Projects
Co-operative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of air pollutants in Europe (EMEP)
Project website | http://www.emep.int/ |
Title | Co-operative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of air pollutants in Europe (EMEP) |
Abstract | The Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP) was initiated in 1977 as a special programme under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It operates under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) since the Convention entered into force. Its original objective was mainly to
"... provide governments with information on the deposition and concentration of air pollutants as well as on the quantity and significance of long-range transmission of pollutants and fluxes across boundaries. Information on the relative importance of local and distant sources resulting from such a programme will guide national authorities in setting appropriate local and regional permissible emission levels, taking into account international implications of these levels. The information on the deposition and concentration of air pollutants will be a basis of abatement strategies in the regions affected" Since then the EMEP programme became scientifically based and policy driven instrument for international co-operation to solve transboundary air pollution problems. Since 1999, the main objective of EMEP is to provide sound scientific support for the Convention, in particular in the areas of: atmospheric monitoring and modelling of transboundary fluxes of air pollutants, emission inventories and emission projections, and integrated assessment modelling.Even though the programme has been established in mid seventies, and has achieved considerable success in emission reductions across Europe, there are still several air pollution problems affecting human health and causing ecosystem damage for which both national and transboundary emissions are responsible and international co-operation needed:
SCIENCE - EMEP establishes sound scientific evidence and provides guidance to underpin, develop and evaluate environmental policies; PARTNERSHIP - EMEP fosters international partnership to find solutions to environmental problems; OPENNESS - EMEP encourages the open use of intellectual resources and products; SHARING - EMEP is transparent and shares information and expertise with research programmes, expert institutions, national and international organizations, and environmental agreements; and ORGANIZATION - EMEP is organized to integrate information on emissions, environmental quality, effects and abatement options, and to provide the basis for solutions. Obligations of the Parties to the ConventionThe Parties to the Convention are obliged to carry out national research and development, to communicate with international partners, to exploit and use existing data and research tools and to challenge their own intellectual resources. The Convention specifies these requirements as follows:
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Key words | Environment, air pollution, transboundary fluxes, emissions, deposition, air concentrations, emission reduction, monitoring, modelling. |
Contact person | Sandra Krmpotić, MINGOR, e-mail: sandra.krmpotic@mingor.hr |
Duration | 1981 - |
Cooperation | Meteorological and Hydrological Service of Croatia
Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development |