CELEX: 51991PC0394
Language: en
Date: 1991-10-23
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION concerning the signature by the European Economic Community of the Protocol to the Geneva Convention on long­range transboundary air pollution concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
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                                                             COM(91) 394 final
                                                             Brussels, 23 October 1991
                                               Proposal for a
                                              COUNCIL_DECISION
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             mmà
                        concerning the signature by the European Economic Community
          M        of the Protocol to the Geneva Convention on long-range transboundary
                       air pollution concerning the control of emissions of volatile
            WÊÊÊÛÊ
             llËÉ             organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes
                IP
                                       (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---                                           - 2 -
                               EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Subject:         Signature by   the European Economic Community of the
                 Protocol to    the Geneva Convention on long-range
                 transboundary  air pollution concerning the control of
                 emissions of     volatile organic compounds or their
                 transboundary   fluxes
1.  The Community - and all of the Member States - is a party to the Convention
    on   long-range   transboundary     air  pollution   (Geneva Convention,    1979),
    drafted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
    Under this Convention, a Protocol on the control of emissions of volatile
    organic compounds (VOCs) or their transboundary fluxes has been prepared
    and will be put to the parties for signature in November 1991.
2.  The Community    has for a long time recognized the need to reduce VOC
    emissions, which are harmful to both human health and to natural and
    economic resources as they are one of the causes, together with NOx, of
    photochemical pollution.
    With this in mind, the Community has adopted legal measures to reduce VOC
    emissions from motor vehicles, which makes it competent as regards certain
    provisions of the Protocol.
3.  The   existing   Community    legislation    (motor  vehicles)   and   the  recent
    Commission   proposals which have already been the subject of a common
    position by the Council        (heavy goods vehicles) should be extended to
    include other provisions to enable the Community, in accordance with the
    Commission's    estimates,   to    fulfil   the  obligations   arising   from  the
    Protocol, the main one being to achieve a 30% reduction in VOC emissions by
    the end of 1999 as compared with the level in 1988 or any other year
    between 1984 and 1990.
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 3 -
   The Commission is preparing, within the context of the CORINAIR programme,
   a  detailed  inventory  of  atmospheric  emissions of  various pollutants,
   including VOCs, in 1990.
   Consequently, it proposes that this year should be specified as the year of
   reference for VOC emissions when the Community signs the Protocol.
4. On 24 July 1990 the Commission was authorized by the Council to participate
   in the Working Group drafting the Protocol and to negotiate on behalf of
   the Community in close consultation with the Member States.
5. In view of the responsibilities which the Community has already assumed and
   the need to increase the control of transboundary atmosheric pollution at
   international level as well, the Commission believes that the Community
   should sign the VOC Protocol.
   The Commission  further proposes that the Community's     interpretation of
   certain terms in the Protocol which are incompatible with its specific
   status.
 ---pagebreak---                                  - A -
                             Proposai for a
                            COUNCIL DECISION
      concerning the signature by the European Economic Community
of the Protocol to the Geneva Convention on long-range transboundary
    air pollution concerning the control of emissions of volatile
            organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes
 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
 Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
 Whereas the Treaty calls for active cooperation by the Community and the
 Member States in international environmental protection activities;
 Whereas the Community is party to the United Nations Economic Commission
 for Europe Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution1 (Geneva
 Convention, 1979) and to one of its Protocols on the funding of the
 European Monitoring and Evaluation of Pollutants (EMEP) programme;2
 Whereas the Commission has taken part, on behalf of the Community, in the
 negotiations conducted within a Working Party under the auspices of the
 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on a draft Protocol to the
 Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution concerning the control
 of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or their transboundary
 fluxes;
 Whereas the VOC Protocol will be open for signature by the parties to the
 Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution at the ninth meeting
 of the Executive Body for the Convention, which will be held in Geneva from
 19 to 22 November 1991;
 1   OJ No X 171, 27.6.1981, p. 11.
 2  OJ No L 181, 4.7.1986, p. 1.
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 5 -
Whereas the availability of data on VOC emissions in the Community will be
ensured, for 1990, thanks to the CORINAIR programme and the Community
should therefore specify that year as the reference year for VOC emissions;
HAS AGREED THE FOLLOWING:
                                 Article 1
The European Economic Community shall sign the Protocol to the 1979
Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution concerning the control
of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes,
specifying 1990 as the reference year and subject to conclusion.
                                 Article 2
The President of the Council shall appoint a representative empowered to
sign the Protocol on behalf of the Community.
He shall at the same time deposit the declaration appearing In Annex I to
this Decision.
Done at Brussels,               For the Counci
                                The President
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 6-
                                  ANNEX !
Declaration bv the European Economic Community
The European Economic Community declares that the term "national emissions"
appearing in the preamble and in Articles 1 and 2 of the draft protocol to
the Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution concerning the
control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary
fluxes Is to be interpreted, as far as It Is concerned, as meaning "the
Community emissions comprising the total emissions of the EEC Member
States".
Furthermore, the term "national" appearing in Articles 4, 5, 7 and 8
similarly means that legislation, programmes, strategies and policies
adopted, developed or implemented by the European Economic Community within
the framework of matters within its field of competence.
 ---pagebreak---                                                                       ISSN 0254-1475
                                                               COM (91)394 final
                                                       DOCUMENTS
EN                                                               !          14 06
                                 Catalogue number : CB-CO-91-470-EN-C
                                                              ISBN 92-77-76815-0
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