquemodifié par lerèglement (CE, Euratom) n°1700/2003 du22septembre 2003
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Inaccordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No354/83 of1February 1983
concerning theopening tothepublic ofthehistorical archives oftheEuropean Economic
Community andtheEuropean Atomic Energy Community (OJL43,15.2.1983, p.1),as
amended byRegulation (EC, Euratom) No1700/2003 of22September 2003 (OJL243,
27.9.2003, p.1),this fileisopen tothepublic. Where necessary, classified documents inthis
filehave been declassified inconformity with Article 5oftheaforementioned regulation.
InÜbereinstimmung mitderVerordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr.354/83 desRates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft undderEuropäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L43vom 15.2.1983,
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<; !
COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
;' i
COM (79)483 final
Brussels ,6thSeptember 1979
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION TOTHE COUNCIL
ONTHE RESULTS OFTHE DISCUSSIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS RELATING TO
THE HOLDING OFAHIGH-LEVEL MEETING INTHE ECE FRAMEWORK ONTHE
PROTECTION OFTHE ENVIRONMENT <13-16 NOVEMBER 1979 INGENEVA )
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COM (79)483 final

Resultsofthediscussions andnegotiations relatingtotheholding
ofahighlevelmeetingintheECEframeworkonth$protectionof
theenvironment
1.InaccordancewiththedecisionoftheCouncilof8March1977,the
Commissiontookpartinthediscussions andnegotiations relating
totheholdingofahighlevelmeetingintheECEframeworkonthe
protectionoftheenvironment .
I •
2.Thesediscussions andnegotiations tookplaceduring1978and1979,
andtheMemberStateswereregularlyconsultedandkeptinformedof
developftnts.
3.Duringthe34thSessionoftheECE(27March-27April1979),
agreement wasreachedontheconveningofthehigh-level meeting
ontheprotection oftheEnvironment from13to16November1979in
Geneva,andonthesubmissionofthefollowingdraftdocumentsto
thatmeetingforformaladoption:
-Convention andResolution onlong-range transboundary airpollution;
-Declaration onlowandnon-wastetechnology andreutilizationand
recyclingofwastes.
Theabovedraftdocumentswereagreeduponsubjecttofinalediting
byameetingofaspecialexpertgroupofjurists-linguists tobe
convenedbytheECEExecutiveSecretary.Atthisexpertmeeting,
whichtookplaceon11-14June,thefinaltextsoftheabovethree
documentswerefinalisedandapprovedandareannexedtothisCom­
munication .
< 'I
i
4.TheConvention onlong-rangetransboundary airpollutionisabinding
instrument,whosefundamental principles are,interalia,thatthe
Parties,"takingdueaccountofthefactsandproblemsinvolved,are
determinedtoprotectmanandhisenvironment againstairpollution
andshallendeavourtolimitand,asfaras.possible,graduatlyreduce
andpreventairpollutionincludinglong-range ;transboundary air
pollution".
/.

2.
Bymeansofexchangesofinformation,consultation,researchand
monitoring-theParties"will developwithoutunduedelaypoliciesand
m
strategies whichwillserveasmeansofcombatingthedischargeof
airpollutants
TheResolution onlong-rangetransboundary airpollutionprovidesfor
theprovisional implementation oftheConvention bythesignatories
pendingitsentryintoforce.Italsocontainselements-suchasthe
completionofadocumentrelatingtotheabatementofairpollution
causedbysulphurcompounds-onwhichthePartieswerenotableto
agreeforinclusioninthebindingConvention.
TheDeclaration onlowandnon-wastetechnology andre'utilization
andrecyclingofwastesisadeclaration ofIntentwhichcontainsre­
commendations relatingtoactionstobetakenonthenationallevel
aswelltointernational cooperative activitieswithintheECEframe­
work.
5.Article14oftheConvention onlong-range transboundary airpollution,
whichenablestheEuropeanEconomicCommunitytosignandbecomea
contracting party,statesthatiDTheConventionshallbeopenfor
signature<...)byregionaleconomicintegration organisations ,con­
stitutedbysovereignstatesmembersoftheECE,whichhavecompetence
inrespectofthenegotiation,conclusion andapplication ofinter­
nationalagreementsinmatterscoveredbythepresentConvention.2)In
matterswithintheircompetence suchregionaleconomicintegration or­
ganisations shall,ontheirownbehalf,exercisetherightsandful-
filltheresponsibilities whichthepresentConventionattributesto
theirMemberStates.Insuchcases,theMemberStatesoftheseorganisa­
tionsshallnotbeentitledtoexercisesuchrightsindividually".
Thewordingofthisarticlewasnegotiatedspecifically forthepur­
poseofenablingtheCommunitytobecomeacontracting partytothe
Convention .ItwasincludedintheConvention inthefaceofstiff
opposition fromtheUSSRandothereasteuropeandelegations,while
thenordicandotherwesteuropeandelegations plusthatoftheU.S.
stronglysupporteditsinclusion.
./

