Convention on Nitrogen Oxides, 1988

Convention on Nitrogen Oxides, 1988

 

Article 1
Definitions

For the purposes of the present Protocol,

1. “Convention”means the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air
Pollution, adopted in Geneva on 13 November 1979;

2. “EMEP”means the Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation
of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe;

3. “Executive Body” means the Executive Body for the Convention
constituted under article 10, paragraph 1 of the Convention;

4. “Geographical scope of EMEP”means the area defined in article 1,
paragraph 4 of the Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-range
Transboundary Air Pollution on Long-term Financing of the Cooperative
Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of
Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP), adopted in Geneva on 28 September 1984;

5. “Parties”means, unless the context otherwise requires, the Parties to
the present Protocol;

6. “Commission”means the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe;

7. “Critical load”means a quantitative estimate of the exposure to one
or more pollutants below which significant harmful effects on specified
sensitive elements of the environment do not occur according to present
knowledge;

8. “Major existing stationary source”means any existing stationary
source the thermal input of which is at least 100 MW;

9. “Major new stationary source”means any new stationary source the
thermal input of which is at least 50 MW;

10. “Major source category” means any category of sources which emit or
may emit air pollutants in the form of nitrogen oxides, including the
categories described in the Technical Annex, and which contribute at
least 10 per cent of the total national emissions of nitrogen oxides on
an annual basis as measured or calculated in the first calendar year
after the date of entry into force of the present Protocol, and every
fourth year thereafter;

11. “New stationary source”means any stationary source the construction
or substantial modification of which is commenced after the expiration of
two years from the date of entry into force of this Protocol;

12. “New mobile source”means a motor vehicle or other mobile source
which is manufactured after the expiration of two years from the date of
entry into force of the present Protocol.

Article 2
Basic obligations

1. The Parties shall, as soon as possible and as a first step, take
effective measures to control and/or reduce their national annual
emissions of nitrogen oxides or their transboundary fluxes so that these,
at the latest by 31 December 1994, do not exceed their national annual
emissions of nitrogen oxides or transboundary fluxes of such emissions
for the calendar year 1987 or any previous year to be specified upon
signature of, or accession to, the Protocol, provided that in addition,
with respect to any Party specifying such a previous year, its national
average annual transboundary fluxes or national average annual emissions
of nitrogen oxides for the period from 1 January 1987 to 1 January 1996
do not exceed its transboundary fluxes or national emissions for the
calendar year 1987.

2. Furthermore, the Parties shall in particular, and no later than two
years after the date of entry into force of the present Protocol:

(a) Apply national emission standards to major new stationary sources
and/or source categories, and to substantially modified stationary
sources in major source categories, based on the best available
technologies which are economically feasible, taking into consideration
the Technical Annex;

(b) Apply national emission standards to new mobile sources in all
major source categories based on the best available technologies which
are economically feasible, taking into consideration the Technical Annex
and the relevant decisions taken within the framework of the Inland
Transport Committee of the Commission; and

(c) Introduce pollution control measures for major existing stationary
sources, taking into consideration the Technical Annex and the
characteristics of the plant, its age and its rate of utilization and the
need to avoid undue operational disruption.

3. (a) The Parties shall, as a second step, commence negotiations, no
later than six months after the date of entry into force of the present
Protocol, on further steps to reduce national annual emissions of
nitrogen oxides or transboundary fluxes of such emissions, taking into
account the best available scientific and technological developments,
internationally accepted critical loads and other elements resulting from
the work programme undertaken under article 6.

(b) To this end, the Parties shall co-operate in order to establish:

(i) Critical loads;

(ii) Reductions in national annual emissions of nitrogen oxides or
transboundary fluxes of such emissions as required to achieve
agreed objectives based on critical loads; and

(iii) Measures and a time-table commencing no later than 1 January
1996 for achieving such reductions.

4. Parties may take more stringent measures than those required by the
present article.

Article 3
Exchange of technology

1. The Parties shall, consistent with their national laws, regulations
and practices, facilitate the exchange of technology to reduce emissions
of nitrogen oxides, particularly through the promotion of:

(a) Commercial exchange of available technology;

(b) Direct industrial contacts and cooperation, including joint
ventures;

(c) Exchange of information and experience; and

(d) Provision of technical assistance.

2. In promoting the activities specified in subparagraphs (a) to (d)
above, the Parties shall create favourable conditions by facilitating
contacts and cooperation among appropriate organizations and individuals
in the private and public sectors that are capable of providing
technology, design and engineering services, equipment or finance.

3. The Parties shall, no later than six months after the date of entry
into force of the present Protocol, commence consideration of procedures
to create more favourable conditions for the exchange of technology to
reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides.

Article 4
Unleaded fuel

The Parties shall, as soon as possible and no later than two years after
the date of entry into force of the present Protocol, make unleaded fuel
sufficiently available, in particular cases as a minimum along main
international transit routes, to facilitate the circulation of vehicles
equipped with catalytic converters.

Article 5
Review process

1. The Parties shall regularly review the present Protocol, taking into
account the best available scientific substantiation and technological
development.

2. The first review shall take place no later than one year after the
date of entry into force of the present Protocol.

 

Article 6
Work to be undertaken

The Parties shall give high priority to research and monitoring related
to the development and application of an approach based on critical loads
to determine, on a scientific basis, necessary reductions in emissions of
nitrogen oxides. The Parties shall, in particular, through national
research programmes, in the work plan of the Executive Body and through
other cooperative programmes within the framework of the Convention, seek
to:

(a) Identify and quantify effects of emissions of nitrogen oxides on
humans, plant and animal life, waters, soils and materials, taking into
account the impact on these of nitrogen oxides from sources other than
atmospheric deposition;

(b) Determine the geographical distribution of sensitive areas;

(c) Develop measurements and model calculations including harmonized
methodologies for the calculation of emissions, to quantify the
long-range transport of nitrogen oxides and related pollutants;

(d) Improve estimates of the performance and costs of technologies for
control of emissions of nitrogen oxides and record the development of
improved and new technologies; and

(e) Develop, in the context of an approach based on critical loads,
methods to integrate scientific, technical and economic data in order to
determine appropriate control strategies.

 

Conclusion

Notes

See Also

References and Further Reading

About the Author/s and Reviewer/s

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Convention on Nitrogen Oxides, 1988 2.


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