The sixth meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) was held on 9 November 2018 in Geneva (Palais des Nations), back to back with the
third Global Round Table on PRTRs (7-8 November 2018). The Working Group considered a number of subjects, including:
• Progress in implementing the work programmes and financial matters
• Compliance and reporting mechanisms
• Promotion and capacity-building
• Preparations for the fourth ordinary session of the Meeting of the Parties
Furthermore, with a view to preparing for the next session of the Meeting of the Parties, the Working Group requested the Bureau:
a) in consideration of further development of the Protocol to draw up a report with the support of the Compliance Committee:
(i) reviewing the reporting requirements under the Protocol as referred to in Article 6(2) of the Protocol, including possible revisions of Annexes I and II taking into account recent developments in relevant international processes;
(ii) identifying possible gaps and examples of imprecise wording or other provisions of the Protocol, for which Parties face implementation challenges.
b) to submit this report to the Working Group at its next meeting for consideration and as a basis for discussions on possible revisions of the Protocol.
c) The Working Group requested the European Union to inform the Bureau prior to March 2019 about procedural steps that the European Union plans to take in order to obtain the required mandate for negotiating possible amendments to the Protocol.
Documents and statements delivered at the meeting can be found below.