As of 25 September 2012, Poland has become the thirtieth Party to ratify the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Poland has been actively engaged in the activities under the Aarhus Convention and PRTR Protocol and has contributed to the promotion of the principles of these two legal instruments both within and beyond the ECE region as, for example, demonstrated by the participation of the Polish Ministry of the Environment at the advisory mission to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, (25–26 April 2012) organized at the invitation of the Government of Mongolia following its expression of interest in acceding to the Convention promote the Aarhus Convention in Mongolia.

This ratification is timely as it comes shortly before the second Working Group of the Parties to the PRTR Protocol, scheduled to take place in Geneva on 20-21 November 2012. The meeting is expected to review a number of issues, including the progress in implementing the Protocol's work programme and the global promotion of the Protocol. The Working Group of the Parties will also discuss capacity building activities and technical assistance on the basis of survey results that were circulated to national focal points and stakeholders earlier this year.

For further information, please visit http://www.unece.org/env/pp/welcome.html
or contact:
Ella Behlyarova
Secretary
Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
Tel: + 41 22 917 2376
E-mail: [email protected]

Note to editors
Aarhus Convention and Amendment on genetically modified organisms.

The Convention was adopted in Aarhus, Denmark, in June 1998 and signed by the European Community and 39 countries from all subregions of UNECE. It entered into force in October 2001. The amendment on public participation in decisions on the deliberate release into the environment and placing on the market of genetically modified organisms was adopted by the Meeting of the Parties at its second session held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 25-27 May 2005. The Parties to the Convention are: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Community. The Parties to the amendment on genetically modified organisms are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Union. The Parties to the Convention now include vast majority of countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, all countries in Caucasus and South Eastern Europe, and all EU member States.

Protocol to the Aarhus Convention on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs)

The PRTR Protocol was adopted at an extraordinary meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention on 21 May 2003. Thirty-six member States and the European Community signed the Protocol in Kiev. The Protocol entered into force on 8 October 2009. The Parties to the PRTR Protocol are: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Union. 

All agreements enter into force for a State on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit of the State’s instrument of ratification, at which point it becomes a Party.