An Irish delegation will not be attending the fifth session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee, INC-5, to develop a global instrument to address certain persistent organic pollutants, POPs, in Johannesburg from 4-9 December. The 12 POPS encompassed by the global instrument being developed by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, are among the 15 POPs covered by the 1998 Aarhus Protocol on persistent organic pollutants to the United Nations (Economic Commission for Europe) Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution to which Ireland is a signatory. The differences between the UNEP and UNECE instruments relate, inter alia, to their geographic application and the assistance required by the developing world in addressing POPs.
National policies on POPs are based in the first instance on the implementation of EU law and the European Union will be represented at INC-5. At the European Council of Environment Ministers meeting on 7 November 2000, agreement was reached on Council conclusions with a view to preparing for INC-5. I have made arrangements to have a copy of the Council conclusions forwarded to the Deputy.
Question No. 285 taken with No. 267.
Question No. 286 taken with No. 268.