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Decision XXIII/6: Global laboratory and analytical-use exemption

Recalling decision XXI/6, in which parties are requested to investigate the possibility of replacing ozone‑depleting substances with alternatives identified by the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel in its 2010 progress report,

Recalling further decision XI/15, by which the parties, among other things, eliminated the use of ozone‑depleting substances for the testing of oil, grease and total petroleum hydrocarbons in water from the global exemption for laboratory and analytical uses,

Acknowledging the work being carried out by the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel to identify ozone‑depleting substances still being used for laboratory and analytical purposes, ozone‑depleting substances that might still be mandated in certain standards, and available alternatives to ozone‑depleting substances,

Noting that individual parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol have reported difficulty in implementing existing alternatives to the use of carbon tetrachloride for the testing of oil, grease and total petroleum hydrocarbons in water and claim to need more time for information collection and related policy framework development,

  1. To allow parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 until 31 December 2014 to deviate from the existing ban on the use of carbon tetrachloride for the testing of oil, grease and total petroleum hydrocarbons in water in individual cases where such parties consider doing so to be justified;
  2. To clarify that any deviation beyond that described in the preceding paragraph should take place only in accordance with an essential‑use exemption, in particular in respect of:
    1. The use of carbon tetrachloride for the testing of oil, grease and total petroleum hydrocarbons in water beyond 2014;
    2. Any other use already excluded from the global laboratory exemption beyond 2012;
  3. To request parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 to continue to take action to replace ozone-depleting substances for the testing of oil, grease and total petroleum hydrocarbons in water as soon as possible;
  4. To request parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 that use carbon tetrachloride for the testing of oil, grease or total petroleum hydrocarbons in water in accordance with paragraph 1 above to report annually to the Secretariat, together with their Article 7 report every year, on the quantities of carbon tetrachloride used, including information on the procedures followed for using the substance, any alternative methods or procedures being investigated and the expected timeframe during which the Party will make use of the global exemption;
  5. That the Implementation Committee and the Meeting of the Parties should defer until 2015 consideration of the compliance status in relation to the control measures for carbon tetrachloride for the testing of oil, grease and total petroleum hydrocarbons in water of parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 that provide evidence to the Secretariat, with their data reports submitted in accordance with Article 7, showing that any deviation from the consumption target for carbon tetrachloride is due to the use of that substance in accordance with paragraph 1 above;
  6. To request the Secretariat to prepare a reporting form to assist parties reporting information under paragraph 4 above;
  7. To request the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel to review information provided by parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 in accordance with paragraph 4 above, provide those parties with information and advice on means and methods of achieving a transition to the use of non-ozone‑depleting substances, and report annually on information provided and progress in assisting parties;
  8. To request the Panel and interested parties, with support from the Secretariat, to prepare information on laboratory and analytical uses for the purpose of assisting parties to achieve a transition to alternative methods and procedures and invites parties to consider contributing resources and information for that purpose;
  9. To request the Panel to continue its work in reviewing international standards that mandate the use of ozone-depleting substances and to work with the organizations that promulgate such standards to include non-ozone-depleting substances and procedures as applicable;
  10. To remind parties of the categories and examples of laboratory uses contained in annex IV of the report of the Seventh Meeting of the Parties, as updated by decision XI/15 and listed by the Panel in its progress reports, which can be used as a basis for determining what uses might be deemed to be laboratory and analytical uses;