UNITED

NATIONS

E

Economic and Social

Council

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

Distr.

GENERAL

TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/2000/7

24 May 2000

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY

AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

AD HOC GROUP OF EXPERTS ON

THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Third session, 26-28 April 2000

REPORT OF THE THIRD SESSION

INTRODUCTION

1.	The ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry held its third session from 26 to 28 April 2000 in Geneva.

2.	Representatives of the following countries participated in the session: Albania, Belarus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and United States of America. The session was attended by a representative of the European Community. A representative of the following intergovernmental organization also attended: International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) as well as a representative of the following non-governmental organization: the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC).

I.	ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

3.	The ad hoc Group of Experts adopted its provisional agenda (TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/2000/1).

GE.00-

4.	Ms. J. Ory (France) and Mr. W. Werblinski (Poland) were elected Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively. The Chairman thanked the delegates for their confidence in the Bureau and hoped they would fulfil their obligations to the satisfaction of the Group of Experts. A moment of silence was maintained for the passing of Mr. Jiŕi Čoupek, former Chairman of the Group.

II.	MATTERS ARISING FROM THE THIRD SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT HAVING A BEARING ON THE WORK OF THE GROUP OF EXPERTS

Documentation: TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/2000/2 and TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/2000/5

5.	The Chief of the Enterprise Development Section of the Trade Division, Mr. B. Roux-Fouillet, addressed the session, informing delegates on Matters Arising from the 3rd Session of the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development (CTIED) and the 54th session of the Economic Commission for Europe having a bearing on the work of the Group of Experts. He described the proposal submitted by the Chairman of the Committee for consideration at the annual session of the Committee, for the creation of a new Working Party on Sustainable Enterprise Development (WP.8) which would initiate and supervise programmes regarding industrial restructuring, sustainable development and promotion of competitiveness in the region. He stressed that a number of activities in the chemical programme fit perfectly into the framework set by the Committee: namely, sustainable development; privatization and restructuring; and statistics and market information. He presented the results of consultations which had taken place between some delegations and the Bureau of the Committee, which resulted in proposals to renew the mandate of the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry for a transition period of one year. The secretary of the Committee, Mrs. V. Cram- Martos, also addressed the session, as did the Senior Adviser to the Executive Secretary, Mr. P. Robineau; both contributed specific details on the new organization and answered questions.

6.	A large majority of delegations supported a 2-year extension of the mandate for the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry and all delegations present at the meeting expressed their opinion about this proposal, both orally and by means of a short, prepared questionnaire. It was also generally agreed to support the creation of the new Working Party on Sustainable Enterprise Development, although concern was expressed about the name, functioning, resources and scope of

the new Working Party. Some delegations stated that the extended mandate is to be considered as a transitional period in order to integrate some of the chemical programme activities into the programme of work of the new Working Party. The delegation of Germany wished to record its opinion that the mandate not be extended and that it opposed the creation of this Working Party.

III.	EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON POLICY-ORIENTED ISSUES CURRENTLY FACING THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY: NATIONAL STATEMENTS

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/2000/3

7.	Under this item, detailed information was provided orally by the delegations of Turkey, Germany, the Russian Federation, Poland and France. Written statements had been provided by Austria, Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States of America, and Yugoslavia, and were recorded in the document above. An additional written statement was provided by the delegation of Spain and distributed as a handout (in Spanish), and a supplement to its original submission was supplied by the Russian Federation.

IV.	ACTIVITIES OF OTHER UNITED NATIONS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL BODIES CONCERNED WITH THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/2000/4

8.	The Group of Experts took note of the document regarding the activities of other bodies having an effect on the chemical industry. Written reports were provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Community, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC). A description of activities in other divisions of the UN/ECE was also included. In addition, supplemental oral presentations were provided by the IRSG and CEFIC.

V.	PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (CHEMISEED)

(a)	Pilot Project Demonstrating the Environmental Clean-up of Selected Sites Polluted by Chemicals

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/AC.1/7 and TRADE/CHEM/AC.1/8

9.	The seventh Meeting for the Pilot Project was held on 26 April 2000 in conjunction with this third session of the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry. Mr. Mejstrik (Czech Republic) was elected Chairman for the Meeting. Technical details concerning the project will be reported separately in TRADE/CHEM/AC.1/9 as a report of the Meeting. The items of interest to the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry are covered here.

