HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 4/1

Adopted 1 February 1983, having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention

RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING AMENDMENT OF ANNEX I OF THE HELSINKI CONVENTION

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING that according to Article of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1974, (Helsinki Convention), the Contracting Parties undertake to counteract the introduction into the Baltic Sea Area of hazardous substances as specified in Annex I of the Convention,

RECALLING FURTHER that the hazardous substances listed in Annex I of the Convention are at present

1)         DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(chlorophenyl)-ethane) and its derivatives DDE and DDD; and

2)         PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls),

RECALLING ALSO that according to Paragraph c) of Article 13 of the Convention it is, inter alia, the duty of the Commission to recommend to the Contracting Parties such changes as may be required in the Annexes,

RECOGNIZING that the Representatives of the Contracting Parties at the 4th meeting of the Commission have examined the environmental properties of polychlorinated terphenyls (PCT's),

RECOGNIZING FURTHER that the Commission on the basis of its examination concluded that PCT's:

1)         have characteristics almost identical to these of the high chlorinated PCB's;

2)         are extremely stable in the environment;

3)         are bioaccumulative and biomagnification through food webs might take place;

4)         are acutely toxic;

5)         have a negative effect on many enzyme systems;

6)         have been proved to be carcinogenic in animal tests;

7)         show negative effects on the reproduction of test animals;

8)         have been detected in environmental samples - including fish, birds, and seals from the Baltic Sea Area; and

9)         have been detected in human beings,

HAVING CONSIDERED a proposal by Denmark to include PCT's in Annex I of the Convention in order to have these substances treated under the provisions of Article 5 of the Convention,

RESOLVES:

a)         to adopt the amendment to Annex I of the Convention appearing in the Attachment to this Recommendation;

b)         to ask the Depositary Government to communicate this amendment to the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention with the Commission's recommendation for acceptance;

c)         to determine that the amendment shall be deemed to have been adopted, unless prior to 1 July 1983 any one of the Contracting Parties has objected to the amendment; and

d)         to determine that the accepted amendment shall enter into force on 1 September 1983.

ATTACHMENT

Annex I of the Helsinki Convention is amended by insertion of a third sub-paragraph which reads as follows:

3.         PCT's (polychlorinated terphenyls)