Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, 1979

The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP), adopted and opened for signature in November 1979, is the first international legally binding instrument on climate. The CLRTAP seeks to curb, lessen and prevent air pollution, including long range transboundary air pollution. The Contracting Parties agreed, Contracting Parties, within the framework of the CLRTAP to, by means of exchanges of information, consultation, research and monitoring, develop without undue delay policies and strategies which shall serve as a means of combating the discharge of air pollutants, taking into account efforts already made at national and international levels. The convention has been extended by eight protocols providing measures to reduce air pollutants. These include: (i) 1984 Protocol on long-term financing of the cooperative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of air pollutants in Europe; (ii) 1985 Helsinki Protocol on the reduction of sulfur emissions or their transboundary fluxes by at least 30%; (iii) 1988 Protocol concerning the control of emissions of nitrogen oxides or their transboundary fluxes; (iv) 1991 Protocol on the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes; (v) 1994 Oslo Protocol on further reduction of sulfur emissions; (vi) 1998 Protocol on heavy metals; (vii) 1998 Aarhus Protocol on persistent organic pollutants; and (viii) 1999 Gothenburg Protocol to abate acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone.