Filling the gap in the European map – Albania
becomes 50th country
to join air pollution convention
Geneva, 28 February 2006 -- On 2 March 2006, the Convention on
Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution welcomes Albania as its 50th Party.
The gap in the European map that has existed for more than two decades
has at last been filled.
For 26 years, the Convention has helped clean the air across the UNECE region.
It has had major success in cutting the sulphur emissions, especially from
sources such as coal-fired power stations, which caused acid rain problems
in many countries of northern Europe. Levels of other major pollutants, such
as nitrogen oxides (from motor vehicles and fossil fuel burning) and volatile
organic compounds (from paints and solvents), are also falling. But because
air pollution crosses national boundaries, the Convention is more effective
once all countries in the region have joined.
Countries belonging to the Convention want to cut their emissions of air
pollutants. To work towards this, they share information on their emissions,
levels of air pollutants and environmental effects. They also share information
on technology that can reduce emissions. With this scientific and technical
knowledge they sign up to agreements under the Convention, called protocols,
to agree on specific measures and cuts for certain pollutants. It is through
the protocols that the Convention has achieved its successes.
Now that Albania has signed up, just a few countries in the region have
yet to join. Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are all working towards
this goal through UNECE’s (UN Development Account–funded)
CAPACT project (see http://www.unece.org/ie/capact).
Andorra, San Marino and Israel are also eligible to join.
For further information, please contact:
Mr Keith BULL
UNECE Environment, Housing and Land Management Division
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 23 54
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 06 21
E-mail: [email protected] - [email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/
Ref: ECE/ENV/06/P01