Results Of The Tenth Meeting Of The Parties To The Montreal Protocol

RESULTS OF THE TENTH MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL, 23-24 November 1998, CAIRO, EGYPT

Important outcomes of the Tenth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol are as follows:

1. Implementation of the Montreal Protocol in the light of the Kyoto Protocol
• The Parties have noted a decision on this issue by the 4^th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Buenos Aires, 2-3 November, 1998. The issue is the use of HFCs and PFCs green house gases controlled by the Kyoto Protocol, to phase out CFCs under the Montreal Protocol.
• The Parties have noted the linkages and need to implement the multilateral environmental agreements in a coherent way for the benefit of the global environment. They have agreed that the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) should provide relevant information on HFCs and PFCs to the Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat (FCCC) by 15 July 1999. A workshop will be convened with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to establish information on means of limiting emissions of HFCs and PFCs. The TEAP will develop information on alternatives to ODS, including those other than HFCs and PFCs and report to the Eleventh Meeting of the Parties.
• 29 countries and the European Commission called upon all bodies of the Montreal Protocol not to support the use of HCFCs where more environmentally friendly alternatives are available. They also urged all Parties to consider all alternatives to ODS, taking into account their global warming impact so that alternatives with high global warming impact are discouraged when more environment friendly alternatives are available.
2. Essential use of ozone-depleting substances in industrialized countries:
• The Parties have approved 11,000 tonnes of CFCs and halons for the year 1999 and 8,300 tonnes for the year 2000 for use by the developed countries.
3. New substances with ozone depletion potential
• There are two new substances with ozone-depletion potential which are being marketed as ozone-safe products but not controlled under the Montreal Protocol. Parties have agreed to take measures to discourage the production and marketing of one of these substances (chlorobromo methane) and requested the Scientific and Technology and Economic Assessment Panels to determine whether the other substance (n-propyl bromide) and similar substance with an atmospheric life-time of less than one month pose a threat to the ozone layer. All Parties have been urged to ensure control and phase out of any new ODS developed. The Legal Drafting Group will consider the options available under the Montreal Protocol to introduce controls on any new ozone-depleting substance and report to the next meeting of the Parties in 1999.
• Scientists have detected increase in abundance of Halon 1202 in the atmosphere and the source and uses of this chemical are not known. The Assessment Panels have been requested to identify the source and uses.
4. Review of the non-compliance procedure of the Montreal Protocol
• The Parties are satisfied that, generally, the non-compliance procedure of the Montreal Protocol is working satisfactorily. They have agreed on a few minor modifications. Another review will be carried out not later than 2003.
5. Non-compliance by some countries
• 8 countries of former USSR are in non-compliance (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russian Federation, Ukraine and Uzbekistan). These countries have undertaken to phase out ozone depleting substances between the years 2000-2002, according to a schedule given by them.
• It has been decided to recommend continued international assistance to these countries to enable implementation of the phase-out but to caution them that stricter measures will be taken, if they do not adhere to the phase out schedule given by them.
6. Data and information reporting for monitoring compliance
• 140 out of 161 countries reported their data on production and consumption of ODS for 1996. This is satisfactory. Only about 50% reported so far for 1997. The Parties urged allParties to report their data urgently.
7. Terms of Reference for a study on the replenishment of the Multilateral Fund for the period 2000-2002
• The Parties have agreed on the terms of reference for a study by the TEAP on the 2000-2002 replenishment of the Multilateral Fund. This issue will be discussed at the Eleventh Meeting of the Parties in 1999 and a decision taken. A group of 14 countries - 7 developing and 7 developed - has been established to negotiate the issue and make recommendations.
8. List of countries that do not wish to import products and equipment using ozone depleting substances
• There is a serious concern by developing countries that most of obsolete products and equipment which use ozone-depleting substances and no longer wanted in industrialized countries are being dumped into the markets of developing countries.
• The Parties have agreed that each Party should adopt measures, including labelling, to regulate the export and import of equipment that depend on ODS. The Parties are inviting, on a voluntary basis, those Parties that do not manufacture such products for domestic use, not to permit the import of such products from any source, and to inform the Secretariat if they do not wish to import these products.
• The Secretariat will maintain a list of Parties that do not wish to receive such equipment. The list will be circulated to all Parties by the Secretariat at the Eleventh Meeting of the Parties in 1999 and updated on an annual basis.
9. Quarantine and Pre-shipment exemptions of methyl bromide
• The Parties have expressed concern that the amount of methyl bromide used for quarantine and pre-shipment (not controlled under the Protocol) is on the increase.
• They have requested the TEAP to assess volumes and uses of methyl bromide under the quarantine and pre-shipment exemption since 1991, and to report on the availability of alternative substances and technologies.
• The Parties will consider action at the Eleventh Meeting of the Parties.
10. Process Agents
• There are considerable emissions of ODS used as process agents in the manufacture of ozone-friendly chemicals in developing countries, whereas these are better controlled in developed countries.
• The Parties have agreed to exempt the use of ODS as process agents for developed countries till the year 2001 but set limits for emissions, which need to be observed for the exemption to continue beyond the year 2001.
• The Multilateral Fund will fund control of emissions in developing countries. These countries, too need to observe limits in order to be eligible for exemption beyond the year 2000.
• The Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund has been requested to develop funding guidelines for process agents and consider initial project proposals for developing countries during 1999 subject to the control of emissions
11. Exports of controlled substances in Annexes A and B to the Montreal Protocol from industrialized countries to meet the basic domestic needs of developing countries
• The Montreal Protocol allows industrialized countries to produce upto 10% of their baseline of production of CFCs to satisfy the basic domestic needs of developing countries. However, the Parties are concerned that the allowed production quantity and exports to developing countries may nullify the reduction in their production by developing countries which will take place shortly as a result of their implementation of the control measures.
• The Parties have agreed to request the TEAP to assess the CFCs that are likely to be required by developing countries for the period 1999-2010 and make assessment of such quantities which need to be produced and exported by developed countries. TEAP will present its finding to the Parties at the Eleventh Meeting of the Parties in 1999.
12. Production Sector
• The Parties have requested the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund to complete the task of formulation of guidelines for funding the phase-out of production sector in developing countries on priority basis and expeditiously.
• The Executive Committee has also been requested to facilitate the formulation of projects for funding the CFC-production sector on a priority basis.
13. Emissions of ozone depleting substances from feedstock applications
• The Parties have noted the findings of the TEAP that emissions from use of carbon tetrachloride as feedstock is estimated at around 30,000 tonnes per year. The use of ODS as feed stock is exempted under the Montreal Protocol.
• The Parties have requested the Assessment Panel to investigate further and to report on this issue to the Parties in the year 2000.
14. Ratification of the Vienna Convention, the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments
• The Parties have urged all States that have not yet ratified the ozone agreements to do so expeditiously.
15. Halon management strategy
• Parties have noted with concern the increasing halon emissions from the existing firefighting equipment and from new production in developing countries in the atmosphere, even as the new production in the industrialized countries had been phased out. They have requested Parties to develop national and regional strategies for the management of halons, including emissions reduction and ultimate elimination of their use.
• The agreed strategies include: discouraging halon use in new installations and equipment, encouraging the use of substitutes and replacements, complete removal of non-essential halon installations and equpment and promoting appropriate measures to ensure recovery, storage, management and destruction of halons.
16. Secretariat's budget for 1999-2000
• The Parties approved the Secretariat's budget for 1999 of US$3.6m and about the same amount for the year 2000.
17. Meeting of the Parties in 1999
• The Parties accepted the invitation of China to host the next Meeting of the Parties in 1999.

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