36 Developing Countries Receive Funds to Eliminate Substances that Harm the Ozone Layer
US$21 million has been provided from the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol to 36 developing countries to phase out 1,143 tonnes of ozone-depleting substances.
From the Multilateral Fund News Center.

The Jakarta Post Reports on Lax Enforcement of Bans on CFC Imports
Ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons continue to be widely used in air conditioners and refrigerators here instead of safer alternatives because the government has done little to enforce a ban on most CFC imports, businesses say. State Ministry for the Environment Ozone Program official Astutie Widyarissantie acknowledged that CFC-12 compounds, most of them illegally imported, were still in wide circulation. She said the government allowed only one state-owned company, PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia, to import an annual quota of 400 metric tons of ozone depleting substances (ODS) -- seven harmful compounds, including CFC-12 -- for limited industrial use. However, the ministry estimated around 4,000 metric tons of ODS were circulating in the country every year. Astutie said the government planned to eradicate CFC-12 use by 2007 and all ozone depleting substances by 2040. The ministry planned to clamp down on CFC-12 smuggling by increasing cooperation with the customs and excise office.
From The Jakarta Post/OzoAction News

Ozone Meeting Concludes with Agreement to Support Developing Countries' Transition to Ozone-Safe Technologies
The member states of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer have agreed to a budget of $470 million to support the continuing transition by developing countries to CFC-free refrigerators and other ozone-safe technologies during the three-year period 2006 – 2008.
From UNEP DTIE OzonAction Programme.

Montreal Protocol MOP Concludes in Dakar, Senegal

OzonAction Releases September Newsletter
OzonAction's September Newsletter, a Special Edition on Ozone and Climate, presents news on Montreal Protocol compliance activities, "spotlights" Ghana's activities to implement the Montreal Protocol, and describes new publications.

Ghana EPA Announces Ban on Ozone Depleting Substances
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned all imports of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) manufactured refrigerants as the country recovers from the depleting state of the ozone layer. The Agency has also ordered a ban on other chemicals like halons used in fire fighting and Methylchlorofluom, also used as solvent and other materials. Mr. Emmanuel Osae-Quansah, National Ozone Project Coordinator of the Agency, said the EPA had impounded 30.3 tones of cylinders to rid the markets of illegal and mislabeled refrigerants.
From OzoNews and GhanaWeb

Update from the 25th Open-Ended Working Group of the Montreal Protocol
During the week-long 25th open ended working group meeting in Montreal (for the Montreal Protocol), 189 states agreed to reduce their use of methyl bromide in 2006 compared to 2005 by close to 20 per cent. For some developed states, however, there can be temporary exceptions when there are no technologically or financially feasible alternatives. Klaus Toepfer, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, said that the latest cuts "should send a positive signal to farmers and other users of methyl bromide that alternatives are increasingly available and should be adopted as quickly as possible."
From UNEP Press Release and other sources

Media Partnership for Protecting the Ozone Layer Crucial to Help Sustain Phase-Out of ODS
Illegal trade in ODS, particularly in South and Southeast Asia, is a problem which could jeopardize the effectiveness of the ozone regime. This article questions whether civil society is aware of the gravity of this issue. Accordingly, the media and other members of civil society should help to bring awareness. Concerning the media, one initiative is UNEP's Regional Office of Asia Pacific-Compliance Assistance Programme to write periodically in local news media and disseminate this information about the realities of illegal trade and the phase-out of ODS.
From http://www.cleanerproduction.org/media_net.html

Ozone Protection: The International Legal Regime
Mr. Gilbert Bankobeza's recent book critically examines the implementation of the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The author addresses issues related to environmental governance, environmental financing and the non-compliance procedure.
Book Info: Eleven International Publishing, ISBN: 90-77596-08-9
From UNEP OzoNews

Green Customs Partners Meeting
Green Customs Initative (GCI) partners met in Paris on 27 January to discuss capacity building and strenghtening GCI. Participants included representatives of 5 Conventions (Basel, Stockholm, Rotterdam, Montreal, CITES); Interpol, Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, OECD, and INECE; the governments of France, Sweden, Norway, and USA; and UNEP DEPI and DTIE ETB.
From The Green Customs Initative Press Room

Fiji Reports First Ozone Prosecution
Justice Anthony Gates of Fiji fined United Airco Ltd $1000 and the responsible individual $200 for handling chlorofluorocarbons without a license in January 2005. This is the first prosecution brought under the Ozone Depleting Substances Act 1998, which fulfills Fiji's international obligations under the Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol to limit and control the use of CFCs which are the major cause of ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere.
From fijilive.com, full article available.

