Good practicies and lessons learned during

development of NIP

Artak KhachatryanHead of Inventory and Risk Assessment

Division “Waste Research Center” SNCO

Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia

Coordination and Decision-Making at National Level

Structures involved in the Steering Committee

Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia (Hazardous Substances and Wastes Management Department)

Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia (Department of Industry)

Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia (Department of Plant Growing, Forestry and Plant Protection)

Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia (Division of Labour Hygiene and Radiation Safety)

Ministry of Energy and Nature Resources of the Republic of Armenia (Division of fuel-and-energy resources of the earth entrails)

Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia

Department of Radiation and Chemical Protection Troops of Military Forces Headquarters of the Republic of Armenia

Republic of Armenia Police

Coordination and Decision-Making at National Level

National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia;

EcoTox Environment and Health NGO;Waste Research Center SNCO; Administration of Yerevan City Mayor’s

office

Coordination and Decision-Making at National Level

“Nairit” Industrial Association; “Armenian Women for Health and Healthy

Environment” NGO“Towards Europe” Youth NGOEnvironmental Public Advocacy Center (EPAC)

NGO.

Coordination and Decision-Making at National Level

Ministry of Nature Protection

Carrying out the uniform/united state policy on issues of nature/environment protection; coordination of activity performed by Ministries, Agencies, enterprises, and establishments in this area; observance of ecological safety in case of chemicals and wastes use; conducting unified scientific and methodic policy in this area.

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Ministry of Health

Arrangement and implementation of uniform/unified state policy on prevention of harmful impact of chemicals and wastes towards human health and the environment; coordination of general policy for environmentally sound use of chemicals

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Ministry of Agriculture

Carrying out the uniform/unified state policy and implementation of actions required for the use/application of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture, as well as registration of chemical plant protection means

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Ministry of Economics

Carrying out the uniform/unified state policy and implementation of actions required for the use/application of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture, as well as registration of chemical plant protection means

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Ministry of Transport and Communications

Carrying out the uniform/unified state policy and implementation of actions required for the use/application of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture, as well as registration of chemical plant protection means

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources

Arrangement and implementation of actions required for use of chemicals in energy production complex

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Ministry of Finance

Provision of funds for all actions of state significance/ value in concern of chemicals and wastes management

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Ministry of Justice

Approval and registration of all regulatory and legal documents of state significance/ value in concern of chemicals and wastes management

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Ministry of Defense

Arrangement and implementation of actions required to control application/use of chemicals in defense sphere

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Police of the Republic of Armenia

Arrangement and implementation of state control on illegal use/handling of chemicals and wastes

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Customs State Committee at the Government of the Republic of Armenia

Implementation of measures required for control on import and export of chemicals and wastes

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

National Statistical Service

Collection, compilation and submission of statistical information in the area of chemicals and wastes management

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Department on Standards, Metrology and Compliance Confirmation at the Ministry

of Economics of the Republic of Armenia

Arrangement and implementation of unified state policy for development of standards and requirements on chemicals and wastes, their application/use, as well as control on implementation of these requirements

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Ministry of Emergency Situations

Carrying-out measures required for prevention and liquidation of after-effects of emergency situations, conditions in zones of disaster resulting from use/misuse of chemicals and wastes

Evaluation of national infrastructure and organization of inventories

Hierarchy of priority criteria which were used for the definition of POPs priorities of the Republic of Armenia

Criteria Name of criteria Level of significance

1 Range of considered regulatory measures from financial point of view I

2 Time considerations and level of potential sanctions I

3 Impact on environment and human health II

4 Impact on unemployment and economical development of site or region II

5 Availability and existence of technical solutions III

6 National, regional or global interest III

Effective legislative measures with respect of the Stockholm Convention are a necessity for regulation of chemical safety including the problems of POPs management.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Existing obsolete POPs – carrying out management and disposal of these obsolete amounts of wastes from former applications, which can be source of environmental and human contamination in future.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Actual inventory of POPs – dioxin emissions, obsolete stocks of OCPs and PCBs, hot spots and contaminated sites.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Safety storage system. This system is very reasonable and can protect the potential continuous environmental contamination and potential harmful health effects.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Safety and environmental friendly technology for destruction of obsolete POPs and wastes contaminated with POPs (OCPs, PCBs).

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Adoption of principles of the Best Available Techniques (BAT) / Best Environmental Practices (BEP) with the basic target to reduce/eliminate emissions and releases of POPs.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Control of illegal import and application of OCPs – it is necassary to protect country area against the potential illegal import and application of OCPs from the countries where their application is prohibited and some amounts still exist.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Remediation and decontamination of heavily polluted sites – the present inventory detects few heavily contaminated sites, which are dangerous for the future generations and which can be a source of environmental contamination.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Development of effective monitoring system, including the establishment of POPs Laboratory equipped for sampling and analysis of POPs in environmental matrices and biotic and human samples.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Protection of Armenian population against potential

exposure to POPs – some existing hot spots can be the source of health problems for Armenian population.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

Lack of public awareness results in non-adequate chemicals and waste management. Therefore, public awareness has to be improved and new philosophy has to be introduced in the chemical and waste management.

Priority-Setting Process at the NationalLevel

- integration of Stockholm Convention principles into the country policy framework,- active participation of stakeholders,- raising awareness among various

stakeholders.

Project sustainability will be assured through acombination of the following

- institutional strengthening of the capacity for enforcement of environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes .,

- establishment and/or strengthening of the capacity on monitoring, Research and Development, technology transfer, management information system and reporting.

Project sustainability will be assured through acombination of the following

Stockholm Convention principles will be integrated accordingly into the existing environmental and chemicals management polices, national standards and guidelines.• Enforcement capacities will be strengthened and the requirements on management, inspection and supervision of POPs relevant issues taken into the account.

We expect that under Project implementationthe sustainability would be reached.

It will be characterized by the following

- Relevant stakeholders will be aware/acquainted with the requirements through various trainings.• - The foundational capacity for monitoring in view of POPs will be established through improvement of the capacity of existing monitoring and laboratories and taking measures in order to get comparable and reliable monitoring data.• - The information collection on pesticides, particularly highly toxic pesticides, will be improved.

We expect that under Project implementationthe sustainability would be reached.

It will be characterized by the following

• Exchange of information will be encouraged and facilitated by both the public and private sectors for risk reduction and mitigation.• Chemicals and wastes issues will become the topic of the public debate and participants from research, labour, industry and public interest groups will have good access to knowledge in order to participate well in the debate.

We expect that under Project implementationthe sustainability would be reached.

It will be characterized by the following

• An active transfer of knowledge between the central level and municipalities and regions will be ensured.Manuals and guidelines on Risk Assessment /Risk management in relation to POPs management and control will be compiled to integrate the relevant policy

We expect that under Project implementationthe sustainability would be reached.

It will be characterized by the following

• Existing national legal system• Coordination with the National POPs Priority Programmes and other National Priority Projects from the NIP.• The “National Environmental Action Plan for 2009 –2012 (NEAP)”. Among the specific objectives of the Action Plan, there are several directly related to POPsissues

Sustainability will be achieved through integrating the outcomes of the Project into

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