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Decision XXXI/5: Laboratory and analytical uses

Recalling decision VI/9, by which the Meeting of the Parties established a global laboratory and analytical-use exemption,
Recalling also decision VII/11, in which the Meeting of the Parties adopted a non-exhaustive illustrative list of laboratory and analytical uses of ozone-depleting substances,
Recalling further decisions VII/11 and XXI/6, in which the Meeting of the Parties requested all parties to urge their national standards-setting organizations to identify and review their standards for laboratory and analytical procedures that mandate the use of Montreal Protocol ozone-depleting substances with a view to adopting, where possible, laboratory and analytical products and processes that do not use ozone-depleting substances,
Recalling decisions VII/11, XI/15 and XIX/18, by which the Meeting of the Parties eliminated specific uses from the global exemption for laboratory and analytical uses,
Recalling also decision XVIII/15, in which the Meeting of the Parties approved specific laboratory and analytical uses for methyl bromide,
Recalling further decision XXVI/5, by which the Meeting of the Parties extended the global laboratory and analytical-use exemption until 31 December 2021,
Taking note of the September 2018 report of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel, entitled “Response to decision XXVI/5 (2) on laboratory and analytical uses” and the 2018 assessment report of the Medical and Chemicals Technical Options Committee, and its recommendation,
Noting the very small quantities of ozone-depleting substances consumed for laboratory and analytical uses, which have totalled less than 160 metric tonnes over the past four years globally,
Acknowledging that the current approach, whereby the Meeting of the Parties periodically removes individual laboratory and analytical uses from the global exemption adopted under decision VI/9, may lead to confusion since the list of laboratory and analytical uses is not exhaustive, and entails a level of administrative effort not commensurate with the environmental benefit of phasing out the quantities of ozone-depleting substances concerned,
  1. To extend the global laboratory and analytical-use exemption indefinitely beyond 2021, without prejudice to the parties deciding to review the exemption at a future meeting;
  2. To request the Secretariat to include information on production and consumption trends of ozone-depleting substances for laboratory and analytical uses in the annual report on Article 7 data submitted to the parties;
  3. To further request the Secretariat to make available to the parties, through its website, the consolidated indicative list of laboratory and analytical uses of ozone-depleting substances that are globally exempted and the list of uses that the parties have agreed are no longer exempted;
  4. To invite parties to consider the information provided by the Medical and Chemicals Technical Options Committee in the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel’s 2018 assessment report on uses that can be performed without using ozone-depleting substances;
  5. To remind parties that the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances for laboratory and analytical uses is limited to those uses which are not excluded from the laboratory and analytical-essential-use exemption;
  6. To encourage parties to further reduce their production and consumption of ozone‑depleting substances for laboratory and analytical uses and to facilitate the introduction of laboratory standards that do not require such substances;
  7. To request the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel to report in its quadrennial report on any progress made by parties in reducing their production and consumption of ozone‑depleting substances for laboratory and analytical uses, on any new alternatives to those uses, and on laboratory standards that can be performed without such substances, on the understanding that, should new compelling information become available, including opportunities for significant reductions in production and consumption, that information should be reported in its annual progress report;
  8. That paragraph 7 of the present decision supersedes the request to the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel relating to reporting on laboratory and analytical uses in paragraph 4 of decision XXX/15.