CONVENTION ON LONGRANGE TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION First meeting

CONVENTION ON LONG-RANGE TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION First meeting of the Expert Group on Particulate Matter Berlin, 23 – 24 May 2005 Keith Bull UNECE secretariat UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

CONVENTION ON LONG-RANGE TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION The Convention and its Protocols • The Convention was adopted in 1979 • It is a framework on which has been built eight Protocols – all now in force • The Protocols have aimed to increase ambition levels in a stepwise manner

GOTHENBURG PROTOCOL ENTERED INTO FORCE 17 MAY 2005!! Parties are expected to start the review of the Protocol at the twenty-third session of the Executive Body in December 2005 UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

CONVENTION THE CONVENTION ON LONG-RANGE TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION 49 49 Parties in Parties Europe, in Europe, North America and Central and Asia Central Asia Kara Sea Barents Sea Artic Ocean Canada Iceland Pacific Ocean of America Finland North Sea Atlantic Ocean Norway Sweden Russian Federation Estonia Latvia Lithuania Denmark Ireland United Kingdom Belarus Poland Netherlands Belgium Germany Luxembourg France Atlantic Ocean Switzerland Monaco Ukraine Slovakia Austria Hungary Moldova Liechtenstein Slovenia Romania Croatia Bosnia and Herzegovina Yugoslavia Black Sea Bulgaria F. Y. R. of Italy Albania Macedonia Kazakhstan Czech Rep. Spain Greece Portugal Turkey Malta Mediterranean Sea Cyprus Aral Sea Georgia Caspian Sea Armenia Azerbaijan Kyrgyzstan

Executive Body Working Group on Effects ICP Forests Task Force Implementation Committee EMEP Steering Body Working Group on Strategies and Review Programme Coordinating Centre Task Force on Emission Inventories and Projections ICP Integrated Monitoring Task Force Programme Centre Task Force on Measurement and Modelling Task Force on Heavy Metals ICP Modelling and Mapping Task Force Coordination Center for Effects Chemical Coordinating Centre Network of Experts on Benefits and Economic Instruments ICP Materials Task Force Main Research Centre ICP Vegetation Task Force Programme Centre ICP Waters Task Force Programme Centre Task Force Health Meteorological Synthesizing Centre-West Meteorological Synthesizing Centre-East Task Force on Integrated Assessment Modelling Centre for Integrated Assessment Modelling Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution Expert Group on Ammonia Abatement Expert Group on Techno-economic Issues Task Force on POPs Expert Group on Particulate Matter

CONVENTION ON LONG-RANGE TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION The secretariat - Executive Secretary UNECE - Air pollution team Keith Bull Albena Karadjova Matti Johansson Brinda Wachs Marichu Cardenas Margaret Muindi UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

EXPERT GROUP ON PARTICULATE MATTER HISTORY - There was an awareness that particulate matter (PM) was not included explicitly in the Gothenburg Protocol - WHO has drawn attention to PM causing human health problems - In 2004 Germany expressed its concern and its interest in taking action (including proposals for it to lead an expert group) - Decision by the Executive Body for the Convention in December 2004 (decision 2004/3) UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

EXPERT GROUP ON PARTICULATE MATTER UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE The Expert Group was established under the leadership of Germany and the United Kingdom The lead countries appoint Chairs of the Task Force and are principally responsible for coordinating the work of the Expert Group, organizing meetings, for communicating with experts and for activities associated with the workplan (adopted by the Executive Body) UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

EXPERT GROUP ON PARTICULATE MATTER Experts attending meetings are: - Nominated by Parties to the Convention; - Representatives of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and accredited nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); - Representatives of other bodies or centres under the Convention; - Invited by the Co-Chairs. UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

EXPERT GROUP ON PARTICULATE MATTER The expert group is not a “decision-making” body - it is a group of experts. The Expert Group reports its conclusions and recommendations to the Working Group on Strategies and Review, which is the main negotiating body under the Convention The Expert Group reports through its Co-Chairs who, together with the secretariat, are responsible for preparing and presenting the report (NB Minority views can be reported. UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

EXPERT GROUP ON PARTICULATE MATTER As well as conclusions and recommendations the Expert Group is expected to submit a draft workplan to the Working Group on Strategies and Review. The Working Group submits plan (that includes that of the Expert Group) to the Executive Body for approval. The Executive Body is the decision-making body for the Convention. It agrees the Convention’s workplan, budget etc annually, as well as adopting decisions and, on occasions, protocols UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

EXPERT GROUP MANDATE (DECISION 2004/3): (a) Assess the degree of control of pollutants that contribute to the formation of particulate matter already provided by existing protocols to the Convention and other instruments; (b) Review current work on particulate matter under the Convention, taking also into account the latest results of the forthcoming Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution of the European Community and similar strategies of other Parties; UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

(c) Consider the scientific and technical requirements, as well as non-technical measures, needed for possible options for assisting Parties in developing further measures to reduce particulate matter; (d) Give technical support also to other abatement strategies of Parties to the Convention, including the Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution of the European Community; (e) Carry out such other tasks as the Executive Body may assign to it in the annual workplan. UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

CONVENTION ON LONG-RANGE TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION Internet site: www. unece. org/env/lrtap UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE