For the purposes of this Protocol:
Being Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution, adopted at Barcelona on 16 February 1976 and amended on 10 June 1995,
Conscious of the danger threatening the environment of the Mediterranean Sea caused by the transboundary movements and disposal of hazardous wastes,
Tagged terms: illegal trade, hazardous waste, wasteConvinced that the most effective way of protecting human health and the marine environment from the dangers posed by hazardous wastes is the reduction and elimination of their generation, for example through substitution and other clean production methods,
Tagged terms: healthRecognizing the increased will for the prohibition of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal in other States, especially in developing countries,
Tagged terms: illegal trade, hazardous waste, wasteTaking into account the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and especially Principle 14 which declares that States “should effectively cooperate to discourage or prevent the relocation and transfer to other States of any activities or substances that cause severe environmental degradation or are found to be harmful to human health”,
Tagged terms: preventionAware of the growing international concern regarding the need to ensure that pollution originating in one State is not transferred to other States and, consistent with this objective, of the need to reduce transboundary movements of hazardous wastes to a minimum as far as possible, with the ultimate aim of phasing out such movements,
Tagged terms: illegal tradeRecognizing also that any State has the sovereign right to ban the entry, transit or disposal of hazardous wastes in its territory,
Tagged terms: sovereigntyBearing in mind the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982,
Tagged terms: synergyTaking into account also the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, adopted on 22 March 1989, in particular Article 11, and decisions I/22, II/12 and III/1 adopted by the First, Second and Third Meetings respectively of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention,
Tagged terms: synergyTaking into account further that many States, among them Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, have taken legal measures and entered into international agreements consistent with the Basel Convention to ban transboundary movements of hazardous wastes, for example, the IVth ACP/EEC Convention signed in Lomé on 15 December 1989 by the European Economic Community and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, and the Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa, adopted under the auspices of the Organization of African Unity on 30 January 1991,
Tagged terms: synergy, international agreement, Rules of ProcedureRecognizing further the differences in levels of economic and legislative development among the various Mediterranean coastal States, and realizing that hazardous waste should not be allowed to be transported in order to take advantage of such economic or legislative disparities to the detriment of the environment and of the social well-being of developing countries,
Tagged terms: economy in transition, transportBearing in mind also the fact that the most effective way of dealing with the threats represented by wastes for human health and the environment consists in decreasing or even prohibiting the transfer of activities which generate hazardous wastes,
Tagged terms: prevention(a) “Convention” means the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution, adopted at Barcelona on 16 February 1976 and amended on 10 June 1995;
(b) A “Party” means a Contracting Party to this Protocol in accordance with Article 29, paragraph 1, of the Convention;
Tagged terms: party(c) “Wastes” means substances or objects which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are required to be disposed of by the provisions of national law;
Tagged terms: hazardous waste, waste(d) “Hazardous wastes” means wastes or categories of substances as specified in Article 3 of this Protocol;
Tagged terms: hazardous waste, waste(e) “Disposal” means any operation specified in Annex III to this Protocol;
Tagged terms: waste disposal, hazardous waste(f) “Transboundary movement” means any movement of hazardous wastes from an area under the national jurisdiction of one State to or through an area under the national jurisdiction of another State or to or through an area not under the national jurisdiction of any State, provided at least two States are involved in the movement;
Tagged terms: illegal trade(g) “Approved site or facility” means a site or facility for the disposal of hazardous wastes which is authorized or permitted to operate for this purpose by a relevant authority of the State where the site or facility is located;
(h) “Competent authority” means one governmental authority designated by a Party to be responsible, within such geographical areas as the Party may think fit, for receiving the notification of a transboundary movement of hazardous waste, and any information related to it, and for responding to such a notification;
