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!