10.	Two new members of the Task Force have been added, one each from Germany and from the Russian Federation. The Task Force now consists of members from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, the Russian Federation, Slovakia and Slovenia.

11.	A review of developments at the priority sites was presented by the responsible Task Force representatives and the secretariat. Bulcolor (Bulgaria) requires only a slight investment to complete the remediation of its groundwater problem, but the company has no funds for this, and indeed has been losing money in its recent business operations. Incukalns (Latvia) has made some but little progress in the past year in cleanup of its acid tar residues. Much progress has been made at the Synthesia site (Czech Republic), and full-scale remediation work will begin this autumn. The Chemolak site (Slovakia) still has problems with solvent storage tanks leaking into the groundwater, and another Slovak site, Chemko Strazske, has the problem of disposal of 1,000 tons of PCBs, for which even the transport regulations present one of the difficulties.

12.	Sites where cleanup has been completed were mentioned as successful items in the pilot project programme, such as D4D Wire Works (Hungary) and Widawka (Poland).

13.	A new site, Carbochem (Poland) was accepted as first priority after a detailed presentation by the delegation of Poland. Numerous questions were posed, and items which were originally lacking in the questionnaire submitted to the secretariat were supplied, permitting the site to achieve first priority status. Further information will be supplied to the Task Force.

14.	Considerable discussion centred on the future of this very successful project within the chemical programme of the UN/ECE, and the Meeting strongly expressed its wish that the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development would find a means for maintaining the project in the programme of work of any future body which can take responsibility for the activity. It particularly stressed the importance of the UN/ECE in the original concept of the project and its present image in the sector.

15.	The eighth Meeting for the Pilot Project was scheduled to be held in conjunction with the fourth session of the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry, planned for 25-27 April 2001 in Geneva. It was agreed that the formula of integrating the Meeting of Experts with the annual session of the ad hoc Group of Experts was a positive step.

(b)	Seminar on Methods of Analysis, Methodology of Treatment and Remediation of Polluted Soils and Groundwaters

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/SEM.2/AC/1 and TRADE/CHEM/SEM.2/1

16.	The Preparatory Meeting for the Seminar was held on 27 April 2000. The delegation of France, as project leader, gave an oral report on preparations for the Seminar. Moderators for each of the six sessions have been selected, and most co-moderators, whose responsibilities include identifying international speakers for their sessions, have also been identified. The final programme should be established by late summer 2000 and issued in early autumn as Information Notice No. 2 by the UN/ECE. Further details will be available in the separate report of the Preparatory Meeting (TRADE/CHEM/SEM.2/AC/2).

(c)	Second Edition of the Compendium on Soil Clean-up Technologies and Soil Remediation Companies

Documentation:	ECE/TRADE/234

17.	The second edition of the Compendium was issued in March 2000 and copies were available in the hall. This edition was a joint effort by the UN/ECE and ICS-UNIDO (International Centre for Science and High Technology - United Nations Industrial Development Organization) in Trieste, Italy. The UN/ ECE identified and worked closely with the consultant engaged for the work, and ICS- UNIDO paid his fees and made some editorial input. The publication was printed by the United Nations Office at Geneva. Cooperation between the UN/ECE and UNIDO was positive on both sides, and UNIDO has stated that they would like to intensify this cooperation.

18.	This edition expanded the data reported in the first publication and also included a detailed web directory of "wholesale" sites (that is, sites principally containing links to other specific sites). It was noted by two delegations that only a limited number of companies were listed from their respective countries. The secretariat explained the method used in compiling the information, which could easily miss identification of some firms. For a third edition the method could be improved, but consultancy funds would be needed in excess of what had been generated for the present edition. The Meeting wished to retain high priority for this project.