Tagged terms: national focal point(i) “Clean production methods” means those which reduce or avoid the generation of hazardous wastes in conformity with Articles 5 and 8 of this Protocol;
(j) “Environmentally sound management” of hazardous wastes means taking all practicable steps to ensure that hazardous wastes are collected, transported and disposed of (including after-care of disposal sites) in a manner which will protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects which may result from such wastes;
Tagged terms: sound environmental management(k) “Area under the national jurisdiction of a State” means any land, marine area or airspace within which a State exercises administrative and regulatory responsibilities in accordance with international law in regard to the protection of human health or the environment;
(l) “State of export” means a Party from which a transboundary movement of hazardous wastes is planned to be initiated or is initiated;
Tagged terms: export(m) “State of import” means a Party to which a transboundary movement of hazardous wastes is planned or takes place for the purpose of disposal therein or for the purpose of loading prior to disposal in an area not under the national jurisdiction of any State;
Tagged terms: import(n) “State of transit” means any State, other than the State of export or import, through which a movement of hazardous wastes is planned or takes place;
(o) “Exporter” means any person under the jurisdiction of the State of export who arranges for hazardous wastes to be exported;
(p) “Importer” means any person under the jurisdiction of the State of import who arranges for hazardous wastes to be imported;
(q) “Generator” means any person whose activity produces hazardous wastes or, if that person is not known, the person who is in possession and/or control of those wastes;
(r) “Disposer” means any person to whom hazardous wastes are shipped and who carries out the disposal of such wastes;
(s) “Illegal traffic” means any transboundary movement of hazardous wastes as specified in Article 9;
Tagged terms: illegal trade(u) “Developing countries” means those countries which are not Member States of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); *
Tagged terms: developing country(v) “Developed countries” means those countries which are Member States of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); **
Tagged terms: developed country(w) “Organization” means the body referred to in Article 2 (b) of the Convention.
Tagged terms: secretariat1. This Protocol shall apply to:
Tagged terms: hazardous waste, waste(b) Wastes that are not covered under paragraph (a) above but are defined as, or are considered to be, hazardous wastes by the domestic legislation of the State of export, import or transit;
(d) Hazardous substances that have been banned or are expired, or whose registration has been cancelled or refused through government regulatory action in the country of manufacture or export for human health or environmental reasons, or have been voluntarily withdrawn or omitted from the government registration required for use in the country of manufacture or export.
Tagged terms: hazardous substance2. Wastes which derive from the normal operations of ships, the discharge of which is covered by another international instrument, are excluded from the scope of this Protocol.
Tagged terms: exemption3. The generator, the exporter or the importer, depending on the circumstances, shall bear the responsibility for checking with the competent authorities of the State of export, import or transit that a particular waste, prior to its transboundary movement, is not subject to this Protocol.
Tagged terms: national focal point, illegal trade1. Each Party to the Convention shall, within six months of becoming a Party, inform the Organization of the wastes, other than those listed in Annex I to this Protocol, considered or defined as hazardous wastes under its national legislation, and of any requirements concerning transboundary movement procedures applicable to such wastes.
2. Each Party shall subsequently inform the Organization of any significant changes in information it has provided pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article.
3. The Organization shall inform all Parties of the information it has received pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article.
Tagged terms: access to information1. The Parties shall take all appropriate measures to prevent, abate and eliminate pollution of the Protocol area which can be caused by transboundary movements and disposal of hazardous wastes.
Tagged terms: pollution, illegal trade2. The Parties shall take all appropriate measures to reduce to a minimum, and where possible eliminate, the generation of hazardous wastes.
3. The Parties shall also take all appropriate measures to reduce to a minimum the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, and if possible to eliminate such movement in the Mediterranean. To achieve this goal, Parties have the right individually or collectively to ban the import of hazardous wastes. Other Parties shall respect this sovereign decision and not permit the export of hazardous wastes to States which have prohibited their import.
