The Tenth Meeting of the Parties decided in Dec. X/14:

Noting with appreciation the report of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel and the Process Agent Task Force in response to decision VII/10,

Noting the findings of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel that emissions from the use of ozone-depleting substances as process agents in non-Article 5 Parties are comparable in quantity to the insignificant emissions of controlled substances from feedstock uses, and that yet further reductions in use and emissions are expected by 2000,

Noting also the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel's findings that emissions from the use of controlled substances as process agents in countries operating under Article 5, paragraph 1, are already significant and will continue to grow if no action is taken,

Recognizing the usefulness of having the controlled substances produced and used as process agents clearly delineated within the Montreal Protocol,

1. That, for the purposes of this decision, the term “process agents” should be understood to mean the use of controlled substances for the applications listed in table A below;
2. For non-Article 5 Parties, to treat process agents in a manner similar to feedstock for 1998 and until 31 December 2001;
3. That quantities of controlled substances produced or imported for the purpose of being used as process agents in plants and installations in operation before 1 January 1999, should not be taken into account in the calculation of production and consumption from 1 January 2002 onwards, provided that:
   1. In the case of non-Article 5 Parties, the emissions of controlled substances from these processes have been reduced to insignificant levels as defined for the purposes of this decision in table B below;
   2. In the case of Article 5 Parties, the emissions of controlled substances from process-agent use have been reduced to levels agreed by the Executive Committee to be reasonably achievable in a cost-effective manner without undue abandonment of infrastructure. In so deciding, the Executive Committee may consider a range of options as set out in paragraph 5 below;
4. That all Parties should:
   1. Report to the Secretariat by 30 September 2000 and each year thereafter on their use of controlled substances as process agents, the levels of emissions from those uses and the containment technologies used by them to minimize emissions of controlled substances. Those non-Article 5 Parties which have still not reported data for inclusion in tables A and B are urged to do so as soon as possible and in any case before the nineteenth meeting of the Open Ended Working Group;
   2. In reporting annual data to the Secretariat for 2000 and each year thereafter, provide information on the quantities of controlled substances produced or imported by them for process-agent applications;
5. That the incremental costs of a range of cost-effective measures, including, for example, process conversions, plant closures, emissions control technologies and industrial rationalization, to reduce emissions of controlled substances from process-agent uses in Article 5 Parties to the levels referred to in paragraph 3 (b) above should be eligible for funding in accordance with the rules and guidelines of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund;
6. That the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund should, as a matter of priority, strive to develop funding guidelines and begin to consider initial project proposals during 1999;
7. That Parties should not install or commission new plant using controlled substances as process agents after 30 June 1999, unless the Meeting of the Parties has decided that the use in question meets the criteria for essential uses under decision IV/25;
8. To request the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel and the Executive Committee to report to the Meeting of the Parties in 2001 on the progress made in reducing emissions of controlled substances from process-agent uses and on the implementation and development of emissions-reduction techniques and alternative processes not using ozone-depleting substances and to review tables A and B of the present decision and make recommendations for any necessary changes.

Table A: List of uses of controlled substances as process agents

Note: Parties may propose additions to this list by sending details to the Secretariat, which will forward them to the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel. The Panel will then investigate the proposed change and make a recommendation to the Meeting of Parties whether or not the proposed use should be added to the list by decision of the Parties.

Table B: Emission limits for process agent uses

(All figures are in metric tonnes per year)