98/686/EC: Council Decision of 23 March 1998 on the conclusion by the European Community of the Protocol to the 1979 Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution on further reductions of sulphur emissions
Date: 1998-03-23
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: agreement (EU), air quality, pollution control measures, sulphur, transfrontier pollution

L  326/34

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

3.12.98

COUNCIL  DECISION

of  23  March  1998

on  the  conclusion  by  the  European  Community  of  the  Protocol  to  the  1979  Convention  on
long-range  transboundary  air  pollution  on  further  reductions  of  sulphur  emissions

(98/686/EC)

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION,

The  text  of  the  Protocol  is  attached  to  this  Decision.

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European
Community,  and 
in
conjunction  with  the  first  sentence  of  Article  228(2)  and
the  first  subparagraph  of  Article  228(3)  thereof,

in  particular  Article  130s(1), 

Having  regard  to  the  proposal  from  the  Commission (1),

Having  regard 
Parliament (2),

to 

the  opinion  of 

the  European

Whereas  the  Community  signed,  on  14  June  1994,  the
Protocol 
long-rate
transboundary  air  pollution  on  further  reductions  of
sulphur  emissions  (hereinafter  ‘the  Protocol’);

the  1979  Convention  on 

to 

Whereas  the  Protocol  seeks  to  establish  ceilings  for
sulphur  emissions  for  all  contracting  parties  to  the
Convention;

the  measures  envisaged 

Whereas 
the  Protocol
contribute  to  achieving  objectives  of  the  Community
policy  on  the  environment;

in 

The  following  Declaration  shall  be  deposited  with  the
instruments  of  approval:

‘The  European  Community  states  that  the  ceiling  for
emissions and the weighted average percentage of the
European Community ought not to exceed the sum of
the obligations of the Member States of the European
Union  which  have  ratified 
the  Protocol,  while
stressing  that  all  its  Member  States  must  reduce  their
in  accordance  with  the  emission
SO2  emissions 
ceilings  set  in  Annex  II  to  the  Protocol  and  in  line
with  the  relevant  Community  legislation.’

Article  2

the  person  empowered 

The  President  of  the  Council  is  hereby  authorised  to
designate 
the
instruments  of  approval  and  the  Declaration  referred  to
in  Article  1  with  the  Secretary  General  of  the  United
Nations,  in  accordance  with  Article  14  of  the  Protocol.

to  deposit 

the  Community  and 

the  Member  States
Whereas 
cooperate, 
respective
competences,  with  third  countries  and  the  competent
international organisations;

framework  of 

their 

the 

in 

Article  3

Whereas, 
approve  the  Protocol,

in  consequence, 

the  Community 

should

This Decision will be published in the Official Journal of
the  European  Communities.

HAS  ADOPTED  THIS  DECISION:

Article  1

The  Protocol  to  the  1979  Convention  on  long-range
transboundary  air  pollution  on  further  reductions  of
sulphur  emissions,  signed  on  14  June  1994,  is  hereby
approved  on  behalf  of  the  Community.

Done  at  Brussels,  23  March  1998.

For  the  Council

The  President

M.  MEACHER

(1)  OJ  C  190,  21.6.1997,  p.  13.
(2)  OJ  C  14,  19.1.1998.