3.
6.Inthisregard,thedeclaration madebytheFrenchdelegation (as
PresidentinofficeoftheCouncil)onbehalfoftheEuropeanEco­
nomicCommunityattheclosingofthe34thAnnualSessionoftheECE
on27April1979,stated,interalia:
"IamhappytoindicatethattheEuropeanEconomicCommunityintends
tobringitsfullcontribution inaccordancewithitsownprocedures,
totheimplementation oftheConvention onlong-range transboundary air-
pollution.TheprovisionsofthisConventionstatethatitshallalso
beopenforsignatureandaccessionbyregionaleconomicintegration
organisations -whichhavecompetenceinrespectofthenegotiation,
conclusion andapplication ofinternational agreements inmatters
coveredbythisConvention,andthattheseorganisations inmatters
withintheircompetence,shallontheirownbehalfexercisetherights
andfulfilltheresponsibilities whichthepresentConventionattributes
totheirMemberStates,enablingthereforetheEuropeanEconomic Com­
munitytobecomeaContracting PartyassuchtothisConvention".
!I
7.Inaccordancewiththedecisiontakenatthe34thAnnualSessionof
theECE,theConventionwillbesignedduringthehighlevelmeeting
tobeheldintheECEframework on13-16November1979inGeneva:At
thesametime,theabove-mentioned resolution anddeclarationwillbe
approved.
«
8.ToenabletheCommunitytosigntheConvention alongwiththeother
Contracting Partiesduringthehigh-level meeting,itwillbenecessary
fortheCounciltoauthorise,insufficienttimebeforehand,thePre­
sidentoftheCounciltonominatethepersonsempoweredtosignthe
Convention onbehalfofthe.Community.
,I
9.TheCouncilshouldensurethat,inadditiontotheCommunity,allthe
MemberStatesbeinapositiontosigntheConventionduringthehigh-
levelmeetinginNovember,andthat,assoonaspossibleafterwards,
conclusion andratification proceduresoftheConvention bytheCom­
munityandMemberStatesbecompleted.

4.
10.Inconclusion -theCommission recommendsthattheCouncilshould:
I
I
" ^- !
a)Firstly,andassoonaspossible, j
-dec/idetoproceedtothesignatureoftheConventiononlong-range
transboundary airpollution,andauthorizethePresidentofthe
Counciltonominatethepersonsentitledtosign,onbehalfof
tfjeEuropeanEconomicCommunity,thisConvention,subjecttoits
conclusion,duringthehigh-levelmeetingtobeheldintheECE
.i
frameworkinGenevaon13-16november1979; /
-decidetoapprovetheResolutiononlong-rangetransboundaryair
pollutionaswellastheDeclaration onlowandnonwastetechnology
andreutilizationandrecyclingofwastes.
)
b)Secondly,completetheproceduresrequiredfortheconclusionofthe
Conventiononlong-rangetranstioundary airpollutionbyadoptingthe
decisionforwhichaproposalisannexed.