Decision IX/5: Conditions for control measures on Annex E substance in Article 5 Parties

The Ninth Meeting of the Parties decided in Dec. IX/5:

1. That, in the fulfilment of the control schedule set out in paragraph 8 ter (d) of Article 5 of the Protocol, the following conditions shall be met:
   1. The Multilateral Fund shall meet, on a grant basis, all agreed incremental costs of Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 to enable their compliance with the control measures on methyl bromide. All methyl-bromide projects will be eligible for funding irrespective of their relative cost-effectiveness. The Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund should develop and apply specific criteria for methyl-bromide projects in order to decide which projects to fund first and to ensure that all Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 are able to meet their obligations regarding methyl bromide;
   2. While noting that the overall level of resources available to the Multilateral Fund during the 1997-1999 triennium is limited to the amounts agreed at the Eighth Meeting of the Parties, immediate priority shall be given to the use of resources of the Multilateral Fund for the purpose of identifying, evaluating, adapting and demonstrating methyl bromide alternative and substitutes in Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5. In addition to the US$10 million agreed upon at the Eighth Meeting of the Parties, a sum of US$25 million per year should be made available for these activities in both 1998 and 1999 to facilitate the earliest possible action towards enabling compliance with the agreed control measures on methyl bromide;
   3. Future replenishment of the Multilateral Fund should take into account the requirement to provide new and additional adequate financial and technical assistance to enable Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 to comply with the agreed control measures on methyl bromide;
   4. The alternatives, substitutes and related technologies necessary to enable compliance with the agreed control measures on methyl bromide must be expeditiously transferred to Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 under fair and most favourable conditions in line with Article 10A of the Protocol. The Executive Committee should consider ways to enable and promote information exchange on methyl bromide alternatives among Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 and from Parties not operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 to Parties operating under that paragraph;
   5. In light of the assessment by the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel in 2002 and bearing in mind the conditions set out in paragraph 2 of decision VII/8 of the Seventh Meeting of the Parties, paragraph 8 of Article 5 of the Protocol, sub-paragraphs (a) to (d) above and the functioning of the Financial Mechanism as it relates to methyl bromide issues, the Meeting of the Parties shall decide in 2003 on further specific interim reductions on methyl bromide for the period beyond 2005 applicable to Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5;
2. That the Executive Committee should, during 1998 and 1999, consider and, within the limits of available funding, approve sufficient financial resources for methyl-bromide projects submitted by Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 in order to assist them to fulfil their obligations in advance of the agreed phase-out schedule.