Tagged terms: export, import, trade4. Subject to the specific provisions relating to the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes through the territorial sea of a State of transit, referred to in Article 6.4 of this Protocol, all Parties shall take appropriate legal, administrative and other measures within the area under their jurisdiction to prohibit the export and transit of hazardous wastes to developing countries, and Parties which are not Member States of the European Community *** shall prohibit all imports and transit of hazardous wastes.
Tagged terms: export, import, national law5. The Parties shall cooperate with other United Nations agencies, relevant international and regional organizations in order to prevent illegal traffic, and shall take appropriate measures to achieve this goal, including criminal punishment measures in accordance with their national legislation.
Tagged terms: international cooperationIn exceptional cases, unless otherwise prohibited, when hazardous wastes cannot be disposed of in an environmentally sound manner in the country in which they originated, transboundary movements of such wastes can be allowed if:
1. The special situation of the Mediterranean developing countries which do not have the technical capabilities nor the disposal facilities for the environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes is taken into consideration.
Tagged terms: developing country2. The competent authority of the State of import ensures that the hazardous waste is disposed of in an approved site or facility with the technical capacity for its environmentally sound disposal.
Tagged terms: national focal point, technology3. The transboundary movement of hazardous wastes only takes place with the prior written notification of the State of export as specified in Annex IV to this Protocol, and the prior written consent of the State(s) of import and the State(s) of transit. This paragraph does not apply to conditions of passage through the territorial sea, which are governed by paragraph 4 of this Article.
Tagged terms: prior informed consent4. The transboundary movement of hazardous wastes through the territorial sea of a State of transit only takes place with the prior notification by the State of export to the State of transit, as specified in Annex IV to this Protocol. After reception of the notification, the State of transit brings to the attention of the State of export all the obligations relating to passage through its territorial sea in application of international law and the relevant provisions of its domestic legislation adopted in compliance with international law to protect the marine environment. Where necessary, the State of transit may take appropriate measures in accordance with international law. This procedure must be complied with within the delays provided for by the Basel Convention.
Tagged terms: synergy5. Every State involved in a transboundary movement ensures that such movement is consistent with international safety standards and financial guarantees, in particular the procedures and standards set out in the Basel Convention.
Tagged terms: synergy, best practiceThe State of export shall reimport the hazardous wastes if the transboundary movement cannot be completed by reason of impossibility of performance of the contracts relating to the movement and disposal of the wastes. To this end, any State of transit shall not oppose, hinder or prevent the return of those wastes to the State of export after being properly informed by the State of export.
1. In conformity with Article 13 of the Convention, the Parties shall cooperate as far as possible in scientific and technological fields related to pollution from hazardous wastes, particularly in the implementation and development of new methods for reducing and eliminating hazardous waste generated through clean production methods.
2. To this end, the Parties shall submit annual reports to the Organization regarding the hazardous wastes they generate and transfer within the Protocol area in order to enable the Organization to produce a hazardous waste audit.
Tagged terms: national report3. The Parties shall cooperate in taking appropriate measures to implement the precautionary approach based on prevention of pollution problems arising from hazardous wastes and their transboundary movement and disposal. To this end, the Parties shall ensure that clean production methods are applied to production processes.
Tagged terms: precautionary principle1. For the purpose of this Protocol, any transboundary movement of hazardous wastes in contravention of this Protocol or of other rules of international law shall be deemed to be illegal traffic.
2. Each Party shall introduce appropriate national legislation to prevent and punish illegal traffic, including criminal penalties on all persons involved in such illegal activities.
Tagged terms: national law3. In the case of illegal traffic due to the conduct of the generator or the exporter, the State of export shall ensure that the wastes in question are taken back by the exporter or the generator or, if necessary, by itself, into the State of export within 30 days from the time the illegal traffic has come to its attention and that appropriate legal action is taken against the contravenor(s).
