The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the EU strategy for the Punta del Este Conference on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Parliament believed that the Conference will provide a good opportunity to set ambitious targets for taking measures designed in particular to eliminate the production, placing on the market and use of intentionally produced persistent organic pollutants. It urged the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the decisions taken at COP-1 (the first Conference of the Parties) ensure effective implementation and further development of the Stockholm Convention, and that those decisions are consistent with the Community's environmental and development policy objectives and legislation.

Parliament urged the Commission and the Member States in particular to aim to ensure that:

- specific exemptions of substances listed in Annex A of the Convention are granted only in exceptional and well-justified cases;

- countries in malarial regions receive adequate financial assistance to replace DDT with safe and effective alternatives according to a well established timetable in order to achieve a definitive ban on the use of DDT as soon as possible;

- guidelines are adopted for promoting 'best environmental practices' and 'best available techniques' to reduce and eliminate releases of unintentionally produced POPs, in particular dioxins and furans;

- equitable geographical representation of the EU in the POPs Review Committee, as has been achieved under the Rotterdam Convention.

Parliament urged the Commission and the Member States to establish appropriate guidance for the elaboration of national implementation plans.

Finally, Members of the European Parliament who are part of the EC delegation have an essential contribution to make. Parliament expects, therefore, that they will have access to EU coordination meetings in Punta del Este, on the basis of at least observer status, with or without speaking rights.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the EU strategy for the Punta del Este Conference on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Parliament believed that the Conference will provide a good opportunity to set ambitious targets for taking measures designed in particular to eliminate the production, placing on the market and use of intentionally produced persistent organic pollutants. It urged the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the decisions taken at COP-1 (the first Conference of the Parties) ensure effective implementation and further development of the Stockholm Convention, and that those decisions are consistent with the Community's environmental and development policy objectives and legislation.

Parliament urged the Commission and the Member States in particular to aim to ensure that:

- specific exemptions of substances listed in Annex A of the Convention are granted only in exceptional and well-justified cases;

- countries in malarial regions receive adequate financial assistance to replace DDT with safe and effective alternatives according to a well established timetable in order to achieve a definitive ban on the use of DDT as soon as possible;

- guidelines are adopted for promoting 'best environmental practices' and 'best available techniques' to reduce and eliminate releases of unintentionally produced POPs, in particular dioxins and furans;

- equitable geographical representation of the EU in the POPs Review Committee, as has been achieved under the Rotterdam Convention.

Parliament urged the Commission and the Member States to establish appropriate guidance for the elaboration of national implementation plans.

Finally, Members of the European Parliament who are part of the EC delegation have an essential contribution to make. Parliament expects, therefore, that they will have access to EU coordination meetings in Punta del Este, on the basis of at least observer status, with or without speaking rights.