Unified Guiding Regulation for the Control of Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in the GCC Countries
1428 - 2007
Preface
Recognizing the importance of acting in line with the international regulations for the protection of the ozone layer and for the control of the ozone depleting substances within the framework of Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer(1985), and the Montreal Protocol on the Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer(1987) and its subsequent amendments : London amendment(1990); Copenhagen amendment(1992); Montreal amendment(1996); and the Beijing amendment( 1999); and
In view of the accession of the GCC States to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, and their ratification of the Montreal Protocol on the Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer and its subsequent amendments, which entails upon the GCC States the adoption of necessary measures both at the national and international levels in order to control the use of ozone depleting substances in accordance with the timeline set forth in the Montreal Protocol and its subsequent amendments; and
Based on the fundamental goals of the GCC in its endeavor to effect coordination and integration between the Member States by adopting identical regulations in the various fields, including legislation and administration, as set forth in the article 4(g) of the GCC Charter; and in line with clause (7) of the General Principles and Policies for the Protection of Environment that was approved by the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf during its sixth session held in 1985 Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, and which states that:
“To develop the necessary rules, legislations, and standards for the protection of environment; to work towards unifying them; to use the natural resources judiciously; and to preserve the wild life.”
Based on the above the Secretariat-General—in cooperation coordination with the environment organizations of the GCC States and the Office of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for West Asia—drafted the Unified GCC Guiding Regulation to Control the Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer.
The Ministers responsible for environmental affairs in the Member States decided to approve the Unified Guiding Regulation for the Control of the Ozone Depleting Layer at the national and regional level in their ninth meeting held in Abu Dhabi on 25 May 2005.
Based on the recommendation of the GCC Ministerial Council pertaining to the above-mentioned regulation made during the 96th session, the Supreme Council ratified the regulation during its 26 session held in Abu Dhabi on 18-19 December 2005. The following is the text of the Supreme Council resolution on the Unified Guiding Regulation for the Control of the Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer:
“The Supreme Council approved the Unified Guiding Regulation for the Control of Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer as a regulation representing the basic minimum of the regulations and laws in force in the Member States.”
The Secretariat-General is pleased to present the Regulation to the specialized bodies and workers in the field of environment so that they may draw benefit from this guiding regulation in the area of developing national regulations and laws and their implementation.
PART ONE
DEFINITIONS AND OBJECTS
Article One: Definitions
For the application of the provisions of this Regulation, the terms and expressions, whenever they appear, shall have the meanings assigned against each, unless the context otherwise requires:
Gulf Co-operation Council Gulf Co-operation Council for Arabian Gulf States.
General Secretariat Gulf Co-operation Council General Secretariat.
GCC States Gulf Co-operation Council members States.
Regulation Unified Regulation with respect to the Ozone Depleting
Substances for Gulf Co-operation Council.
Ozone Layer One of the atmospheric layers situated in the
stratosphere and contains a high density of ozone gas
particles, which protect th earth from the harmful part of
ultraviolet radiation.
Montreal Protocol The Protocol that was adopted in 1987 in the City of
Montreal with respect to Substances Depleting the
Ozone Layer.
Montreal Protocol
Amendments Amendments to the Montreal Protocol and approved by the
parties with respect to adding new substances that are subject
to control and to amend the time schedules for the purpose of
disposing of certain controlled substances and the Party shall
not be bound to comply with such amendment unless it
ratifies it. Similarly the country that has not ratified such
amendment shall not be considered a party thereto and shall be
subject to the specific provisions of non-parties with respect
to such amendment.
Ozone Depleting Substances Substances characterized as being chemically stable in the
atmosphere near the surface of the earth and contain one or
more atoms of chlorine or bromine, or both, which kick of
in chain reaction in the stratosphere resulting in depletion
of the ozone layer.
Controlled Substances The ozone depleting substances that are classified in annexes
(a), (b), (c) and (e) of the Montreal Protocol and its
amendments that are attached to this Regulation, whether
present separately or part of any mixture with any
percentage.