Ministers Agree on Cooperation between MEAs
The text of the Prague Declaration on Enhancing Cooperation Among Chemical Related Multilateral Environmental Agreements is now available on the OzonAction Web site. The Declaration states that the ministers agree to "contribute to building bridges between the relevant multilateral environmental agreements and to help them draw inspiration from the success of the Montreal Protocol while, in turn, drawing inspiration from them in meeting future challenges."

For more international Ozone Enforcement News, see UNEP's OzonNews.

UNEP "Trade Names Database" Helps Customs Officers Fight Illegal Trade of Ozone Depleting Chemicals
UNEP and Green Customs designed and released "the Trade Names of Chemicals containing Ozone Depleting Substances and their Alternatives" database to help customs officials and National Ozone Units control imports and exports of ozone depleting substances (ODS) and prevent their illegal trade. It is a worldwide database of the commercial trade names of chemical products containing ODS controlled under the Montreal Protocol and their alternatives.
Source: UNEP DTIE Information Note

Methyl Bromide, Illegal Trade, and Compliance Took Centre Stage at the 16th MOP
IISD reports that the 16th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol onSubstances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP-16) took place in Prague, Czech Republic, from 22-26 November 2004. MOP-16 adopted decisions on the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, as well as issues related to ratification, data reporting, compliance and international and illegal trade, and financial and administrative matters.
Source: Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), Vol. 19 No. 40

MARPOL Aims to Controls Shipboard ODS Emissions and New Installations
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is calling on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to monitor the worldwide average sulphur content of fuel once its Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships comes into force on May 19, 2005.
Source: The Star Online (Malaysia) cited in UNEP Ozonews

16th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
The Sixteenth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol and its associated meetings will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 17 to 26 November 2004. The main topics for the meeting are: methyl bromide related issues; review of financial mechanism; replenishment of the Multilateral Fund; and iIllegal trade issues.
Source: UNEP Ozone Secretariat

New NASA Satellite will Monitor Levels of Atmospheric Ozone Depleting Substances
On June 19, 2004 NASA plans to launch Aura, a next-generation atmosphere observing satellite. Aura will be able to accurately monitor global levels of atmospheric ozone depleting substances, and provide data useful in determining the effectiveness of international agreements concerning ozone.

US Dept. of Justice Fines Man US$ 20 Million for Freon Smuggling
A Florida Federal Court sentenced a man to 17 years in prison and fined him over $20,000,000 for smuggling Freon and evading excise taxes. The smuggling operation involved illegally importing the chemical into the United States for sale, and not paying the excise taxes Congress levied to deter the sale and use of Freon.

Montreal Protocol "Critical Use Exemptions" for Methyl Bromide
An intergovernmental meeting on the Montreal Protocol granted "critical use exemptions" for methyl bromide to 11 developed countries. The exemptions will give agricultural and fumigational users of methyl bromide additional time to develop substitutes.

New Guidelines by UNCTAD on Corporate Environmental Accounting Includes Ozone Depleting Substances
The environmental performance of corporations and its link to their bottom line is the subject of new guidelines released today by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The UNCTAD model is published in The Manual for the Preparers and Users of Eco-efficiency Indicators.

The manual aims to standardize the presentation of a company's environmental performance and how this relates to financial results. According to UNCTAD, information on environmental performance "is increasingly demanded by stakeholders ... Issues covered in the guidelines include water use, energy use, contributions to global warming, ozone-depleting substances and waste.
Source: The UN News Center, 13 February 2004 via UNEP OzoNews.