Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2008)176 - EC position with regard to a proposal for the amendment of Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention

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dossier COM(2008)176 - EC position with regard to a proposal for the amendment of Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention.
source COM(2008)176 EN
date 10-04-2008
1. Under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), negotiations for a Convention for the application of the prior informed consent (PIC) procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade were concluded in March 1998.

2. The Convention was opened for signature at a Ministerial Diplomatic Conference held in September 1998 in Rotterdam. It was signed by the Community on 11 September 1998.

3. The Rotterdam Convention represents a major step forward in the international regulation of certain hazardous chemicals, including pesticides. Its objective is to promote shared responsibility and co-operative efforts among the Parties in the international trade of such chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm and to contribute to their environmentally sound use.

4. The Community has implemented the Convention through Regulation (EC) No 304/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 concerning the export and import of dangerous chemicals i. By its Decision 2006/730/EC of 25 September 2006 i, the Council decided to approve the Convention on behalf of the European Community.

5. The Convention entered into force on 24 February 2004. The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP4) will take place in Rome from 27 to 31 October 2008. In addition to the Community, 26 of its Member States are Parties to the Convention.

6. On the basis of recommendations from the Chemical Review Committee (CRC), a subsidiary body under the authority of the COP, the Conference of the Parties is expected to take a decision on the inclusion of further chemicals in the PIC procedure by adding them to Annex III of the Convention.

7. The three chemicals recommended by the CRC for inclusion in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention, namely chrysotile asbestos, endosulfan and tributyltin compounds, are already subject to similar restrictions under Community law. The Commission, therefore, is proposing to the Council a decision to support, on behalf of the Community, the amendment of Annex III to the Convention at COP4.

The proposed decision will have no impact on the Community budget.