Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 5 • Number 13 • 8th July 2005

Ozone Meeting Grants Methyl Bromide Exemptions

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An Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, held in Montreal, Canada, on 1 July, agreed to allow thirteen developed nations an exemption for 2006 to use 3,000 tons of ozone-depleting methyl bromide, which was to be banned as of 1 January 2005. The new agreement brought the total amount of allowed exemptions for 2006 to more than 14,300 tons for 16 countries. The meeting was held after parties had failed to agree on the exemption requests at the 16th Meeting of the Parties held in November 2004 (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 3 December 2004). The biggest user of the pesticide is the US, followed by Italy, Spain, Israel, France, Japan, Australia, Britain, Canada, Poland, New Zealand, Switzerland and Belgium. UN Environment Programme Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said that the decision “maintains the downward trend in methyl bromide use by developed countries”. However, Geeta Ohl of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) criticised the ongoing use of the chemical by the US, saying that “continued abuse of the critical use exemption by the US makes a mockery” of efforts elsewhere to reduce use of the ozone-depleting chemical. “There are plenty of alternatives to methyl bromide but the US agricultural industry doesn’t want to switch,” she added.

At an Open-ended Working Group held on 27-30 June to prepare for the 17th Meeting of the Parties that will take place in Dakar, Senegal on 12-16 December 2005, delegates considered the results of an expert workshop held in April on addressing illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances (ODS). The EU put forward a proposal that would attempt to prevent illegal trade by setting up a tracking system for ODS. Although members expressed support for a feasibility study of a tracking system, Japan, New Zealand and others called for caution on the scheme given the administrative and informational burdens it might impose on members.

For daily reporting, see IISD Linkages at http://www.iisd.ca/ozone/oewg25/

“Nations Agree to Cuts in Ozone-Depleting Pesticide,” AP, 3 July 2005; “Many Countries Cling to Ozone-Destroying Pesticide,” ENS, 27 June 2005; ENB, Vol 19 No. 41.