Consumption Production of controlled substances in addition to imports,
less exports thereof.
Equipment Appliances and
Products Harmful to the
Ozone Layer Appliances, equipment and products that contain or depend
for their operation on ozone depleting substances and
included in Annex (d) which is attached to this Regulation.
Alternative Technologies or
Equipment Technologies or equipment whose use result in reduction or
elimination of the emission of controlled substances.
Alternative Substances Substances used as alternatives for controlled substances
and are characterized by little or no harmful effect on the
ozone layer.
Recycled Substances Controlled substances that were used and have been purified
of impurities and undesirable materials.
Halons Fully halogenated bromo-chloro-flouro substances of an
industrial origin that are used in fire extinguishing systems
and equipment and listed in the second group of Annex (a).
Halon Bank A centre or organization set up in a GCC state for
compiling information about the available quantities of
halons in fire-extinguishing systems and the quantities of
surplus thereof in companies and organizations operating
in the State and the imported quantities thereof. The Bank
may establish a halon recovery and recycling unit for the
re-use thereof in order that such data and quantities
shall be available for the strategic sectors determined by
the concerned authority in the State.
Party States States for whom 90 days have passed since the deposit of
the document of ratification, acceptance, approval or
joining the Vienna Convention for Protection of the Ozone
Layer 1985 and the Montreal Protocol Concerning the
Ozone Depleting Substances 1987.
Concerned Authority Any ministry, council or government authority concerned
with environmental affairs in the GCC states and is assigned
with the follow up and implementation of the Vienna
Convention for Protection of the Ozone Layer and the
Montreal Protocol Concerning the Ozone Depleting
Substances and its amendments. Such authority may form
a national committee from the concerned parties to facilitate
the adoption, implementation and follow up of national
programmes with respect to the Montreal Protocol.
Article 2: Objectives:
This Unified Regulation aims at achieving the following:
1. Full phase-out of the consumption of substances depleting the ozone layer, and replacing them by safe substances in conformity with the GCC national interests according to the provisions of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments.
2. Regulating the trading in the import, export, re-export, transport, storage, trading, recycling and the use of controlled substances and the appliances, equipment and products harmful to the ozone layer according to Article 4 of the Montreal Protocol, including exports to and imports from the free zones.
3. Drawing up and implementing plans and programmes in the GCC states for qualification of the sectors whose operation depends upon controlled substances and helping them comply with the safe practices in repair and maintenance operations and conversion to suitable alternatives and also qualifying customs officers to monitor controlled substances and prohibiting illegal trading in such substances.
4. Facilitating the exchange of information and data among the GCC states with respect to trading in controlled substances and appliances, equipment and products that are harmful to the ozone layer in order to monitor intra-trade and to combat illegal transactions.
PART TWO
REGULATING TRADING IN AND CONTRL OF OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES:
Article 3:
It shall be prohibited to import used appliances and equipment that are harmful to the ozone layer and to import new appliances, equipment and products that are harmful to the ozone layers that are listed in Annex (d). An exemption shall be applicable to the import of new appliances, equipment and products that are licensed by the concerned authority owing to the lack of alternatives.
Article 4:
With the exemption of the substances listed in Annex (c), which is attached to this Regulation, it shall be prohibited to manufacture or use controlled substances, appliances, equipment and products that are harmful to the ozone layer in new industries or facilities or in case of expansion of the existing activities and installations. It shall also be prohibited to renew the licences of existing installations except upon obtaining the written approval of the concerned authority.
Article 5:
The GCC states shall exchange information among them with respect to the surplus of hallons therewith and shall draw up rules and regulations that shall facilitate the duty of national and regional hallon banks in trading in such controlled substances among such states to benefit their strategic fields according to the provisions of the Montreal Protocol.
Article 6:
The concerned authority shall provide the General Secretariat with information and data on a regular basis with respect to the implementation of Article 5 of this Regulation and also exchange information related to intra-GCC trade in respect of controlled substances and appliances and equipment that are harmful to the ozone layer in co-ordination with the General Secretariat.