(d)	Comparative Databank on Chemical Legislation in the Countries of the UN/ECE Region (CHEMLEX)

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/AC.4/5

19.	A 2nd edition of the CHEMLEX CD-ROM would be relatively easy to produce, as user-
friendly software has been developed. The software could be translated into Russian by the United Nations, and the 2nd edition could contain English, French and Russian versions on the same CD- ROM. Resources for the up-dating would require extrabudgetary contributions of about $US 40,000, to cover the costs of an external specialist consultant (who must be both a lawyer and a chemist). Such a consultant has been identified, whose competence and availability for the project have been confirmed by the secretariat. These funds are not available in the UN/ECE and would need to be contributed by external sources.

20.	The delegate of the European Community (EC) described its Legichim chemical directives project, which has not been commercially successful, and will discuss the possibilities of support of up- dating CHEMLEX with his colleagues in Brussels. The EC financially supported the original databank work. The Group desired to maintain this project as a high priority and to make it a continuing project. The representative of CEFIC stated that they were regular users of CHEMLEX, and found it very useful as a starting point for the beginning of the harmonization process of chemical legislation throughout the UN/ECE region.

21.	Delegations expressed the concern that projects such as this where income is generated by commercial sales by the United Nations could not benefit from the income so generated and thus be given funding for continuation.

(e)	Workshop on the Use of ISO 14000 Environmental Management System Standards in the Chemical Industry in the UN/ECE Region

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/SEM.3/1 and TRADE/CHEM/SEM.3/2

22.	The Workshop was held on 30-31 March 2000 in Budapest under the joint auspices of the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry and the Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policy (WP.6), another subsidiary body of the Committee. It attracted more than 60 participants from 18 countries. Conclusions from the Workshop included holding similar detailed training workshops in other countries in transition and in other sectors, showing the cross-sectoral nature of the activity. The secretariat was complimented on the initiative to engage more than one subsidiary body of the Committee in its activities. It was reported by the secretary of WP.6 that its Bureau was very pleased with the organization and results of the Workshop.

(f)	Regional Environmental Management Centre for the Chemical Industry (Warsaw)

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/AC.7/2

23.	The Group of Experts had before it a Note by the secretariat, as transmitted by the host organizers in Poland. The delegation of Poland reported on the activities of the Regional Environmental Management Centre for the Chemical Industry (REMC) during the past year. REMC is funded principally by the host country, and serves the Polish industry for the most part. It activities are focussed on Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Assurance training, and on Product Regulatory Support Services in cooperation with a CEFIC/PHARE Project. The Centre also managed the Responsible Care programme in Poland and participated in the Polish Chamber of the Chemical Industry Ecological Task Force programme.

VI.	PRIVATIZATION, RESTRUCTURING AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

Study Tours in Areas Undergoing Restructuring of their Chemical Industry - Romania

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/AC.2/3

24.	The Group of Experts had before it the Information Notice describing the study tour to be held from 17 to 24 September 2000. The delegation of Romania formally proposed the study tour, which was unanimously accepted by the Group of Experts. The study tour will include visits to basic chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, plastics and other sectors of the chemical industry in Romania, as well a workshop and presentations by officials in the Ministry of Industry. One delegation enquired whether Russian language interpretation would be available; this could be provided if there is sufficient demand. Another delegation suggested that the Romanian Organizing Committee assure that a representative of that Committee be available at Bucharest Airport to assist incoming participants upon arrival. The delegation of Romania agreed with that suggestion and will transmit the suggestion to the Organizing Committee. He also thanked the secretariat for suggesting the study tour and for its assistance in the organization.

VII.	INFORMATION, STATISTICAL DATA AND MARKET PROSPECTS

(a)	Chemical Statistics

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/AC.3/7

25.	The ad hoc Group of Experts had before it a Note by the secretariat, which described the 25- year history of the statistical databank of the chemical programme and the difficulties to be faced for

resources for the future. In particular, there will be a significant decrease in the resource base in summer 2000, and no replacement is foreseen. The Group attaches high priority to this work. It felt that this unique source of information is extremely valuable for enterprises, particularly in countries in transition and for small and medium-sized enterprises, and that the concepts of assistance to such

countries and of enterprise development are both served by maintaining this databank. The representative of CEFIC felt that it is unlikely that any other organization, such as CEFIC, would be in a position to collect the information and maintain the databank.

