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ECE

Environmental Policy and Law. 10 (19~)

The Thirty-eighth Session

The Thirty--e~gh[h Session of the Economic Conmfission for Europe (ECEI met from 12-23 April 1983.

hl the section dcvottd to Environ- n'l¢fl[ o1' the I~xeculive-Secretary's lie- pun on th~ Con',mission's activities and Implementuti,:m of priorities in 1982, a summ4wy was given of [he wt~k calxled out within the framework of the Senior Advb,ers to ECE Govern- meats on Envirom~ntal Problems,

"The re,ndl el the work carried nut in 1982 ... reHb"vls the active co- operation on cnvkolwaeltlal problems Of t'ont2em to nldl1~E.r G¢lVt?rnments." The Senior Adviser~ ;~ad emphasized a |~w priority are'is ~.ere international no.operative ,,clio,-, ~:, ,~ Id be especially pnx/uctive. The pmgrdnme is concen- IrattaJ on air ~'mllulJor~ problems, par- ticulurly Ih© h,rg-zange Iransport of sulphur compound, ; I.:~c incorporation ,ff i:nvirunmcntal a:~!:cssmenl policies, progran~mes and procedures into gov- ernmental planning and decision m~k- tag activity; and the promotion of en~'rgy- and resoon'e.,~aving lechnolo- g~s which reduce waste loss.

The Conleren~:e was reminded thai die Convention on Long-range Transbnundary Air Pollution entered into Iorcc un I t March It~83 and thai ,he lirst n',~cling of the Executive Fhaly is ~heduled liar an early date. Durtv 191,12, the [merim Executive H,t, ly, con)fused of the Signatories to Ih¢ ('olV.'cnl:ion, undertook work CEll- hrjcmg the ma.p:,r elements of the ~-'t ~ITIS C l l l l t ~ r l :

clTt'vt', o1" air po]lutitm on Ituman hcallh, or~ aquvtic ecosystems, soil, gttlUlldV.;Jler anti L,lietlaeion. tin flea- Icrlal,, and on ~,is!l dity; t¢chnologien rue conlrolling sulphur ¢nll~MtlnS;

inonilorle_~ anti cvaluulion of tht." k~nt:-rangt: lransmtssion of air poilu- [SillS;

ct-,Ll~rlcl]l analyst.,, O1" alternative

progmmmes fur sulphur emission control;

- strategies and policies Co, the abate- ment of air pollutiur: caused by sulphur compounds.

The reports and studies e]-eady undertaken have essentially concluded the prapararory phase for the full im- plementation of the Convention.

The significance attached by ECE Governments to problems of waste managenlcnt is reflected in the ECE Declaration on Low- and Nun-waste Technology and Re-utilization and Re- cycling nf Wastes. TI'.¢ recommends- lions contained in the rkelaration are being implemented, inter alia, through the exchange of scientific and techni- cal infonmation and studies and analy- ses of factors affecting energy- and resource-saving technologies.

Work has also continued on methods for the comparison and evalu- ation of alternative industrial technolo- gies, their cost-effectiveness and the application of economic measures to promote the recove~ and re-use of industrially important resources.

The Compendium on Low- and Non-waste Tnchnology (ENV/WP. ~5 and addenda), a compilation of alter- native technologies concentrated on but not limited to the manut'acturing industries, now includes a tolal of IO7 case examples of economic and practi- cal means for reducing energy and material requirements for specific ntallu[aeluring processes. Consider- ation is being given to the develop- ment of a more efficient centralized system for access [o and retrieval of intbrmation on the topics contained ir the Compenthum.

The first stage of the activity of the Senior Advisem on the evaluation of international measures for the pro- tection of rio[a, faulla and their habi- tats has been completed. The secoml slage, during which drafi recommen-

clarions will be elaborated on the appli- cation and use of existing legal instru- ments and activities is being initiated_ These recommendations will be re- viewed by the Senior Advisers at their twelfth session in 1984.

A comprehensive programme of work on environmental impact assess- ment was initiated during the year. Emphasis has been placed on the elaboration of new policies for the incorporation of environmental impact assessment into govenmaental plan- ning and decision-making and on the utility of envtmnmental impact assess- meat in the resolution of Froblems of Irnnshonndary pollution.

Delegates welcomed the report o f the Senior Advise~, presented by So- kefuvsky (USSR) end appealed for conducting help for ECE from UNEP, especially with regard to monitoring.

The work commenced by the Executive Body of the Commission on Transboondary Air Pollution was ap- proved and the hope was expressed that activities could commence soon, cot only concerning the multilateral but also with regard to the bilateral parts ofthe treaty. It was also relx)rted that the USSR had started work and will present a motion to the Commis- sion, concerning the per4,.ctives to the year 2000.

The annual session ended with few concrete results. One of these is the intention to inemase East-West co- operation with reganl to environmental problems, especially concerning rams- boundary ~ and water pollution. All delegations were convinced of the necessity of streamlining ECE's work. However, the Western couptries, on account of the current political arose- sphere, adopted a more reserved stir:u- de, while the Socialist t"~htries zrk.d continuously to place certain activRies of the Commission on a tugher politi- cal level. [ ]

0378-777X,83'$3.00 ~:~ 19[]3 Elsevier Science Publishers 8.V. (North-Holland)