4. In the case of illegal traffic due to the conduct of the importer or disposer, the State of import shall ensure that the wastes in question are eliminated according to environmentally sound methods by the importer within 30 days from the time the illegal traffic has come to the attention of the State of import; if not possible, the State of export shall ensure that the wastes are taken back by the exporter, the generator or, if necessary, by itself into the State of export. The competent authorities of the importing or exporting States shall ensure that legal proceedings according to this Protocol are taken against the contravenor(s).
Tagged terms: waste disposal, hazardous waste, sound environmental management5. In cases where the responsibility for the illegal traffic cannot be assigned either to the exporter or generator or to the importer or disposer, the Parties concerned or other Parties, as appropriate, shall ensure, through cooperation that the wastes in question are disposed of as soon as possible in an environmentally sound manner either in the State of export or the State of import or elsewhere as appropriate.
Tagged terms: waste disposal, hazardous waste, sound environmental management6. The Parties shall forward, as soon as possible, all information relating to illegal traffic to the Organization, which shall distribute the information to all Contracting Parties.
Tagged terms: access to information7. The Parties shall cooperate to ensure that no illegal traffic takes place. Upon request, the Organization shall assist Parties in their identification of cases of illegal traffic and shall circulate immediately to the Parties concerned any information it has received regarding illegal traffic.
Tagged terms: international cooperation8. The Organization shall undertake the necessary coordination with the Secretariat of the Basel Convention in relation to the effective prevention and monitoring of illegal traffic in hazardous wastes. Such coordination shall be mainly based on:
Tagged terms: synergy(a) Exchange of information on cases or alleged cases of illegal traffic in the Mediterranean and coordination of action to remedy such cases;
Tagged terms: access to information(b) Providing assistance in the field of capacity-building, including development of national legislation and of appropriate infrastructure in the Mediterranean States with a view to the prevention and penalization of illegal traffic in hazardous wastes;
Tagged terms: capacity building(c) The establishment of a mechanism to prevent and monitor illegal traffic in hazardous wastes in the Mediterranean.
Tagged terms: monitoring, evaluationThe Parties shall, directly or with the assistance of competent or other international organizations or bilaterally, cooperate with a view to formulating and implementing programmes of financial and technical assistance to developing countries for the implementation of this Protocol.
Tagged terms: developing country, financial mechanism, budget, technology transfer, capacity buildingThe Parties shall inform one another through the Organization of measures taken, of results achieved and, if the case arises, of difficulties encountered in the application of this Protocol. Procedures for the collection and distribution of such information shall be determined at the meetings of the Parties.
Tagged terms: access to information1. In the exceptional cases in which transboundary movement of hazardous wastes is permitted under Article 6 of this Protocol, the Parties shall ensure that adequate information is made available to the public, transmitted through such channels as the Parties deem appropriate.
Tagged terms: public awareness2. The State of export and the State of import shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Protocol and whenever possible and appropriate, give the public an opportunity to participate in relevant procedures with the aim of making known its views and concerns.
Tagged terms: public participation1. Any Party which has reason to believe that another Party is acting or has acted in breach of its obligations under this Protocol informs the Organization thereof, and, in such an event, simultaneously and immediately informs, directly or through the Organization, the Party against whom the allegations are made.
2. The Organization shall carry out a verification of the substance of the allegation through consultation with the Parties concerned and submit a report thereon to the Parties.
Tagged terms: dispute settlementThe Parties shall cooperate with a view to setting out, as soon as possible, appropriate guidelines for the evaluation of the damage, as well as rules and procedures in the field of liability and compensation for damage resulting from the transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous wastes.
Tagged terms: liability1. Ordinary meetings of the Parties shall take place in conjunction with ordinary meetings of the Contracting Parties to the Convention held pursuant to Article 18 of the Convention. The Parties to this Protocol may also hold extraordinary meetings in conformity with Article 18 of the Convention.