(b)	The Chemical Industry in 1999 - Annual Review

Documentation:	ECE/TRADE/241

26.	The Group of Experts had before it a preliminary version of the Annual Review, as is standard practice for the annual sessions. The Group expressed the need for and usefulness of this publication and strongly recommended that it be retained as a continuing high-priority element in its programme of work. The secretariat explained that although the Group may wish to maintain this project, which has been in continual annual production since 1972, it is unlikely that any further edition can be produced without input of further externally funded resources.

(c)	Directory of Chemicals and Suppliers in Europe

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/AC.6/5 and ECE/TRADE/236

27.	Delegations were provided with copies of the 3-volume, 1,500 page Directory, a product of UN/ECE cooperation with the private sector, being a co-publication with an enterprise in the United Kingdom. After seeing the publication, the co-publisher was extremely pleased and has proposed further cooperation in developing an Internet-based product. The secretariat explained that UN pricing of the Directory was two-tiered; that is, the standard price of US$ 350 is lowered to US$ 90 for sales in developing countries. The co-publisher prints and sells the same Directory at the same standard price level. No advertising is permitted in either edition.

28.	The Group felt that the Directory is an important means for small firms, especially SMEs in countries in transition, to gain exposure in a worldwide context, and thus should be continued. Several delegations expressed the fear that, in effect, if the Directory were not published by the United Nations but solely by the partner private sector co-publisher, the information required would simply not be made available, as the cost of obtaining the data by the focal points in the various countries was very considerable and could be justified if it were used by the United Nations but not by a profit-making private sector firm. The point was made that if a questionnaire was sent to the

individual firms in English, French or Russian (or indeed only in English), it would be ignored in most countries; many focal points translated the UN/ECE questionnaires into their own national languages as part of their efforts to gather the required information.

VIII.	PROPOSAL FOR FUTURE ACTIVITIES

International Conference on the Problem of Pollution of the Baltic Sea with Disintegrating Chemical Weapons

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/SEM.4/1

29.	Delegations were informed of the proposal by the Government of Belarus to host such a Conference, and of the status of knowledge in the field. The delegation of Belarus stated that they consider the problem to be very current and serious indeed, and made a comparison with their Chernobyl experience. Considerable background on the problem was provided by the secretariat, and after much discussion it was decided that although the problem may be very real and pertinent, the UN/ECE may not be the right forum to hold such a Conference. The secretariat was requested to seek further information as to which organization would be the most suitable; organizations mentioned were the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). This information will be provided to all delegations with a request for their comments and suggestions as to what actions should be taken in the near future. The delegation of Germany expressly declared that neither OPCW nor the UN/ECE is the correct forum; they should not be encouraged to pursue the matter further, and that HELCOM is the appropriate forum.

IX.	PROPOSED PROGRAMME OF WORK 2000-2001

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/2000/6

30.	The Group of Experts discussed and adopted the proposed programme of work for the period of 2000-2001 as outlined in the document named above and attached to the current report as an annex. It felt that all of the activities were of high priority and did not wish to repeat the prioritization exercise carried out two years earlier. The two-year mandate for the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry has expired, and its renewal must now be considered. On this point the Group strongly expressed its view that a two-year extension should be granted. Should that extension not be granted, the Group insisted that adequate resources within the new Working Party be allocated for the items in this present Programme of Work.

X.	ANY OTHER BUSINESS

31.	The calendar of future meetings was presented, which provided dates for the fourth session of the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development (21-23 June 2000), the study tour in Romania (17-24 September 2000), the Seminar in Paris (13-15 March 2001) and the fourth session of the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry (25-27 April 2001).

32.	A summary of the results of the questionnaire on the creation of a new Working Party and on the extension of the mandate for the ad hoc Group of Experts showed that a majority of responding delegates supported the creation of the new Working Party (13 yes, 7 no, 6 abstentions), and a great

majority supported the renewal of the mandate for the ad hoc Group of Experts for two years (1 one year, 22 two years, 1 immediate closure and 2 abstentions).

