Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the position to be adopted with regard to the amendment of Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention

Summary:

On 10 April 2008 the European Commission presented a proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the Community regarding a proposed amendment to Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention. The Decision was adopted at the meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council on 8 July.

Further information:

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade 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.

The Convention entered into force on 24 February 2004. By Decision 2006/730/EC of 25 September 2006, the Council approved the Convention on behalf of the European Community.

At its fourth meeting in Rome in October 2008, the Conference of the Parties (COP4) 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.

Official

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 08/07/2008: Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Brussels, 8 July 2008 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_PRES-08-193_en.htm

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