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Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol

 
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | 24 - 26 March 2004

 

Highlights for Thursday 25 March 2004

Delegates met in a morning Plenary session to hear progress reports from the contact groups on nominations for critical-use exemptions (CUEs) and on conditions for granting and reporting CUEs. Both contact groups continued their deliberations in the afternoon. A contact group on the revitalization of the Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee (MBTOC) also met. In an evening Plenary session, delegates considered outstanding conference room papers (CRPs). The contact group on nominations for CUEs reconvened in the evening.

Above photo: Delegates from the EU in a coordination huddle in the corridors.

 

Plenary: 
 


Above photos L-R: Michael Graber, Deputy Executive Secretary, Ozone secretariat, ExMOP President Jiři Hlaváček (Czech Republic), and Marco Gonzalez, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat
 




Co-Chair Oladapo Afolabi (Nigeria) of the contact group on CUNs said that three approaches to CUNs had emerged from discussions on proposals by the EC, the US and Japan.  



Co-Chair Sergio Sánchez Martinez (Mexico) noted that some Parties had expressed concern over the progressive reduction and ultimate phase-out of CUEs, and had requested that specific timetables and limits be established.

 




Co-Chair
Pierre Pinault (Canada) of the contact group on granting and reporting CUEs said the contact group had made progress in merging proposals by the US and the EC.



Co-Chair Uosukainen (above) reported progress of the contact group on CUNs.


In relation to the discussion on proposals by many Francophone African countries, the US said the discussion was beyond the mandate of the ExMOP. Above photo: Paul Horwitz (US)



Co-Chair Rosalinda Tirona (The Philippines) said the working group on the revitalization of MBTOC would finalize its work for submission to the morning Plenary.



VENEZUELA drew attention to the request for financial and technical assistance and asked whether discussion could be opened on the issue. Above photo: Roberto Rebolledo Andrade (Venezuela)

COLOMBIA noted that MOP-16 would have the opportunity to consider commitments for eliminating CUEs in non-Article 5 Parties and that further work could take place at MOP-17. Above photo: Javier Camargo (Colombia)




The ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY urged Parties to take account of stockpiles before granting CUEs. Above photo: Alexander von Bismarck (Environmental Investigation Agency)



GREENPEACE suggested that CUEs remain below 30% and opposed multi-year CUEs. Above photo: Kert Davies (Greenpeace)




CALIFORNIA CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARMERS said that financial concerns of individual farmers can not be considered more important than environmental concerns or human health. 

Above photo: Vanessa Bogenholm (California Certified Organic Farmers)

Links |

The main page of the meeting: http://www.unep.org/ozone/Events/1ex_mop.asp.
Documents: http://www.unep.org/ozone/Meeting_Documents/1ex_mop_docs.asp.
UNEP website: http://www.unep.org.
Ozone secretariat web site: http://www.unep.org/ozone/index.asp.
ENB summary from the MOP-15 (HTML, PDF, TEXT).
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