Hazardous chemicals and pesticides, international trade: Rotterdam Convention, prior informed consent procedure

PURPOSE : to present a Council Decision to approve the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade. CONTENT : under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), negotiations for a Convention for the application of the Prior Informed Consent procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade were concluded in March 1998. The Convention was opened for signature at a Ministerial Diplomatic Conference held in September 1998 in Rotterdam. It was signed by the Community, which together with its Member States had participated actively in the negotiations, on 11 September 1998. The Convention represents a major set forward in the international regulation of certain hazardous chemicals, inlcuding pesticies. Its objective is to promote shared responsibility and co-operative efforts among the Parties in the international trade of such chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm and to contribute to their environmentally sound use. In parallel to this proposed decision, the Commission has put forward a proposal for a Council Regulation to implement the Convention's provisions.