The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, often abbreviated as Air Convention or CLRTAP, is intended to protect the human environment against

air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different type ...

and to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollution. It is implemented by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP), directed by the

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE or UNECE) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to promote economic cooperation and ...

(UNECE). The convention opened for signature on , and entered into force on .

Secretariat

The Convention, which now has 51 Parties, identifies the Executive Secretary of the

(UNECE) as its secretariat. The current parties to the Convention are shown on the map. The Convention is implemented by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) (short for ''Co-operative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe'').EMEP History and Structure
EMEP website
/ref> Results of the EMEP programme are published on the EMEP website
www.emep.int

Procedure

The aim of the Convention is that Parties shall endeavour to limit and, as far as possible, gradually reduce and prevent air pollution including long-range transboundary air pollution. Parties develop policies and strategies to combat the discharge of air pollutants through exchanges of information, consultation, research and monitoring. The Parties meet annually at sessions of the Executive Body to review ongoing work and plan future activities including a workplan for the coming year. The three main subsidiary bodies – the Working Group on Effects, the Steering Body to EMEP and the Working Group on Strategies and Review – as well as the Convention's Implementation Committee, report to the Executive Body each year. Currently, the Convention's priority activities include review and possible revision of its most recent protocols, implementation of the Convention and its protocols across the entire UNECE region (with special focus on Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and South-East Europe) and sharing its knowledge and information with other regions of the world.

Protocols

Since 1979 the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution has addressed some of the major environmental problems of the UNECE region through scientific collaboration and policy negotiation. The Convention has been extended by eight protocols that identify specific measures to be taken by Parties to cut their emissions of air pollutants: * Protocol on Long-Term Financing of the Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP) (1984) * 1985 Helsinki Protocol on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions *

Nitrogen Oxide Protocol Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes, opened for signature on 31 October 1988 and entered into force on 14 February 1991, was ...

(1988) * Volatile Organic Compounds Protocol (1991) * 1994 Oslo Protocol on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions *

Protocol on Heavy Metals The Protocol on Heavy Metals, a protocol to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, was adopted in Aarhus, Denmark in 1998. As of 2004, it had 36 signatories. As of 2016, it had 35 signatories and 33 parties, with no country having ...

(1998) * Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants (1998) * 1999 Gothenburg Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone (1999)

References

External links

Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air PollutionRatifications
at depositary {{DEFAULTSORT:Convention On Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Climate change treaties Environmental treaties Treaties concluded in 1979 Treaties entered into force in 1983 Air pollution 1983 in the environment Treaties of Albania Treaties of Armenia Treaties of Austria Treaties of Azerbaijan Treaties of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic Treaties of Belgium Treaties of Bosnia and Herzegovina Treaties of the People's Republic of Bulgaria Treaties of Canada Treaties of Croatia Treaties of Cyprus Treaties of the Czech Republic Treaties of Czechoslovakia Treaties of Denmark Treaties of Estonia Treaties entered into by the European Union Treaties of Finland Treaties of France Treaties of Georgia (country) Treaties of West Germany Treaties of East Germany Treaties of Greece Treaties of the Hungarian People's Republic Treaties of Iceland Treaties of Ireland Treaties of Italy Treaties of Kazakhstan Treaties of Kyrgyzstan Treaties of Latvia Treaties of Liechtenstein Treaties of Lithuania Treaties of Luxembourg Treaties of Malta Treaties of Monaco Treaties of Montenegro Treaties of the Netherlands Treaties of Norway Treaties of the Polish People's Republic Treaties of Portugal Treaties of Moldova Treaties of Romania Treaties of the Soviet Union Treaties of Serbia and Montenegro Treaties of Slovakia Treaties of Slovenia Treaties of Spain Treaties of Sweden Treaties of Switzerland Treaties of North Macedonia Treaties of Turkey Treaties of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Treaties of the United Kingdom Treaties of the United States United Nations Economic Commission for Europe treaties Treaties extended to Jersey Treaties extended to Guernsey Treaties extended to the Isle of Man Treaties extended to Gibraltar Treaties extended to Akrotiri and Dhekelia Treaties extended to the Faroe Islands Treaties extended to Greenland Treaties extended to West Berlin

Secretariat

Procedure

Protocols

See also

References

External links