Introductory text

United Kingdom

Council Decision (EU) 2017/1757

of 17 July 2017

on the acceptance on behalf of the European Union of an Amendment to the 1999 Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-Level Ozone

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament^f1,

Whereas:

(1)

The Union is a party to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (‘the Convention’) following the approval thereof by the European Economic Community pursuant to Council Decision 81/462/EEC^f2.

(2)

The Union is a party to the 1999 Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-Level Ozone (‘the Gothenburg Protocol’) following the accession thereto by the European Community pursuant to Council Decision 2003/507/EC^f3.

(3)

The parties to the Gothenburg Protocol opened negotiations in 2007 with a view to improving further the protection of human health and the environment, including through the establishment of new emission reduction obligations for selected air pollutants to be achieved by the year 2020 and the updating of emission limit values addressing emissions of air pollutants at source.

(4)

The parties present at the 30th session of the Executive Body of the Convention adopted by consensus Decisions 2012/1/EC and 2012/2/EC amending the Gothenburg Protocol.

(5)

The Amendments set out in Decision 2012/1/EC entered into force and became effective on the basis of the expedited procedure provided for in Article 13(4) of the Gothenburg Protocol.

(6)

The Amendment set out in Decision 2012/2/EC (‘the Amendment’) requires acceptance by the Parties to the Gothenburg Protocol in accordance with Article 13(3) thereof.

(7)

The Union has already adopted instruments on matters covered by the Amendment, including Directives 2001/81/EC^f4, (EU) 2016/2284^f5, 2010/75/EU^f6 and (EU) 2015/2193^f7 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulations (EC) No 595/2009^f8 and (EC) No 715/2007^f9 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

(8)

The Amendment should therefore be approved on behalf of the Union,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Annotations

Footnotes

f1: Consent of 5 July 2017 (not yet published in the Official Journal).
f2: Council Decision 81/462/EEC of 11 June 1981 on the conclusion of the Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution (OJ L 171, 27.6.1981, p. 11).
f3: Council Decision 2003/507/EC of 13 June 2003 on the accession of the European Community, to the Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-Level Ozone (OJ L 179, 17.7.2003, p. 1).
f4: Directive 2001/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2001 on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants (OJ L 309, 27.11.2001, p. 22).
f5: Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC (OJ L 344, 17.12.2016, p. 1).
f6: Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (OJ L 334, 17.12.2010, p. 17).
f7: Directive (EU) 2015/2193 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from medium combustion plants (OJ L 313, 28.11.2015, p. 1).
f8: Regulation (EC) No 595/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to emissions from heavy duty vehicles (Euro VI) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information and amending Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 and Directive 2007/46/EC and repealing Directives 80/1269/EEC, 2005/55/EC and 2005/78/EC (OJ L 188, 18.7.2009, p. 1).
f9: Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2007 on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information (OJ L 171, 29.6.2007, p. 1).