THE BASEL, THE BASEL, ROTTERDAM AND ROTTERDAM AND

STOCKHOLM STOCKHOLM CONVENTIONSCONVENTIONS

Tirana, Albania, 22-24 June 2010

Overview A framework for Life Cycle

Management The 3 Conventions together cover elements

of “cradle-to-grave” management Common objective = to protect human

health and the environment Scope and coverage of the 3

Conventions Areas for integrated implementation Technical assistance and financial

resources

General overview

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Basel Convention Basel Convention on the Control of

Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

Adopted 1989 in response to concerns about developed country companies dumping hazardous wastes in developing countries

Entered into force on 5 May 1992 To date it has 172 Parties

Basel ConventionObjective Reduce transboundary movement of

hazardous wastes to a minimum consistent with their environmentally sound management

Dispose of hazardous wastes as close as possible to their source of generation

Minimize generation of hazardous wastes in terms of quantity and degree of hazard

Basel ConventionKey provisions Control system for transboundary

movements of hazardous wastes based on the concept of Prior Informed Consent

Each shipment needs a movement document from the point of transboundary movement to the point of disposal

Basel ConventionKey provisions Transboundary movement only

among parties

Export is prohibited if: The state of import has an import ban,

OR The state of import has not given its

consent to the import

Basel ConventionSupport for implementation Manual and guidelines

Model legislation on control and management of hazardous wastes

Implementation manual Instruction manual on the control

system Technical Guidelines

Basel Convention Regional Centres

Basel Convention - Albania Albania ratified Basel Convention in 1999 National Focal Point: Director for Pollution

Prevention, Ministry of Environment Parties are required to transmit their

national reports to the Secretariat annually

Relevant meetings: 7th session of the Open-ended Working Group,

10-14 May 2010, Geneva, Switzerland 10th meeting of the COP, Cartagena,

Colombia, 17 to 21 October 2011(tentative)

Rotterdam Convention Rotterdam Convention on the Prior

Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade

Adopted in 1998 in response to dramatic growth in chemicals trade, and vulnerability of developing countries to uncontrolled imports

Entered into force on 24 February 2004 To date it has 131 Parties

Rotterdam ConventionObjective To promote shared responsibility

and cooperative efforts among Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm and to contribute to their environmentally sound use

Rotterdam ConventionHow Provides an early warning of

potentially hazardous chemicals Provides the basis for decisions

regarding of future imports of chemicals (PIC procedure)

Helps to enforce those import decisions

Rotterdam ConventionKey provisions PIC procedure - Provides for a national

decision making process on import of hazardous chemicals in Annex III and attempts to ensure compliance with these decisions by exporting Parties

Information exchange - the exchange of information on a broad range of potentially hazardous chemicals

Rotterdam ConventionSupport for implementation Decision Guidance Documents (DGD) Import response PIC Circular Responsibilities of importing and

exporting Parties Export notifications Information to accompany export

Rotterdam Convention - Albania Albania in process of ratification Relevant meetings:

5th meeting of the COP scheduled from 20 – 24 June 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland

Stockholm Convention Stockholm Convention on Persistent

Organic Pollutants Adopted in 2001 in response to an

urgent need for global action on “POPs” (chemicals that are “persistent, bioaccumulate in fatty tissues and biomagnify through the food chain”)

Entered into force on 17 May 2004 To date it has 170 Parties

Stockholm ConventionObjective To protect human health and the environment

from the harmful impacts of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

How Eliminate production and use of intentionally

produced POPs Minimize and where feasible eliminate releases

of unintentionally produced POPs Clean-up old stockpiles and equipment

containing POPs Support the transition to safer alternatives Target additional POPs for action

Stockholm ConventionKey provisions Elimination of production/use of Annex A

chemicals Restriction of production/use Annex B

chemicals Reduction/elimination of release of

Annex C chemicals Identification/management of obsolete

stocks, wastes with POPs Selection of new POPs

Stockholm ConventionSupport for implementation Detailed guidance is available including:

Developing a national implementation plan (NIP) for the Stockholm Convention

Reducing and Eliminating the use of POPs Action Plan for the Reduction of Reliance on

DDT in Disease Vector Control Framework for the Management of PCBs

Stockholm Convention - Albania Albania ratified the Stockholm Convention in 2004 Albania submitted NIP in February 2007 Deadline second round of Parties’ reports is 31

October 2010 No Official Contact Point nominated No National Focal Point for the exchange of

information designated Relevant meetings:

Regional Capacity-Building Workshop for CEE on New POPs, Brno, Czech Republic, 15-18 June 2010

Sixth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC), Geneva, Switzerland, 11 - 15 October 2010

5th meeting of the COP is scheduled from 25-29 April 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland

Scope and coverage Basel covers hazardous wastes that are explosive,

flammable, poisonous, infectious, corrosive, toxic or ecotoxic;

Rotterdam covers 29 pesticides and 11 industrial chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for health or environmental reasons by Parties;

Stockholm covers 14 pesticides, and 7 industrial chemicals and by-products.

