The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, often abbreviated as Air Pollution or CLRTAP, is intended to protect the human environment against air pollution

Air pollution

Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....

 and to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollution.

Overview

The convention opened for signature on 1979-11-13 and entered into force on 1983-03-16.

The current parties to the Convention are shown on the map.

The Convention, which now has 51 Parties, identifies the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and...

 (UNECE) as its secretariat.

Since 1979 the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution has addressed some of the major environmental problems of the UNECE region through scientific collaboration and policy negotiation. The Convention has been extended by eight protocols that identify specific measures to be taken by Parties to cut their emissions of air pollutants.

The aim of the Convention is that Parties shall endeavour to limit and, as far as possible, gradually reduce and prevent air pollution including long-range transboundary air pollution. Parties develop policies and strategies to combat the discharge of air pollutants through exchanges of information, consultation, research and monitoring.

The Parties meet annually at sessions of the Executive Body to review ongoing work and plan future activities including a workplan for the coming year. The three main subsidiary bodies - the Working Group on Effects, the Steering Body to EMEP and the Working Group on Strategies and Review - as well as the Convention's Implementation Committee, report to the Executive Body each year.

Currently, the Convention's priority activities include review and possible revision of its most recent protocols, implementation of the Convention and its protocols across the entire UNECE region (with special focus on Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and South-East Europe) and sharing its knowledge and information with other regions of the world.

See also

• Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants
  Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants
  The Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants, a 1998 protocol on persistent organic pollutants , is an addition to the 1979 Geneva Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution...
  
  
• Critical load
  Critical load
  In the study of air pollution, a critical load is defined as ”A quantitative estimate of an exposure to one or more pollutants below which significant harmful effects on specified sensitive elements of the environment do not occur according to present knowledge”...
  
  
• Environmental agreement
  Environmental agreement
  This is a list of international environmental agreements. Most of the following agreements are legally binding.-Alphabetical order:*Aarhus Convention Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, Aarhus, 1998*Alpine...
  
  s
• Gothenburg (Multi-effect) Protocol
  Multi-effect Protocol
  The 1999 Multi-effect Protocol is a multi-pollutant protocol designed to reduce acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone by setting emissions ceilings for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and ammonia to be met by 2010.The Protocol is part of the Convention...
  
  

External links

• CLRTAP Homepage at the UNECE website