Barcelona Convention Takes Stand on Hazardous Waste

[Patricia Dines <73652.1202@CompuServe.COM>]

For your info - P. Dines

>>> Item number 10240, dated 96/10/15 22:01:53 -- ALL
Date:         Tue, 15 Oct 1996 22:01:53 GMT
Reply-To:     Rich Winkel <rich@pencil.math.missouri.edu>
Sender:       Activists Mailing List <ACTIV-L@MIZZOU1.MISSOURI.EDU>
From:         Rich Winkel <rich@pencil.math.missouri.edu>
Organization: PACH
Subject:      Barcelona Convention Takes Stand on Hazardous Waste

/** headlines: 62.0 **/
** Topic: Barcelona Convention Takes Step Forward **
** Written  9:09 PM  Oct  6, 1996 by econet in cdp:headlines **

/* Written  6:49 PM  Oct  2, 1996 by nobody@xs2.greenpeace.org in gp.press*/
/* ---------- "Barcelona Convention Takes A Step Forward" ---------- */

Subject: Barcelona Convention Takes A Step Forward
Date: Wed,  2 OCT 96 16:38:40 GMT

----------
Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
----------
BARCELONA CONVENTION TAKES STEP FORWARD ON PROTECTION OF
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. Greenpeace condemns France and Israel
for their attempts to undermine the new Protocol.

AMSTERDAM,  Oct 2, 1996 (GP) -- The representatives of the
Mediterranean countries meeting in Izmir (Turkey) adopted
yesterday a new Protocol to the Barcelona Convention Treaty
which takes significant steps to prohibit the trade in
hazardous wastes, including radioactive wastes.

All Mediterranean countries signing this Protocol agreed,
under a central provision, to prohibit all exports of
hazardous, including radioactive, wastes to developing
countries (defined as non-OECD countries). In addition, all
Mediterranean countries which are not member states of the
European Union  signing the Protocol  (Algeria, Egypt, Libya,
Malta, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey) agreed to adopt a
hazardous and radioactive waste Import Ban.

Greenpeace condemns France and Israel who have not yet signed
the Protocol, filing reservations because the Protocol
includes  radioactive waste.  "It is unacceptable for these
governments to object to the inclusion of the most hazardous
waste (radioactive), and the resulting ban on radioactive
waste exports to developing countries," said Kevin Stairs of
Greenpeace International. "Such an irresponsible and criminal
position has no place in the world today. It means that two
nuclear waste producers in the Mediterranean (France and
Israel) will reserve themselves the right to dump their
nuclear waste in other countries"..

Israel also maintained a second reservation concerning the
definition of developing countries to avoid the ban on
hazardous waste imports, in order to allow them to continue
receiving such wastes from developed countries.   This Israeli
position is especially dangerous in the global context of the
Basel Convention which prohibits all hazardous waste exports
from OECD to non-OECD countries. Israel's desire to continue
importing hazardous waste in contravention of the Basel
Convention ban and the Mediterranean Protocol ban could create
a "domino effect" whereby other countries under economic
pressure could request also an exception to the ban.  "Israel,
if they follow through with their intention to be exempt from
the Basel ban and Mediterranean ban, will be known as the
country which destroyed the historic decisions to protect
developing countries from hazardous waste."  said Mario
Damato, Greenpeace Mediterranean Executive Director.

Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia and the EU Commission did not sign
at the moment for technical reasons but promised to do so as
soon as possible.

** End of text from cdp:headlines **

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