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Guidelines for 2017 Reporting Cycle

2017 Reporting format ENG FRE RUS


Reporting requirements
1. Article 17, paragraph 2, of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR Protocol) requires the Meeting of the Parties to keep under continuous review the implementation of this Protocol on the basis of regular reporting by the Parties. At its first session (Geneva, 20-22 April 2010) the Meeting of the Parties adopted decision I/5 (ECE/MP.PRTR/2010/2/Add.1) with the reporting format applicable in the current reporting cycle.
Key features of the reporting regime
2. Reports should be prepared through a transparent and consultative process involving the public in a timely manner.
3. Parties are invited to follow the methodology for the preparation and submission of the national implementation reports set out in the Draft guidance for reporting on implementation of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers prepared by the Compliance Committee (ECE/MP.PRTR/WG.1/2015/6), available online in English, French and Russian here.
4. Signatories and other States not Parties to the Protocol are also invited to submit reports on measures taken to apply the Protocol, in accordance with the set procedure.
5. A synthesis report for each session of the Meeting of the Parties summarizing the progress made and identifying significant trends, challenges and solutions shall be prepared on the basis of the national implementation reports. Therefore, their timely submission is very important to ensure that there is sufficient time for processing the information and preparing the report in time for the next session of the Meeting of the Parties.              
6. In addition, international, regional and non-governmental organizations engaged in programmes or activities providing support to Parties and/or other States in the implementation of the Protocol are also invited to provide the secretariat with reports on their programmes or activities and lessons learned.
Preparation of reports for the third session of the Meeting of the Parties
7. Parties should review their earlier report (submitted in 2014) and submit its updated version (with track changes and clean versions) to the secretariat in accordance with the process described below. Reports from the previous reporting cycle are available here. Parties are encouraged to prepare their reports within a length limit of 13,000 words, including the section headings drawn from the reporting format, and to allocate a proportionate level of detail to each item.
8. The deadline to submit the reports to the secretariat is 15 April 2017, which is 5 months before the start of the session of the Meeting of the Parties. To facilitate the preparation of the synthesis report by the secretariat, the recommended deadline to submit the reports to the secretariat is 15 December 2016
9. To ensure a meaningful consultation process and timely submission of reports Parties are advised to use the following timeline for the preparation of their reports:

Process

Time required

Timing

National consultation on the content of the report (first preliminary draft outline)

3 months

May – July 2016

First draft

1 month

August 2016

Consultation on the draft

1-2 months

September – October 2016

Final report preparation (including translation, where necessary)

1 month

November 2016

National Implementation Reports (NIRs) submission deadline

5 months in advance of the third session of the Meeting of the Parties

Recommended submission deadline: 15 December 2016



Key tips on the content
• Follow the format - annex to Decision I/5, available here
• Consult the draft guidance for reporting on implementation of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (ECE/MP.PRTR/WG.1/2015/6), prepared by the Compliance Committee and 2014 reporting cycle synthesis report on the implementation of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (ECE/MP.PRTR/2014/5), available here 
• Provide adequate and clear answers to the questions
• Clearly identify new information (new laws, official interpretation, guidance to the public)
• Address all questions but focus on areas of difficulty
• Avoid just listing instruments, but more information on official interpretation 
• More information on the practice (practical measures, administrative circulars and institutional arrangements, capacity building, budgetary allocations)
• Be reader friendly
How to submit the reports
10. The reports should be submitted to the secretariat in one of the official languages of the UNECE (English, French or Russian), as well as in the language(s) of the Party. Parties are strongly encouraged to provide voluntary translations in the other two UNECE languages. Those Parties who do so are invited to provide the translations at the latest one month after the original submission deadline. The reporting format has been prepared in three languages (see three files on top of the web page). Any translations of the reports will be made available online.
11. For the current reporting cycle Parties are requested to upload the final report into the interactive NIR database available on-line. The secretariat will provide the Parties with detailed instructions on how to upload the report in due course. Signatories and other States are also encouraged to use this method of submitting reports. In case of experiencing problems with submitting the report into the on-line database, then the report should be sent to the secretariat by e-mail to [email protected] as a word-file attachment.
12. In addition, Parties should provide the secretariat: (a) with track-changes electronic version of the report by e-mail to [email protected] and (b) with signed final clean copy of the report by post.
13. The reports prepared by international, regional and non-governmental organizations, will also be made available on line in advance of the meeting in the language in which they are received by the secretariat. Electronic version of these reports should be sent to the secretariat by e-mail to [email protected].