Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or their Transboundary Fluxes

Parties with reservations, declarations and objections

Party	Reservations / Declarations	Objections
Austria	Yes	No
Belgium	Yes	No
Bulgaria	Yes	No
Canada	Yes	No
Czech Republic	Yes	No
Denmark	Yes	No
EU (European Union)	Yes	No
Finland	Yes	No
France	Yes	No
Germany	Yes	No
Greece	Yes	No
Hungary	Yes	No
Italy	Yes	No
Liechtenstein	Yes	No
Luxembourg	Yes	No
Monaco	Yes	No
Netherlands, the Kingdom of the	Yes	No
Norway	Yes	No
Portugal	Yes	No
Slovakia	Yes	No
Spain	Yes	No
Sweden	Yes	No
Switzerland	Yes	No
Ukraine	Yes	No
United Kingdom	Yes	No
United States of America	Yes	No

Austria

19-11-1991

Declaration made upon signature and confirmed upon ratification:
With regard to article 2 (basic obligations) Austria declares to be bound by the provisions of paragraph 2 (a). Furthermore, Austria chooses the year 1988 as a base year with respect to paragraph 2 (a).

Belgium

19-11-1991

Belgium undertakes to reduce its national annual emissions of VOCs by at least 30 per cent by the year 1999, using 1988 levels as a basis (article 2, paragraph 2 (a).

Bulgaria

19-11-1991

Declaration made upon signature and confirmed upon ratification:
Bulgaria declares under article 2, paragraph 2, sub-paragraph (c) that it shall, as soon as possible and as a first step, take effective measures to ensure at least that at the latest by the year 1999 its national annual emissions of VOCs do not exceed the 1988 levels.

Canada

19-11-1991

Pursuant to article 2, paragraph 2 of the Protocol, Canada is pleased to inform other Parties to the present Protocol that it selects option (b) from among the three options available. Base year: 1988.

Czech Republic

01-07-1997

The Government of the Czech Republic] declares that it shall use the 1990 levels as the basis for its reduction of annual emissions of VOCs pursuant to article 2, paragraph 2(a) of the Protocol.

Denmark

19-11-1991

Denmark hereby declares that it will reduce its national annual emissions of VOCs by at least 30% by the year 1999, using 1985 as a basis.

21-05-1996

This acceptance does not apply to the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

EU (European Union)

02-04-1992

The European Economic community, taking account in particular of the alternatives available to its Member States in application of Article 2 (2) of the Protocol, hereby declares that its obligations under the Protocol with regard to the objectives for reducing VOC emissions may not be greater than the sum of the obligations entered into by its Member States which have ratified the Protocol.

Finland

19-11-1991

Finland declares that it intends to reduce its annual national emissions of VOCs by at least 30%, using 1988 levels as a basis.

France

19-11-1991

Declaration made upon signature and confirmed upon approval:
The French Republic undertakes to reduce its national annual emissions of VOCs by at least 30 per cent by the year 1999, using 1988 levels as a basis (article 2, paragraph 2 (a).

Germany

19-11-1991

Germany specifies that it shall reduce its national annual emissions of VOCs by at least 30% by the year 1999 using 1988 levels as a basis according to article 2, paragraph 2 (a).

Greece

19-11-1991

Greece declares under article 2, paragraph 2, sub-paragraph c) that it shall, as soon as possible and as a first step, take effective measures to ensure at least that at the latest by the year 1999 its national annual emissions of VOCs do not exceed the 1988 levels.

Hungary

19-11-1991

The Republic of Hungary shall control and reduce its national annual emissions of VOCs or their transboundary fluxes in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2 (c) of article 2 of the Protocol.

Italy

19-11-1991

Italy declares its intention to meet the requirements of article 2.1 of the Protocol in the way specified at article 2, paragraph 2, letter (a) and its intention to indicate as reference year as a basis for reduction: 1990.

Liechtenstein

19-11-1991

As a basis to reduce its annual emissions of VOCs by at least 30% by the year 1999, Liechtenstein will use 1984 levels.

Luxembourg

19-11-1991

Luxembourg undertakes to reduce its national annual emissions of VOCs by at least 30 per cent by the year 1999, using 1990 levels as a basis (article 2, paragraph 2 (a).

Monaco

26-07-2001

The Government of the Principality of Monaco shall reduce its emissions of VOCs by 30% during the year 2001, using 1990 levels as a basis.

Netherlands, the Kingdom of the

19-11-1991

Declaration made upon signature and confirmed upon acceptance:
The Netherlands declares that it intends to reduce its annual national emissions of VOCs by at least 30% using 1988 levels as a basis

Norway

19-11-1991

The Government of Norway intends to fulfil the obligations of the VOC Protocol as specified in article 2, paragraph 2 (b). Norway will use the year 1989 as the base year for reductions.
Based on present prognosis of VOC emissions the total Norwegian reduction of VOC will be in the order of 20% by the year 1999.
Norway will apply equivalent measures based on the best available technologies which are economically feasible, outside the TOMA as inside.
The Government of Norway will fulfil its obligations in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Norway under the Protocol in conformity with international law.

Portugal

02-04-1992

Portugal declares under its article 2, paragraph 2, sub-paragraph a), that is shall control and reduce its national annual emissions of VOC's or their transboundary fluxes in accordance with the way specified at that article.

Slovakia

15-12-1999

... the Slovak Republic specifies the year 1990 as the base year for purposes of the Protocol.

Spain

19-11-1991

The Government of the Kingdom of Spain declares that it accepts the commitment set forth in article 2 [(2)] (a) to reduce national annual emissions by at least 30 per cent by the year 1999, using 1988 levels as a basis.

Sweden

19-11-1991

Sweden declares that it intends to reduce its annual national emissions of VOCs by at least 30%, using 1988 levels as a basis.

08-01-1993

Sweden declares that it intends to reduce its annual national emissions of VOCs by at least 30% by the year 1999, using 1988 levels as a basis.

Switzerland

19-11-1991

As a basis to reduce its annual emissions of VOCs by at least 30% by the year 1999, Switzerland will use 1984 levels.

Ukraine

19-11-1991

[The Government of Ukraine] signs [the said Protocol] on the conditions set out in paragraph 2 ( b ) of article 2 of the Protocol.
In so doing the Government of Ukraine stipulates that the following designated tropospheric ozone management areas (TOMAs) situated in Ukraine should be included in Annex I to the Protocol:
TOMA No. 1: the Poltavian, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhian, Donetsk, Lugantsk, Nikolaivian, Khersonian regions (194.3 thousand square kilometres);
TOMA No. 2: Lvovian, Ternopol, Ivano-Frankovsk, Zakarpatian regions (62.3 thousand square kilometres).

United Kingdom

19-11-1991

Declaration made upon signature and confirmed upon ratification:
The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland declares] that it intends to reduce its annual national emissions of VOCs by at least 30%, using 1988 levels as a basis.

United States of America

19-11-1991

In accordance with article 2, paragraph 2 of the Protocol, the Government of the United States of America specifies 1984 emission levels as the basis for its VOC reductions under this Protocol [article 2, paragraph 2 (a).