Noting with appreciation the work of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel and its Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee,

Recognizing the significant reductions in critical-use nominations for methyl bromide by many parties,

Recalling paragraph 10 of decision XVII/9,

Recalling also that parties nominating critical-use exemptions are requested to report data on stocks of methyl bromide using the accounting framework agreed to by the Sixteenth Meeting of the Parties,

Recognizing that the production and consumption of methyl bromide for critical uses should be permitted only if methyl bromide is not available in sufficient quantity and quality from existing stocks of banked or recycled methyl bromide,

Recognizing also that parties operating under critical-use exemptions should take into account the extent to which methyl bromide is available in sufficient quantity and quality from existing stocks of banked or recycled methyl bromide in licensing, permitting or authorizing the production and consumption of methyl bromide for critical uses,

Recalling decision Ex.I/4, by which parties with critical-use exemptions were requested to
submit annual accounting frameworks and national management strategies,

Noting the progress made under the research programme of the Australian strawberry runner industry and that Australia is planning to move to alternatives if trials in 2018 and 2019 are successful and the registration of the alternatives is completed,

Noting also the progress made under the Canadian research programme and that Canada is committed to continuing its research programme in 2019,

Noting further that the research programme of Argentina is continuing to pursue its aim of developing alternatives for methyl bromide,

Recognizing that some parties have recently ceased critical-use exemption requests and that the applicants’ efforts to develop alternatives and substitutes are designed to achieve the same outcome,

1. To permit, for the agreed critical-use categories for 2019 and 2020 set forth in table A of the annex to the present decision for each party, subject to the conditions set forth in the present decision and in decision Ex.I/4, to the extent that those conditions are applicable, the levels of production and consumption for 2019 and 2020 set forth in table B of the annex to the present decision, which are necessary to satisfy critical uses, with the understanding that additional production and consumption and categories of use may be approved by the Meeting of the Parties in accordance with decision IX/6;
2. That parties shall endeavour to license, permit, authorize or allocate quantities of methyl bromide for critical uses as listed in table A of the annex to the present decision;
3. That each party that has an agreed critical-use exemption shall renew its commitment to ensuring that the criteria in paragraph 1 of decision IX/6, in particular the criterion laid down in paragraph 1 (b) (ii) of decision IX/6, are applied in licensing, permitting or authorizing critical uses of methyl bromide, with each party requested to report on the implementation of the present provision to the Secretariat by 1 February for the years to which the present decision applies;
4. That parties submitting future requests for critical-use nominations for methyl bromide shall also comply with paragraph 1 (b) (iii) of decision IX/6 and that parties not operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol shall demonstrate that research programmes are in place to develop and deploy alternatives to and substitutes for methyl bromide;
5. To call upon parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 of the Protocol requesting critical‑use exemptions to submit their national management strategy in accordance with paragraph 3 of decision Ex.I/4;

Annex to decision XXX/9

Table A
Agreed critical-use categories
(tonnes)^a

^a Tonnes = metric tons.

Table B 
Permitted levels of production and consumption^a
(tonnes)^b

^a Minus available stocks.

^b Tonnes = metric tons.