Context
TFTEI started in 2009 a fruitful cooperation with the Russian Federation (SRI Atmosphere Institute of Saint Petersburg) and the countries from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA). The activities of interest for the EECCA Countries have been agreed with the Coordination Group Leader and included in the work plan for the implementation of the Convention (http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/documents/2013/air/eb/ECE_EB.AIR_2013_6_E.pdf) and the work plan of the Coordinating Group for EECCAs (http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/documents/2014/AIR/EB/Informal_Document_9_EECCA_Coordinating_Group_Work_Plan_2015-16-Eng_final.pdf.
Documents prepared
Guidelines for estimation and measurement of emissions of volatile organic compounds (2015)
The 2012 amendments to the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone (Gothenburg Protocol) to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution not only introduce commitments for Parties to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but also mandatory emission limit values for different activities in annexes VI and XI to the Protocol and the establishment of solvent management plans for activities using solvents covered by annex VI. The document provides guidelines to measure VOCs emissions, develop solvent management plans and calculate emissions. It corresponds to the requirement in annex VI to the amended Protocol that “methods of calculation will be reflected in the guidance adopted by the Executive Body”.
Many other guidance documents and guidelines are available:
- Guidance documents and other methodological materials for the implementation of the 1999 Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone (Gothenburg Protocol)
- Guidance documents and other methodological materials for the implementation of the 1998 Aarhus Protocol on Heavy Metals
- Guidance documents and other methodological materials for the implementation of the 1998 Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Next meeting
No meeting scheduled in the next months
Assessment and measurement of emissionsof volatile organic compounds - Integrated environmental permits – 11 and 12 November 2019 - Minsk, Belarus
The workshop is part of the institutional activities carried by the Task Force on Techno-Economic Issues (TFTEI), technical body of the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, in line with the item 2.3.7 of the workplan 2018-2019 (ECE/EB.AIR/2017/1) for the implementation of the Convention. The workshop was organized with funds of the Federal Government of Germany made available through the German Federal Agency for Environment (UBA). The venue of the workshop has been kindly offered by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, in Minsk.
During the works of the Berlin Workshop to Promote the Ratification of Protocols of the UNECE Air Convention with Focus on Countries in the EECCA Region, held in Berlin, May 14 to 16, 2019, the need of providing assistance and guidance to the EECCA experts on estimation and measurement of VOCs emissions was recognized. Therefore, the workshop on VOC was mainly intended to provide clear examples of methods and applications to correctly approach the issue of VOC, in line with the Gothenburg Protocol provisions. The workshop was devoted to a limited number of specific experts and practitioners from EECCAs, involved in VOC management.
The workshop also gave the floor to the technical assistance project “Support to Effective Air Emissions and Radiation Monitoring, and Improved Environmental Management in Belarus” (SAQEM, EuropeAid/137868/DH/SER/BY) funded by European Union. During the given workshop that was performed under its Sub-Activity SA6.2, the SAQEM project discussed issues of policy and practice currently implemented in the European Union and Belarus concerning control of emissions into the ambient air, which include, inter alia, principals and provisions of emission limit values, best available technologies and environmental permit system as well as the results of the project in improvement of this system in Belarus
Workshop agenda and presentations
List of documents - Day 1:
- Presentation of annex VI on VOC emissions to the Gothenburg Protocol and corresponding guidance. Emissions limit values.
- VOC measurements in industrial emissions.
- Principles of the solvent management plan (SMP).
- Practical study: How to develop a SMP. Printing and chemical processes.
- Examples of better enforcement of Chapter V of Industrial Emissions Directive in Germany:
- Issues of introducing the provisions of Chapter V of the Industrial Emissions Directive and Article VI of the Gothenburg Protocol into the Belarusian permit system
- «Belshina» JSC - Pilot Solvent Management Plan: production policy and assessment of the total emissions
- «Belshina» JSC - Pilot Solvent Management Plan: analysis on the compliance with the Emission Limit Values
- Experience in harmonising Directive 99/13/EC in Bulgaria and IED’s Chapter V in Serbia. Lessons learnt. Comparative analysis and recommendations to Belarus.
List of documents - Day 2:
- German experience with the application of provisions of article V of the Industrial Emissions Directive, including permits / registration and verification, as well as the application of the best available technologies for prevention and reduction of VOC emissions. - Part I:
- German experience with the application of provisions of article V of the Industrial Emissions Directive, including permits / registration and verification, as well as the application of the best available technologies for prevention and reduction of VOC emissions. - Part II.
- Principles and best available methods and technologies for VOC control during storage of gasoline and its delivery from terminals to gas stations. German experience.
- Capture of gasoline vapors when refueling vehicles at service stations.
- Not available: Assessment of the integrated environmental permit system in Belarus based on the analysis of existing permits. Recommendations to address existing gaps at the national and enterprise levels.
- Not available: Plans for the implementation of pilot studies of the integrated environmental permit system in Belarus.