CIVIL LIABILITY
Agreement reached on new legally binding
instrument
A new legally binding instrument will be
drawn up on civil liability for transboundary damage caused by industrial
accidents in the member States of the United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (UNECE). This breakthrough is the result of a two-day meeting of
the Parties to the UNECE Conventions on the Protection and Use of
Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes and on the Transboundary
Effects of Industrial Accidents (Geneva, 2-3 July 2001).
"By establishing a civil liability
regime for industrial accidents that cause transboundary pollution, this
instrument will fill one of the major gaps in international environmental
legislation. It will also have the potential to prevent accidents from
happening in the first place," says Kaj Bärlund, UNECE Environment
Director.
The legally binding instrument will be
negotiated within the scope of both Conventions. The first negotiations will
take place in November 2001. Environmental NGOs and other stakeholders, such
as insurance companies, as well as countries that have not signed up to the
Conventions will be encouraged to take part. If the negotiations proceed
smoothly, the legally binding instrument may be ready for adoption at the next
Ministerial Conference ‘Environment for Europe’, scheduled to take place
in Kiev in May 2003.
The proposal for a legally binding
instrument on civil liability for transboundary damage caused by industrial
accidents was first made in the wake of the mining accident at Baia Mare
(Romania), which caused widespread water pollution in January 2000.
For more information, please contact:
Kaj Bärlund, Director
UNECE Environment and Human Settlements Division
Palais des Nations, office 334
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: (+41 22) 917 23 70
Fax: (+41 22) 907 01 07
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org/env/welcome.html
Ref: ECE/ENV/01/04