PREPORUKA o Nacrtu odluke Vijeća o prihvaćanju izmjena Protokola o postojanim organskim onečišćujućim tvarima iz 1998. uz Konvenciju o dalekosežnom prekograničnom onečišćenju zraka iz 1979. godine

6.1.2016 - (08651/2015 – C8-0158/2015 – 2014/0358(NLE)) - ***

Odbor za okoliš, javno zdravlje i sigurnost hrane
Izvjestitelj: Giovanni La Via

NACRT ZAKONODAVNE REZOLUCIJE EUROPSKOG PARLAMENTA

o Nacrtu odluke Vijeća o prihvaćanju izmjena Protokola o postojanim organskim onečišćujućim tvarima iz 1998. uz Konvenciju o dalekosežnom prekograničnom onečišćenju zraka iz 1979. godine

(08651/2015 – C8-0158/2015 – 2014/0358(NLE))

(Suglasnost)

Europski parlament,

–  uzimajući u obzir Nacrt odluke Vijeća (08651/2015),

–  uzimajući u obzir izmjene Protokola o postojanim organskim onečišćujućim tvarima iz 1998. uz Konvenciju o dalekosežnom prekograničnom onečišćenju zraka iz 1979. (08651/2015 ADD 1 i ADD 2),

–  uzimajući u obzir zahtjev Vijeća za davanje suglasnosti u skladu s člankom 192. stavkom 1. i člankom 218. stavkom 6. drugim podstavkom točkom (a) Ugovora o funkcioniranju Europske unije (C8-0158/2015),  

–  uzimajući u obzir članak 99. stavak 1. prvi i treći podstavak, članak 99. stavak 2. i članak 108. stavak 7. Poslovnika,

–  uzimajući u obzir preporuku Odbora za okoliš, javno zdravlje i sigurnost hrane (A8-0001/2015),

1.  daje suglasnost za izmjenu protokola;

2.  nalaže svojem predsjedniku da stajalište Parlamenta proslijedi Vijeću, Komisiji te vladama i parlamentima država članica.

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

The Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution is intended to protect the human environment against air pollution. Several studies performed between 1972 and 1977 had shown that air pollutants could travel several thousand kilometres before deposition. Problems caused by air pollution therefore need to be addressed on the international level. Signed in 1979 and entering into force in 1983, the Convention was the first international legally binding instrument in this area. It has created the framework for controlling and reducing the damage to human health and to the environment caused by transboundary air pollution. The Convention identifies the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as its secretariat. The Convention is implemented and monitored through the Co-operative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmissions of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP).

To date, the Convention has been extended by eight protocols, which identify specific measures to be taken by Parties to reduce their air pollutant emissions. The first protocol under the Convention was signed in 1984 and provided a financing scheme for activities under EMEP. The second protocol, which tackled sulphur emissions, was the first substantive measure on air pollution abatement. Protocols three, four and five addressed nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and once more sulphur emissions and their transboundary fluxes. The 1991 protocol on VOCs saw the move from a single substance to a more effective group approach. This was continued with the two 1998 protocols on heavy metals and on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The eighth protocol, which intends to fight acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone, is the first multi-pollutant and multi-effect protocol, and comprises specific national emission ceilings and reduction commitments for various substances.

The 1998 Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants (the Protocol) aims to control, reduce or eliminate discharges, emissions and losses of POPs. It requires Parties to eliminate the production and use of relevant substances, restrict the use of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and reduce their total annual emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins/furans (PCDD/PCDF) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) below their levels in 1990 or an alternative year between 1985 and 1995. Parties must ensure that operators of major stationary emission sources make use of the best available techniques (BAT), certain waste incinerators comply with given emission limit values, effective measures are taken to control POPs emissions from mobile sources, and that POPs are transported and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner once they become waste. Parties must also develop and maintain emission inventories for certain POPs and collect information on the production and sales of the other POPs under the Protocol.

The accession of the Community to the Protocol was approved on behalf of the Community by Council Decision 2004/259/EC of 19 February 2004. The Protocol, which entered into force on 23 October 2003, has been transposed into EU law through several instruments. The Parties reviewed the Protocol with regard to the sufficiency and effectiveness of its obligations, and in 2007 agreed on the opening of negotiations for the revision of the Protocol's text and annexes. In December 2009, the Protocol was amended by Decisions 2009/1, 2009/2, 2009/3 and 2009/4, the latter two referring to BAT.

Decisions 2009/1 and 2009/2 have to be ratified by the Parties. The amended Protocol includes seven new substances, updates implementation requirements for several substances, updates restrictions for PCDD/PCDF emissions from several sources, and adds PCBs to the list of substances affected by the total annual emission restrictions and reporting obligations. To facilitate the Protocol's ratification by Parties with an economy in transition, it provides flexibilities for them regarding the timeframe for the application of emission limit values, for BAT and for the choice of the reference year for the total annual emissions.

The amendments to the Protocol are already largely covered by EU legislation, and will be further transposed via a new Directive setting updated national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants and providing for annual national emission inventories that shall cover, among others, emissions of POPs, including PAHs, PCDD/PCDF, HCB and PCBs.

The draft Council Decision lists the texts of the amendments to the Protocol via Decisions 2009/1 and 2009/2 in its Annexes. As explained above, the amendments are fully consistent with existing EU legislation. Specific exemptions and flexible transition timetables for economies in transition should allow all Parties to comply with the Protocol. The ratification of the amendments will be an important step towards a higher level of protection of human health and the environment from transboundary air pollution. The rapporteur therefore welcomes the draft Council Decision and proposes that Parliament gives its consent.

REZULTAT KONAČNOG GLASOVANJAU NADLEŽNOM ODBORU

Datum usvajanja	22.12.2015
Rezultat konačnog glasovanja	+: –: 0:	59 2 0
Zastupnici nazočni na konačnom glasovanju	Marco Affronte, Margrete Auken, Pilar Ayuso, Zoltán Balczó, Catherine Bearder, Simona Bonafè, Biljana Borzan, Lynn Boylan, Cristian-Silviu Buşoi, Soledad Cabezón Ruiz, Alberto Cirio, Miriam Dalli, Seb Dance, Angélique Delahaye, Jørn Dohrmann, Stefan Eck, Bas Eickhout, Eleonora Evi, José Inácio Faria, Karl-Heinz Florenz, Francesc Gambús, Elisabetta Gardini, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Jens Gieseke, Sylvie Goddyn, Matthias Groote, Françoise Grossetête, Jean-François Jalkh, Giovanni La Via, Norbert Lins, Susanne Melior, Massimo Paolucci, Gilles Pargneaux, Piernicola Pedicini, Bolesław G. Piecha, Annie Schreijer-Pierik, Renate Sommer, Dubravka Šuica, Tibor Szanyi, Damiano Zoffoli
Zamjenici nazočni na konačnom glasovanju	Nikos Androulakis, Nicola Caputo, Mark Demesmaeker, Herbert Dorfmann, Luke Ming Flanagan, Elena Gentile, Martin Häusling, Jan Huitema, Merja Kyllönen, Ulrike Müller, James Nicholson, Alojz Peterle, Christel Schaldemose, Jasenko Selimovic
Zamjenici nazočni na konačnom glasovanju prema čl. 200. st. 2.	Lucy Anderson, Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea, Michał Boni, Neena Gill, Monika Hohlmeier, Sander Loones, Helga Stevens