Decision XVII/25: Non-compliance with the Montreal Protocol by Armenia and request for a plan of action

The Seventeenth Meeting of the Parties decided in Dec. XVII/25:

1. To note that Armenia ratified the Montreal Protocol on 1 October 1999 and is classified as a Party operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 of the Protocol, and that the Council of the Global Environment Facility has approved $2,090,000 to enable Armenia’s compliance;
2. To note further that Armenia has reported annual consumption for the controlled substance in Annex E (methyl bromide) for 2004 of 1.020 ODP-tonnes, which exceeds the Party’s maximum allowable consumption level of zero ODP-tonnes for that controlled substance for that year, and that Armenia is therefore in non-compliance with the control measures for methyl bromide under the Protocol;
3. To request Armenia, as a matter of urgency, to submit to the Implementation Committee for consideration at its next meeting a plan of action with time-specific benchmarks to ensure a prompt return to compliance. Armenia may wish to consider including in its plan of action the establishment of import quotas to support the phase-out schedule, and policy and regulatory instruments that will ensure progress in achieving the phase-out;
4. To monitor closely the progress of Armenia with regard to the phase-out of the controlled substance in Annex E (methyl bromide). To the degree that the Party is working towards and meeting the specific Protocol control measures, it should continue to be treated in the same manner as a Party in good standing. In that regard, Armenia should continue to receive international assistance to enable it to meet its commitments in accordance with item A of the indicative list of measures that may be taken by a Meeting of the Parties in respect of non-compliance. Through the present decision, however, the Meeting of the Parties cautions Armenia, in accordance with item B of the indicative list of measures, that, in the event that it fails to return to compliance in a timely manner, the Meeting of the Parties will consider measures consistent with item C of the indicative list of measures. Those measures may include the possibility of actions available under Article 4, such as ensuring that the supply of the controlled substance in Annex E (methyl bromide) that is the substance that is the subject of non-compliance is ceased so that exporting Parties are not contributing to a continuing situation of non-compliance.