AIR PROTECTION

In May 2005, the United Nations Gothenburg Protocol on Long Range Trans-boundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) was enforced. EFMA, as observer to the Ammonia Expert Group within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) since 1999, made a number of proposals, already in 2002, to amend the Guidance Document to Abate Ammonia Emissions. This year, these amendments have finally been accepted in the published document.

 

In May 2006, as a consequence of the enforcement of the above Gothenburg Protocol, compliance with the UNECE Code for Good Agricultural Practice for Reducing Ammonia (established in 2002) became mandatory within the countries which have signed the LRTAP protocol. Our EFMA publication Urea – Code of Best Agricultural Practice, published in 2001, has been and still is a strong industry tool in the promotion of Good Fertilization Practices to avoid ammonia emission and will, in certain cases, facilitate the implementation of the UNECE Code by the Member States.

 

The Agriculture and Environment Committee also contributed to the EU Clean Air For Europe (CAFE) project, both with forecasting and technical inputs. This project has prepared the ground for the EU Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution, as well as the proposal for a Directive, which were published at the end of 2005.