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 all parties that have nominated critical-use exemptions are to report data on stocks of methyl bromide using the accounting framework agreed to by the Sixteenth Meeting of the Parties,

Noting with appreciation that, in accordance with paragraph 1 of decision XXV/4, Australia submitted the available results of its research programme to the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel by the thirty-seventh meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group,

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, which requests parties with critical-use exemptions to submit annual accounting frameworks,

1. To permit, for the agreed critical-use categories for 2017 and 2018 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 2017 and 2018 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 Ozone Secretariat by 1 February for the years to which the present decision applies;

Annex to decision XXVIII/7

Table A

Agreed critical-use categories
(Metric tonnes)

Table B

Permitted levels of production and consumption^a
(Metric tonnes)

^a Minus available stocks.