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United Nations

The Fifteenth
Meeting of the Parties
to the Montreal Protocol

Nairobi, Kenya, 10 - 14 Nov., 2003 

   Editions:
Audio&
Photos
HTM PDF
TXT

  Curtain
  Raiser

  Mon 10

  Tue 11

  Wed 12

  Thu 13

   Final    Summary 

 

 

 

MOP 15 HIGHLIGHTS
Tuesday, 11 Nov. 2003


Delegates met in Plenary throughout the day to continue discussion on numerous issues relating to exemptions of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and other agenda items, whcih listed in bold headings to follow.

* Click here for a full text report on today's events



Girigi conference room 2, where MOP-15 plenary is being held.


Michael Graber, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat

The contact group on CFC MDIs convened in the morning. The contact groups on phase-out of methyl bromide and on conditions for granting CUEs for methyl bromide held meetings in the afternoon.

The contact group on adjustment reductions of methyl bromide met in the evening. The Budget Committee and the Executive Committee also met in the afternoon.


Gilbert Bankobeza (on right) Senior Legal Officer and member of the Ozone Secretariat since its foundation


Co-chair of the OEWG Maria Nolan (UK)

Further Specific Interim Reduction of Methyl Bromide:

Co-Chair Nolan established a contact group to further discuss the adjustments of the Montreal Protocol for further reductions of methyl bromide and suggested it meet in afternoon.


Left to right: Marco González, Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat and
Co-chair of the OEWG Khaled Klaly (Syrian Arab Republic)

 


Japan said it had "yet to be convinced on the proposal"

Amendment of the Montreal Protocol regarding the advancement of the deadline for annual data reporting

Listen to: The European Community introducing the amendment on data reporting, which states that Parties should submit their data by every 30 June after the end of the year in which the report is based rather than by every 30 September.
- Japan suggesting that Parties that were willing to report their data earlier would do so on a voluntary basis but no obligation should be established.

-
Indonesia agreeing with Japan and affirming that Parties should consult with their implementation staff and identify what should be changed for improving reporting.

-
European Community's Answer


Indonesia did not agree with the ammendment

Peter Horrocks of the European Community

Tom Batchelar of the European Community



Australia's Tamara Curll

The Status of destruction technologies for ozone- depleting substances and code of good housekeeping.

El Salvador and Kenya expressed concern that this draft decision was not economically feasible for many Article 5 Parties.

Australia presented the revised draft decision, which states that the Montreal Protocol does not require its Parties to destroy ODS.

Listen to:- Australia's Proposal;
El Salvador's reaction;
Australia's response; Kenya's doubts


El Salvador's Francisco Guevara



Patrick McInerney, Australia

Update on the status of classification and labeling of controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol

Australia, the US and Canada wanted to discuss the proposal internally before proceeding to consultations among parties, voicing concern with the process as recommended by the Secretariat.

Iran said that while a uniform coding system is desirable, countries still have their national systems, and concluded that in any case the Secretariat paper came too late.


Delegate of Iran



Hugo Figueroa, Guatemala

Discussion on Nominations for Critical-use Exemptions for Methyl Bromide

Listen to:

- Canada's position

- Mexico's position

California Strawberry Growers Association stressed farmers' necessity of CUEs.


Claudia McMurray and Duncan Hollis, US delegation

Mark Murai, California Strawberry Commission

Mexico, supported by Argentina and Guatemala, said that CUEs would create difficulty for Article 5 Parties in their ability to compete in the international market and lead to increases of methyl bromide consumptions.

A fumigation industry group representative stated that industries that have been attempting to phase out methyl bromide should not be punished by CUE grants.

Marcia Levaggi (Argentina) expressed concerns about the CUEs

David Mueller, representative of a fumigation industry group


Blaise Horisberger, Switzerland, supported one-year approval only


Delegates from Mexico (center and right) talking with Delegate from El Salvador (left)



K enya

Conditions for Granting CUEs for Methyl Bromide:

Kenya requested Parties to reconsider the importing ban of products grown on soils treated with methyl bromide, since it causes a conflict with WTO rules and harms Article 5 Parties' economy, especially in Africa.

Canada and the US reserved the right to address the issue again after consulting with their capitals.


Pierre Pinault (Environment Canada)


A waterfall in the Gigiri Complex


Phillipe Chemouney, Environment Canada (far left) and Tom Land, USEPA (far right) with Gary Taylor of the TEAP, who made a presentation on the Use of Halons in New Airframes during the morning plenary

 
Links to further information:  

*The UNEP MOP-15 official site
http://www.unep.org/ozone/mop/15mop/15mop.shtml

*The Handbook for the International Treaties
for the Protection of the Ozone Layer - Sixth Edition (2003)
http://www.unep.org/ozone/Handbook2003.shtml

*ENB summary of MOP-14
http://enb.iisd.org/download/pdf/enb1924e.pdf

*Linkage's Coverage (audio and photos) of Montreal Protocol MOP-14
http://enb.iisd.org/ozone/mop14/

 
 

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