The
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for
Certain Hazardous Chemicals in International Trade (PICs)
Structure
and Agreements
The
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for
Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade was
adopted at a Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Rotterdam on 10th
September 1998, and opened for signature the following day. Its aim is
to promote a shared responsibility between exporting and importing
countries in protecting human health and the environment from the
harmful effects of certain chemicals, by enabling the trade in very
dangerous substances to be controlled and monitored.
The
Convention will enter into force once it has been ratified by fifty
countries. However, it is unique among multilateral environmental
agreements in that an interim arrangement has been agreed - governments
will continue to implement the voluntary PIC procedure using the new
procedures of the Convention until the Convention enters formally into
force.
Obligations
and follow-up
According to
the Rotterdam Convention, export of a chemical can only take place with
the prior informed consent of the importing Party. The Convention
contains provisions for the exchange of information among Parties about
potentially hazardous chemicals that may be exported and imported and
provides for a national decision-making process regarding import and
compliance by exporters with these decisions.
Provisions
regarding information exchange include:
 |
The requirement for a Party to inform
other Parties of each ban or severe restriction on a chemical it
implements nationally |
|
The possibility for a developing
country Party or a Party with an economy in transition to inform
other Parties that it is experiencing problems caused by a severely
hazardous pesticide formulations under conditions of use in its
territory |
|
The requirement for a Party that plans
to export a chemical that is banned or severely restricted for use
within its territory |
|
The requirement for a Party that plans
to export a chemical that is banned or severely restricted for use
within its own territory to inform the importing Party that such
export will take place before the first shipment and annually
thereafter |
|
The requirement that an exporting
Party, when exporting chemicals that are to be used for occupational
purposes, shall ensure that a safety data sheet that follows an
internationally recognised format, setting out the most up-to-date
information available, is sent to the imported |
|
The requirement that exports of
chemicals included in the PIC procedure and other chemicals that are
banned or severely restricted domestically, when exported, are
subject to labelling requirements that ensure adequate availability
of information with regard to risks and/or hazards to human health
or the environment. |
Review
Process
In the
interim period before the Convention has entered into force, UNEP and
FAO will serve as Secretariat. Once legally binding, the implementation
of the Convention will be overseen by a Conference of the Parties. A
Chemicals Review Committee will be established to review notifications
and nominations from Parties, and make recommendations to the Conference
of the Parties on which chemicals should be included in PIC procedure.
For
further information on the Convention refer
to:
http://www.pic.int/
For status
and ratification details:
http://www.chem.unep.ch/Rotterdam/status_of_signature_and_ratifica.htm