Common link: Most POPs are covered by all three Conventions. Many pesticides are subject to the three

conventions.

Areas for integrated implementation

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1. Framework for lifecycle managment (BC, RC, SC)

2. Chemicals covered (BC, RC, SC)3. Regulatory framework (BC, RC, SC)4. Import/export controls (BC, RC, SC)5. Waste management (BC & SC)6. Hazard communication (BC, RC, SC)

1. Framework for lifecycle managment Together the three conventions

cover the key elements of the life cycle management of hazardous chemicals

1. Framework for lifecycle managmentRotterdam Convention is a first line of defence against

future POPs gives countries an early opportunity

to consider alternatives PIC procedure should assist in

avoiding an accumulation of unwanted stockpiles

1. Framework for lifecycle managmentStockholm Convention eliminate production and use of

POPs chemicals restricts the import and export of

POPs to cases where the purpose is the environmentally sound disposal

reduce or eliminate releases of POPs working on BAT/BEP guidelines

1. Framework for lifecycle managmentBasel Convention can assist in managing disposal of

unwanted stockpiles technical working group is

developing guidelines on management of POPs wastes

2. Chemicals Covered 8 of the 10 intentionally produced POPs

are subject to the Rotterdam Convention

anticipate that in future intentionally produced POPs in the Stockholm Convention will be first included in the Rotterdam Convention

as wastes all chemicals will be subject to the Basel Convention

3. Regulatory infrastructure Countries can use the experience gained

during ratification of the Basel Convention for Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions

Guidance to developing National Implementation Plans (NIPs) adopted at Stockholm Convention COP-1 includes references to integration with the Rotterdam Convention

National chemicals legislation – all three Conventions involve a review of existing legal or administrative infrastructure

4. Import/Export Controls All three Conventions provide

mechanisms to restrict imports and obligations on exports

Customs officials should be trained on Convention requirements in a coordinated manner, addressing all three Conventions

Conventions may facilitate monitoring of movement of hazardous chemicals

4. Import/Export Controls Secretariats of the three

Conventions are working together to ensure a coordinated approach to training customs authorities on the requirements of the Conventions in association with UNEP Green

Customs initiative and the World Customs Organization

5. Waste Management Movement of wastes under Basel

Convention Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

may help to prevent accumulation of stockpiles

Basel Convention is developing technical guidelines for PCB, dioxins, furans and other hazardous wastes These will be taken up by Stockholm

Convention

6. Hazard Communication All three Conventions require Parties to

communicate hazard information to the secretariat, other Parties and/or the public

National focal points for the Conventions should share information to ensure awareness among relevant authorities

Close cooperation between focal points and regulators will assist in an integrated approach

Technical assistance and Financial Resources Basel Technical Cooperation Trust Fund Rotterdam technical assistance

programme to address needs identified by Parties

Stockholm sets up a “financial mechanism” the GEF, as a principal entity, is entrusted on

a interim basis with its operations +

Bilateral and multilateral financial institutions

Technical assistance – Regional Centres

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Basel and Stockholm Conventions provide for regional centres for training and technology transfer

Basel Convention regional centres (14) Stockholm Convention regional centres for

capacity-building and the transfer of technology (8+4 nominated) 2 BC Regional Centres also serve as SC

regional Centres

Technical assistance – Regional Centres BC and SC Regional Centres in Europe:

SC Research Centre for Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology (RECETOX) Brno, Czech Republic

SC Cleaner Production Regional Activity Centre, Mediterranean Action Plan (CP-RAC/MAP) Barcelona, Spain

Basel Connvention Regional Centre for Central Europe in Bratislava, Slovakia

Basel Convention Regional Centre for CIS countries in the Russian Federation

For further information please visit:

www.basel.intwww.pic.int

www.pops.int

Thank You!