33.	As this is the last session of the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry that will be serviced by the present Secretary, the Group thanked Mr. Hornfeld for his efforts on their behalf during the past five years and wished him well in his retirement. The Group expressed its wish that the profile of the new Secretary include having a professional background equivalent to that of the incumbent, and be suitable to deal with the chemical activities to be retained for the future. The search for the new secretary should begin at once.

XI.	ADOPTION OF THE REPORT

34.	The ad hoc Group of Experts adopted the report of its third session on the basis of a draft prepared by the secretariat.

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Annex

PROPOSED PROGRAMME OF WORK FOR 2000-2001

PART ONE

ONGOING PROJECTS

1	Promotion of sustainable development (CHEMISEED)

1.1	Pilot project demonstrating the environmental clean-up of selected sites polluted by chemicals

Description: The Pilot Project has been under way since March 1994. It is planned that at least one chemically polluted site will be cleaned up per submitting country, as a teaching/training/information model for other sites within the country. Eighteen countries have submitted 43 sites thus far.

Work to be undertaken: The seventh Meeting was held during the April 2000 session of the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry and the eighth is planned for 25 April 2001, to evaluate the information received from the Pilot Project Task Force and plan further implementation of clean-up actions. The secretariat will prepare a document summarizing the experience achieved thus far, including case histories. A third edition of the Compendium of Soil Clean-up Technologies and Soil Remediation Companies was recommended by the Task Force.

Duration: 2000-2001

1.2	Comparative data bank on chemical legislation in the countries of the UN/ECE region

Description: The Comparative study of chemical legislation in UN/ECE member countries was converted to a continuing database entitled CHEMLEX, whose purpose is to assist countries in transition in modelling their chemical legislation on a uniform basis with western European legislation. This will facilitate trade and promote environmental standardization and statistical harmonization. The project had received very substantial financial and technical support from the European Commission. A CD-ROM containing the CHEMLEX database was issued in September 1998 covering 600 texts and 25 countries plus directives of the European Union.

Work to be undertaken: An updated and expanded version of the CD-ROM would be a very useful product, considering the efforts already spent in creating the first edition. The UN/ECE can continue collection of data and up-date the data bank on the basis of comments received from initial users, provided extrabudgetary resources can be generated. A consultant has been identified and availability confirmed, but financial resources are not yet available. A Russian language version of the software can be prepared within the UN Conference Services, but the texts must be translated outside. Should resources not be made available the project will be terminated.

Duration: 2000-2001

1.3	Seminars and workshops on sustainable development in the chemical industry

Description: The UN/ECE, in the course of seminars and workshops, examines issues of sustainable development in the chemical industry. A Seminar on Analysis, Methodology of Treatment and Remediation of Contaminated Soils took place in April 1999 in Paris as a follow-up to the International Workshop on Soil Decontamination and Remediation Technology held in Paris in December 1995. A Workshop on the Use of ISO 14000 Environmental Management System Standards in the Chemical Industry in the UN/ECE Region took place in March 2000 in Budapest and was organized in conjunction with the Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies (WP.6) of the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development.

Work to be undertaken: Further seminars and workshops related to this subject were recommended by previous seminar and workshop participants, and a third Seminar on Analysis, Methodology of Treatment and Remediation of Contaminated Soils is being organized for 13-15 March 2001 in Paris, which will cover the same subject area but will also include groundwaters.

Duration: 2000-2001

1.4	Regional Environmental Management Centre for the Chemical Industry

Description: The establishment of a Regional Environmental Management Centre for the Chemical Industry was proposed officially by the Government of Poland at the High-Level Meeting on Cooperation and Sustainable Development in the Chemical Industry (March 1992). The aim of the Centre is to improve the environmental management, safety and quality performance of chemical producers in central and eastern Europe. The Centre is currently in operation in part under the auspices of the UN/ECE and works together with the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) and the European Commission.

Work to be undertaken: A further three events are planned by the staff of the Centre for 2000. The ad hoc Group of Experts will be regularly informed about the activities of the Centre and at its annual sessions will provide advice regarding the future work of the Centre. No specific activities are required from the secretariat.

