Skip to main content

2021 Reporting Cycle

2021 NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION REPORTS BY PARTIES
- Online reporting tool - online database of national implementation reports 
Article 17, paragraph 2, of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (Protocol on PRTRs) 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. The reporting format is available online in English French Russian Further, the Meeting of the Parties adopted decision III/1 (ECE/MP.PRTR/2017/6/Add.1) that provides additional guidance regarding submission of the reports. Both decisions are available online: https://prtr.unece.org/national-reports/reports
KEY FEATURES OF THE REPORTING REGIME 
Reports should be prepared through a transparent and consultative process involving the public in a timely manner. 

Parties are invited to follow the methodology for the preparation and submission of the national implementation reports set out in the Guidance for reporting on implementation of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, (ECE/MP.PRTR/2017/6/Add.3), available online: https://prtr.unece.org/national-reports/reports

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.

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.
              
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 FOURTH SESSION OF THE MEETING OF THE PARTIES.
Parties should review their earlier report (submitted in 2017) 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 through the NIR online tool: https://prtr.unece.org/national-reports/reports

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.

In accordance with decision III/1 the deadline to submit the reports to the secretariat is 9 months before the start of the session of the Meeting of the Parties. Considering that the fourth session of the Meeting of the Parties is planned for 21-22 October 2021, the deadline for submitting the reports will be 21 January 2021. Such deadline will also facilitate the preparation of the synthesis report by the secretariat.

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 2020
First draft 2 months August-September 2020
Consultation on the draft 1-2 months October-November 2020
Final report preparation (including translation, where necessary) 1.5 months December 2020 – mid January 2021
National Implementation Reports (NIRs) submission deadline 9 months in advance of the fourth session of the Meeting of the Parties

Submission deadline: 21 January 2021

 

 

I. Key tips on the content


• Follow the format - annex to Decision I/5, available online in English French Russian

• Consult the Compliance Committee documents: Guidance for reporting on implementation of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, (ECE/MP.PRTR/2017/6/Add.3, available online in English, French and Russian), Systemic issues concerning the implementation of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers and recommendations on how to address them, (ECE/MP.PRTR/2017/6/Add.2, available online in  English, French and Russian), and the 2017 reporting cycle Synthesis report on the implementation of the Protocol and overview of progress in implementing the strategic plan for 2015–2020 (ECE/MP.PRTR/2017/10, available online in  English, French and Russian)

• 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 user friendly for the reader
II. How to submit the report
The reports should be submitted to the secretariat through the NIR online tool in one or more of the official languages of the UNECE (English, French or Russian): https://prtr.unece.org/national-reports/reports 
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. Please contact the secretariat at [email protected] regarding uploading of the translations to the NIR online tool.
Parties are also encouraged to provide the reports in the language(s) of the Party.
 
Thus, Parties are expected to:

1. Prepare the final clean report in one or more official UNECE languages (English, French or Russian), as well as in the language(s) of the Party.

2. Ensure signing of the final clean version of the report in one of the official UNECE languages, as appropriate, by the responsible officer.

3. Prepare the report in track changes (compare to their respective reports for the 2017 reporting cycle) in one of the official UNECE languages, as appropriate.

4. Subscribe to the NIR online reporting tool using “sign in” button as to get the necessary credentials from the secretariat: https://prtr.unece.org/national-reports/user/register

5. Log in to the NIR online reporting tool using your credentials as to access template for uploading national implementation report: https://prtr.unece.org/user/login

6. Copy the final report in the official language(s) of the UNECE (English, French or Russian, as available) to the online template.

7. Upload as attachments (in pdf format with a maximum size of 16 MB):

• the signed final clean electronic copy of the report in the official language(s) of the UNECE (English, French or Russian, as appropriate)
• the track changes version of the report
• the final clean electronic copy of the report in the language(s) of the Party

FOR SIGNATORIES AND OTHER INTERESTED STATES

Signatories and other States are encouraged to prepare their reports and send them to the secretariat by e-mail to [email protected]

These reports will be made available online by the secretariat in the language in which they are received. 
FOR ORGANIZATIONS

The reports prepared by international, regional and non-governmental organizations about their programmes or activities and lessons learned, as well as on implementation of the Protocol itself, will also be made available on line 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]
2021 Synthesis report on the status of implementation of the Protocol
- ENG FRE RUS (will be made available in due course)
2021 Reports by international, regional and non-governmental organizations
- Reports by organizations (will be posted as they become available)