Specific needs, obstacles and opportunities for non-EU countriesFranziska Hirsch,

Secretary to the UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention

Community of Users on Safe, Secure and Resilient Societies

Theme 1: Major Accident Hazards – Bridging safety and security policy and research

Brussels, 6 March 2018

Overview

1. UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention

2. Industrial safety & security linkages

3. Specific needs and obstacles for non-EU countries in the EU Eastern Neighbourhood, Western Balkans and Central Asia

4. Opportunities for non-EU countries

1. UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention

• Negotiated following the Sandoz (Schweizerhalle) accident in 1986

• Adopted in 1992, entered into force in 2000

• Designed to protect people and the environment against industrial accidents

• Focuses on transboundary cooperation

• Accidents of technological nature involving chemical substances incl. accidents caused by natural disasters

41 Parties (including the EU)

1. Application of the Convention

• Prevention of, preparedness for and response to industrial accidents capable of causing transboundary effects

• Cooperation platform • Article 14 – Research and Development

• Article 15 – Exchange of Information

• Article 16 – Exchange of Technology

1. Assistance Programme

• Supports countries in EU Eastern

Neighbourhood, Western Balkans and

Central Asia since 2004

• High-level commitments of beneficiary

countries

• Fosters national industrial safety

governance and policy-making, and

transboundary cooperation

• Strategic approch - Tools: national self-

assessments and action plans

• Needs-driven approach

• High-level meetings, expert workshops

• Sub-regional projects/activities

• Table-top and field exercises

• Multi-country, mulit-year projects

1. UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention & EU Seveso III Directive

• Convention covers accidents

involving hazardous

substances (manufacture, use,

storage, handling, or disposal)

capable of causing

transboundary effects, e.g.:

• Fertilizers plants

• Chemical plants

• Oil storage facilities

• Annex I of UNECE Industrial

Accidents Convention = annex I

of EU Seveso III Directive for

upper-tier establishments

2. Industrial safety & Security:UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention & EU policy/legislation

Prevention

Preparedness & response

Tech

no

log

ica

l d

isa

ster

ris

k

EU Seveso

UCPM (Union

Civil Protection Mechanism)

EU CBRN Action Plan

EU CIPDirective & Staff Working Paper

EU CBRN Action Plan & Centres of Excellence

2. Industrial safety & Security:EU CBRN & UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention

Objectives:• Knowledge of CBRN risks

• Prepardness for and response to CBRN security incidents• Internal/external links, engagement with partners

UNECE Industrial Accidents

Convention

Identification /notification of hazardous activities

Preparedness /contingencyplanning

Response/ mutual assistance

2. Industrial safety & Security:UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention & EU CIP

UNECE IndustrialAccidents

Convention

Prevention

PreparednessResponse

EU CIP Directive and Staff Working Paper

• Prevention, incl. risk assessment, management

• Preparedness strategies/ contingency planning• Response

• Cooperation with third countries

EU Seveso

Hazard identification & notification

3. Needs and obstacles for non-EU countries in EU Eastern Neighbourhood, Western Balkans, Central Asia

@Technical level:• Aeging facilities/equipment• Up-to-date knowledge/expertise, tools• Financial and capacity constraints• Training of operators, contractors• Insufficient safety culture

@Institutional level:• Lack of expertise• Imperfect legislative basis• Insufficient enforcement• Unclear division of responsibilities among institutions • Difficult inter-institutional coordination, with industry, stakeholders• Policy making across different policy areas: industrial safety, water, environment,

emergency response, CBRN-E, CIP, DRR, ….• Transboundary cooperation• Political priorities

3. Needs for non-EU countries

• Improving the safety of hot spots, such as

Tailings Management Facilities (TMFs) incl.

abandoned, idle, orphaned sites

Oil terminals

Pipelines

• Mitigating the risk of accidental water pollution with potentialtransboundary effects

4. Opportunities for non-EU countries

• Knowledge-sharing/transfer - EU/non-EU border, sub-regional level

• Enhance inter-institutional cooperation - national, regional, local levels

• Review legislation and strengthen implementation/enforcement

• Foster transboundary cooperation on a sustainable, long-term basis:

Land-use planning, joint contingency planning and exercises, test mutual assistance

• Benefit from momentum of EU association and pre-accession process

• Make use of synergies of related legal instruments:

UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention, EU Seveso Directive and UCPM

• Beware of the security-safety interface and related policy areas:

Industrial safety, CBRN and CoE initiative, CIP, Disaster Risk Reduction

4. Opportunities for non-EU countries• Capacity-development, making use of existing tools, methodologies and

approaches e.g. under Assistance Programme

• Build on existing project activities: disseminate results, replicate, apply

• Understand experiences of others and good practices; consider application

• Utilize research results

• Apply UNECE safety guidelines, good industry practices and checklists

@ national, regional and local levels

• Expand existing parterships among regional/international actors

• Use existing networks to share knowledge/experiences:

Community of users, involving national administrations, first responders, industry, research/academia, international organizations, public, stakeholders

Thank you for your attention!

Questions? Comments? Discussion?

More information:Web: www.unece.org/env/teiaEmail: teia.conv@unece.org

Publications:http://www.unece.org/environmental-policy/conventions/industrial-accidents/publications.html

Contact:Franziska.Hirsch@un.orgTel: +41 22 917 24 80