Duration: 2000-2001

2.	Privatization, restructuring and enterprise development

2.1	Study tours in areas undergoing restructuring of their chemical industry

Description: Study tours are organized on a regular basis. A Study tour of the chemical industry in Portugal took place in July 1998.

Work to be undertaken: A study tour of the chemical industry of Romania is planned for September 2000. No further study tours have been proposed as yet.

Duration: 2000-2001

3.	Information, statistical data and market prospects

3.1	The Chemical Industry - Annual Review

Description: The ad hoc Group of Experts closely follows and analyses developments in the chemical industry. The Chemical Industry - Annual Review is prepared by the secretariat based on information collected by questionnaires distributed by the UN/ECE to statistical offices and other chemical focal points throughout all 55 member States of the UN/ECE. It also uses other resources within the secretariat, and other material covering all major chemical product areas. The Annual

Review has been issued regularly since 1971. The Task Force on Chemical Statistics has examined the structure and content of the statistical part of the Annual Review and changes have been made to it and the associated questionnaires, including the conversion to an electronic reporting format. A Preliminary Version of the Annual Review was prepared for the annual session of the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry.

Work to be undertaken: The Chemical Industry in 1999 - Annual Review will be issued in mid-2000. Resources for continued production of the Annual Review are unlikely to be available for further editions of this work.

Duration: 2000

3.2	Directory of Chemical Producers and Products

Description: A Directory of chemical producer companies and chemical products covering the European UN/ECE region will be issued, as it is an important tool in promoting international contact between enterprises. A new structure and timetable for production of the Directory has been agreed with an external publisher. Input from focal points is necessary to make the work useful and provide visibility of local chemical enterprises on the world market; a large number of inputs have been received, and a new, greatly expanded edition has been published in April 2000.

Work to be undertaken: The entire Directory should be maintained and kept up to date jointly by the secretariat and the external publisher. Electronic versions of the Directory should be made available in the medium term.

PART TWO

PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED AS RESOURCES BECOME AVAILABLE

1.	International Conference on the Problem of Pollution of the Baltic Sea with Disintegrating Chemical Weapons

Description:	Some fifty years ago large quantities of chemical munitions were dumped into the Baltic Sea and the containers are now leaking. The status of knowledge of this problem is very disperse, and amongst others the Government of Belarus is very concerned that there could be major ecological damage to the Sea. Considering UN/ECE experience in decontamination of chemically polluted sites, and in-house expertise on chemical weapons, it was suggested by the Government of Belarus that the UN/ECE could be the forum to bring regional experts together to determine the extent of the present knowledge base on the problem, and possibly further to help Governments establish policy in planning to alleviate the problem. After discussions during the third session of the ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry, it was felt that the UN/ECE may not necessarily be the correct forum, and that further investigation on activities of other bodies should be made to ascertain whether further work is needed and which organization would be most suitable to do that work.

Work to be done:	An initial survey of existing published materials should be carried out. It is known that the Helsinki Commission has carried out some work on the problem, but is no longer actively pursuing it. Other organizations such as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are to be contacted and a short report produced to be used to determine which organization is most suited to pursue further work on this subject.

Duration: to be determined

2.	Structural and Ownership Changes in the Chemical Industries of the Economies in Transition

Description: A Study on Structural and Ownership Changes in the Chemical Industry of the Economies in Transition was produced by the secretariat in cooperation with focal points in the countries in transition.

Work to be undertaken: As the study is complete, no further work is planned at this time. However, a study of the restructuring of western chemical enterprises was suggested, particularly as these two studies could be applied as models for cross-sectoral use in examining other industries. Additionally, the evolution of enterprises in the 200 - 5000 employee range deserves further analysis, and appears to differ greatly, both between different parts of Europe and between different industries. A study of this evolution in the chemical industry context, which might subsequently be expanded to other industries, could be carried out. This is a new area where the experience of the chemical industry could be used for cross-sectoral analysis. To date no work has been done on this in the UN/ECE Trade Division, nor, as is currently known, within the United Nations system. Initially a study could be proposed to define the key issues and propose options for further work.

Duration: to be determined

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