Convention on Volatile Organic Compounds, 1991

Article 3
Further Measures

1. Measures required by the present Protocol shall not relieve Parties
from their other obligations to take measures to reduce total gaseous
emissions that may contribute significantly to climate change, to the
formation of tropospheric background ozone or to the depletion of
stratospheric ozone, or that are toxic or carcinogenic.

2. Parties may take more stringent measures than those required by the
present Protocol.

3. The Parties shall establish a mechanism for monitoring compliance with
the present Protocol. As a first step based on information provided
pursuant to article 8 or other information, any Party which has reason to
believe that another Party is acting or has acted in a manner
inconsistent with its obligations under this Protocol may inform the
Executive Body to that effect and, simultaneously, the Parties concerned.
At the request of any Party, the matter may be taken up at the next
meeting of the Executive Body.

Article 4
Exchange of Technology

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

(a) The commercial exchange of available technology;

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

(c) The exchange of information and experience;

(d) The provision of technical assistance.

2. In promoting the activities specified in paragraph 1 of this article,
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 VOCs.

Article 5
Research and Monitoring to be Undertaken

The Parties shall give high priority to research and monitoring related
to the development and application of methods to achieve national or
international tropospheric ozone standards and other goals to protect
human health and the environment. The Parties shall, in particular,
through national or international 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 VOCs, both
anthropogenic and biogenic, and photochemical oxidants on human health,
the environment and materials;

(b) Determine the geographical distribution of sensitive areas;

(c) Develop emission and air quality monitoring and model calculations
including methodologies for the calculation of emissions, taking into
account, as far as possible, the different VOC species, both
anthropogenic and biogenic, and their reactivity, to quantify the
long-range transport of VOCs, both anthropogenic and biogenic, and
related pollutants involved in the formation of photochemical oxidants;

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

(e) Develop, within the context of the approach based on critical
levels, methods to integrate scientific, technical and economic data in
order to determine appropriate rational strategies for limiting VOC
emissions and obtain overall cost-effectiveness to achieve agreed
objectives;

(f) Improve the accuracy of inventories of emissions of VOCs, both
anthropogenic and biogenic, and harmonize the methods of their
calculation or estimation;

(g) Improve their understanding of the chemical processes involved in
the creation of photochemical oxidants;

(h) Identify possible measures to reduce emissions of methane.
Article 6
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 7
National Programmes, Policies and Strategies

The Parties shall develop without undue delay national programmes,
policies and strategies to implement the obligations under the present
Protocol that shall serve as a means of controlling and reducing
emissions of VOCs or their transboundary fluxes.

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Convention on Volatile Organic Compounds, 1991.