(a) To keep under review the implementation of this Protocol, and consider any additional measures, including in the form of annexes;
(c) To formulate and adopt programmes, methods and measures in accordance with the relevant Articles of this Protocol;
1. The provisions of the Convention relating to any Protocol shall apply with respect to this Protocol.
Tagged terms: synergy2. The rules of procedure and the financial rules adopted pursuant to Article 24 of the Convention shall apply with respect to this Protocol, unless the Parties to this Protocol agree otherwise.
Tagged terms: Rules of Procedure3. This Protocol shall be open for signature at Izmir on 1 October 1996, and at Madrid from 2 October 1996 to 1 October 1997 by any State Party to the Convention. It shall also be open on the same dates for signature by the European Community and by any similar regional economic grouping of which at least one member is a coastal State of the Protocol area and which exercises competence in the fields covered by this Protocol.
Tagged terms: signature4. This Protocol shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or approval. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Government of Spain, which will assume the functions of Depositary.
Tagged terms: acceptance, , depository5. As from 2 October 1997, this Protocol shall be open for accession by the States referred to in paragraph 3 above, by the European Community and by any grouping referred to in that paragraph.
Tagged terms: accession6. This Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth (30) day following the deposit of at least six (6) instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval of, or accession to, the Protocol by the Parties referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article.
Tagged terms: entry into forceY0 All wastes containing or contaminated by radionuclides, the radionuclide concentration or properties of which result from human activity
Y10 Waste substances and articles containing or contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and/or polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs) and/or polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs)
Y12 Wastes from production, formulation and use of inks, dyes, pigments, paints, lacquers, varnishes
UN Class * | Code | Characteristics | |
1 | H1 | EXPLOSIVE An explosive substance or waste is a solid or liquid substance or waste (or mixture of substances or wastes) which is in itself capable by chemical reaction of producing gas at such a temperature and pressure and at such a speed as to cause damage to the surroundings. | |
3 | H3 | FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS The word “flammable” has the same meaning as “inflammable”.Flammable liquids are liquids, or mixtures of liquids, or liquids containing solids in solution or suspension (for example paints, varnishes, lacquers, etc., but not including substances or wastes otherwise classified on account of their dangerous characteristics) which give off a flammable vapour at temperatures of not more than 60.5 degrees C, closed-cup test, or not more than 65.6 degrees C, open-cup test. (Since the results of opencup tests and of closed-cup tests are not strictly comparable and even individual results by the same test are often variable, regulations varying from the above figures to make allowance for such difference would be within the spirit of this definition.) | |
4.1 | H4.1 | FLAMMABLE SOLIDSSolids, or waste solids, other than those classed as explosives, which under conditions encountered in transport are readily combustible, or may cause or contribute to fire through friction. | |
4.2 | H4.2 | SUBSTANCES OR WASTES LIABLE TO SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION Substances or wastes which are liable to spontaneous heating under normal conditions encountered in transport, or in heating up on contact with air, and being liable to catch fire. | |
4.3 | H4.3 | SUBSTANCES OR WASTES WHICH, IN CONTACT WITH WATER, EMIT FLAMMABLE GASESSubstances or wastes which, by interaction with water, are liable to become spontaneously flammable or to give off flammable gases in dangerous quantities. | |
5.1 | H5.1 | OXIDIZING Substances or wastes which, while in themselves not necessarily combustible, may generally by yielding oxygen, cause or contribute to the combustion of other materials. | |
5.2 | H5.2 | ORGANIC PEROXIDESOrganic substances or wastes which contain the bivalent-O-Ostructure are thermally unstable substances which may undergo exothermic self-accelerating decomposition. | |
6.1 | H6.1 | POISONOUS (ACUTE)Substances or wastes liable either to cause death or serious injury or to harm human health if swallowed or inhaled or by skin contact. | |
6.2 | H6.2 | INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES Substances or wastes containing viable microorganisms or their toxins which are known or suspected to cause disease in animals or humans. | |
8 | H8 | CORROSIVESSubstances or wastes which, by chemical action, will cause severe damage when in contact with living tissue, or in the case of leakage, will materially damage, or even destroy, other goods or the means of transport; they may also cause other hazards. | |
9 | H10 | LIBERATION OF TOXIC GASES IN CONTACT WITH AIR OR WATERSubstances or wastes which, by interaction with air or water, are liable to give off toxic gases in dangerous quantities. | |
9 | H11 | TOXIC (DELAYED OR CHRONIC) Substances or wastes which, if they are inhaled or ingested or if they penetrate the skin, may involve delayed or chronic effects, including carcinogenicity. | |
9 | H12 | ECOTOXIC Substances or wastes which if released present or may present immediate or delayed adverse impacts on the environment by means of bioaccumulation and/or toxic effects upon biotic systems. | |
9 | H13 | Capable, by any means, after disposal, of yielding another material, e.g. leachate, which possesses any of the characteristics listed above. |
The list of disposal operations contained in this Annex reflects those which occur or have occurred in practice. It does not necessarily reflect a list of acceptable disposal operations. Pursuant to Articles 5 and 6 of this Protocol, hazardous wastes must in any event be managed in an environmentally sound manner.