Article 7:
1. Government authorities, such as ministries, organizations and institutions, shall upon concluding contracts and undertaking projects obtain an environmental non-objection letter from the concerned authority with respect to controlled substances and appliances, equipment and products that are harmful to the ozone layer.
2. The authorities concerned with standards and metrology shall approve the specifications of imported equipment in compliance with the provisions of this Regulation.
Article 8:
Any natural or corporate person shall obtain a licence from the concerned authorities in the government for import, export or re-export of controlled substances or recycled materials while complying with the special requirements and standards approved by the concerned authority in the government.
Article 9:
An application to obtain licences for the import and export of controlled substances or recycled materials shall be filed with the concerned authority subject to fulfillment of the following conditions:
1) A registration certificate from the concerned authorities in the state.
2) A valid state import and export licence.
3) Having experience of no less than five years in the import or export of controlled substances.
4) Completing the application forms prescribed by the concerned authority in the state for obtaining the licence.
Article 10:
1) The concerned authority shall review the applications filed for import and export and shall maintain special registers containing all the data entered in the forms for registration of the licensed companies, organizations and parties. Thereafter, they shall prepare tables of the permitted quantities of imports of the controlled substances for each company according to the predetermined quotas.
2) The concerned authority shall give notice to companies, organizations and concerned parties during the last quarter of each year concerning the prescribed import quotas for them for the next calendar year and shall from time to time in consultation with the concerned parties update the details and specifications with respect to the annual import of controlled substances and alteration of quotas in conformity with the Montreal Protocol and its amendments.
3) The concerned authority in the state may after completing the distribution, permit the new establishments registered therewith to import controlled substances, provided that the quota system applicable in each state shall not be exceeded according to the provisions of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments.
4) A concerned party who has been prejudiced from the distribution of quotas of controlled substances and from the amount of quota determined by the concerned authority in the state may appeal against the aforesaid decision within 15 days from the date of receipt of notice to this effect, and the concerned authority shall adopt a final decision in respect of the appeal by way of acceptance or rejection within 30 days.
5) Subject to the approval of the concerned authority, a quantity of controlled substances permitted to be imported may be transferred from one importer to another, provided that the transferred quantity shall be deducted from the quota of the original importer.
Article 11:
Any establishment that carries on business that depends upon controlled substances shall in case of total or partial inability to carry on such business activities or in case of the issue of a court decision or judgement for winding up, adjudication of bankruptcy or otherwise give notice to the concerned authority with respect to such cessation within one month from such date. The concerned authority may distribute what has been imported from the quota of such establishment to the remaining importers according to the applicable quota system in the state.
Article 12:
In order to secure approval to release an imported or exported cargo of controlled substances or all types of cooling systems, home, commercial or industrial airconditioning, auto and bus airconditioning including compressors and evaporators as well as portable and fixed fire-extinguishing equipment and systems, aerosol cans (except for the medical cans), insulation sheets and planes, ducting covers, and polymerized compositions, the following documents and papers shall be provided:
- Original purchase invoice approved by the country of origin indicating therein the serial system number, brand name, scientific name of the substance, its ingredients, level of purity and quantities thereof (indicated in kilogrammes), whether the substance is new, recycled, subjected to modifications or chemical additives or not with an indication of the nature of modifications or additions made to the substance and a statement of the percentage and type of each of the controlled substances in case of a mixture.
- An attested original certificate of origin.
- Original bill of entry.
- Customs manifest.
- Catalogue of the imported appliance or equipment.
Article 13:
The concerned authority may ascertain the validity of the aforesaid documents and their compatibility with the imported consignment. Such authority may carry out the necessary tests upon samples of such consignment, if necessary. The consignment shall be released or approved for export upon presentation of an official evidence that the concerned authority has no objection.
Article 14:
In case of using any of the (sea, land or air) passages for transit of a consignment of ozone depleting substances or any of the appliances containing them, the shipping company shall submit the following details t