D3 Deep injection (e.g. injection of pumpable discards into wells, salt domes or naturally occurring repositories, etc.)
D4 Surface impoundment (e.g. placement of liquid or sludge discards into pits, ponds, lagoons, etc.)
D5 Specially engineered landfill (e.g. placement into lined discrete cells which are capped and isolated from one another and the environment, etc.)
D8 Biological treatment not specified elsewhere in this Annex which results in final compounds or mixtures which are discarded by means of any of the operations in Section A
9. Projected date(s) of shipment(s) and period of time over which waste is to be exported and proposed itinerary (including point of entry and exit) 3;
12. Designation and physical description of the waste including Y number and UN number and its composition 5 and information on any special handling requirements including emergency provisions in case of accidents;
19. Information transmitted (including technical description of the plant) to the exporter or generator from the disposer of the waste upon which the latter has based his assessment that there is no reason to believe that the waste will not be managed in an environmentally sound manner in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country of import;
The Organization should make use of a Notification Form and accompanying documents suchas those developed within the framework of the Basel Convention, the OECD and the EuropeanCommunity.1 Full name and address, telephone, telex or telefax number and the name, address, telephone,telex or telefax number of the person to be contacted.2 Full name and address, telephone, telex or telefax number.3 In the case of a general notification covering several shipments, either the expected dates ofeach shipment or, if this is not known, the expected frequency of the shipments will berequired.4 Information to be provided on relevant insurance requirements and how they are met byexporter, carrier and disposer.5 The nature and the concentration of the most hazardous components, in terms of toxicity andother dangers presented by the waste both in handling and in relation to the proposed disposalmethod.6 In the case of a general notification covering several shipments, both the estimated totalquantity and the estimated quantities for each individual shipment will be required.7 Insofar as this is necessary to assess the hazard and determine the appropriateness of theproposed disposal operation.
5. The date the transboundary movement started and date(s) and signature on receipt by each person who takes charge of the waste;
6. Means of transport (road, rail, inland waterway, sea, air) including countries of export, transit and import, also point of entry and exit where these have been designated;
7. General description of the waste (physical state, proper UN shipping name and class, UN number, Y number and H number as applicable);
12. Declaration by the generator or exporter indicating no objection from the competent authorities of all States concerned which are Parties;
The Organization should make use of a Movement Document and accompanying documents such as those developed within the framework of the Basel Convention, the OECD and theEuropean Community. The information required on the Movement Document shall where possible be integrated in one document with that required under transport rules. Where this is not possible, the informationshould complement rather than duplicate that required under the transport rules. The Movement Document shall carry instructions as to who is to provide information and fill out any form. 1 Full name and address, telephone, telex or telefax number and the name, address, telephone,telex or telefax number of the person to be contacted in case of emergency.