Rotterdam Convention

The Rotterdam Convention, adopted in Rotterdam, Netherlands, is an international agreement for controlling the trade of specific hazardous chemicals and pesticides. The Convention’s primary objective is to protect human health and the environment by sharing responsibility for these dangerous substances. It operates under a system known as the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure, which gives countries the authority to allow or prohibit the import of specific chemicals. The Convention also mandates safe handling instructions, accurate labelling, and continuous information sharing about these chemicals. In this article, you will learn about Rotterdam Convention, its objectives, major provision, annexures and about Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation. To explore other interesting Bilateral & International relations topics similar to Rotterdam Convention of GS paper – 2 of UPCS Exam, check out other articles and notes of IASToppers.    

Table of Content

• What is Rotterdam Convention?
• Objectives ofRotterdam Convention
• Major Provisions of Rotterdam Convention
• Different Annexures in PIC Regulation of the Rotterdam Convention
• What is Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation?
• Conclusion
• FAQs on Rotterdam Convention

What is Rotterdam Convention?

• The Rotterdam Convention is a multilateral treaty that was adopted in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
• It is also known as the “formal agreement on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade”.
• The Convention creates legally binding obligations for the implementation of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
• It is built on the voluntary PIC procedure, initiated by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1989 and ceased in 2006.
• Its scope includes chemicals that have been either banned or seriously limited due to health or environmental issues.
• The Rotterdam Convention entered into force on February 24, 2004.
• India ratified Rotterdam Convention on 24^th May 2005. 
• As of June 2023, there are total 165 parties to the Rotterdam Convention, which includes 72 signatories.

Objectives ofRotterdam Convention

• To promote shared responsibility among Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals to protect human health and environment from potential harm;
• To contribute to the environmentally sound use of those hazardous chemicals by:
  • Facilitating information exchange about their characteristics,
  • Providing for a national decision-making process on their import and export and
  • Disseminating these decisions to Parties.

Major Provisions of Rotterdam Convention

• It mandates hazardous chemical exporters to adhere to accurate labelling, provide safe handling instructions, and update buyers on any prevailing restrictions or prohibitions.
• Participating countries retain the authority to either permit or prohibit the importation of chemicals specified in the agreement.
• It is the responsibility of the exporting nations to ensure that the manufacturers in their territory follow these provisions.
• The Convention also facilitates extensive information sharing about a wide range of chemicals. This includes:
  • Notifying other parties about any national bans or severe restrictions imposed on a chemical.
  • Allowing developing countries or a country in transition to share any issues they face due to the use of a highly hazardous pesticide.
  • Mandating an exporting country to inform the importing party prior to the first shipment, and every year thereafter, about any chemicals that are banned or severely restricted.
  • Ensuring the transmission of an up-to-date safety data sheet by the exporting party when exporting chemicals for work-related purposes.
  • Labelling requirements for exported chemicals listed in the PIC procedure, as well as those that are banned or severely restricted in the exporting country.

Different Annexures in PIC Regulation of the Rotterdam Convention

• Annex I: Has complete data set necessary for notifications according to Article 5.
• Annex II: Describes the criteria for listing banned or severely restricted chemicals in the convention, but only after risk assessment through scientific data and considering the particular circumstances in the country of the Party that submits the notice to limit or ban a chemical.
• Annex III: Consists of industrial chemicals that at least two or more Parties have heavily restricted or banned due to health or environmental concerns and have been subjected to the PIC process by the Conference of the Parties’ decision. Annex III lists 52 chemicals in total: 35 pesticides (including 3 severely hazardous pesticide formulations), 18 industrial chemicals, and 1 chemical in both the pesticide and the industrial chemical categories.
  • 17^th meeting of the chemical review committee (CRC 17) had recommended adding Iprodione and Terbufos in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention.
    • Iprodione is a fungicide used on vines, fruits, trees and vegetables. It is carcinogenic and toxic for reproduction.
    • Terbufos is a soil insecticide used commonly on sorghum, maize, beet and potatoes. It poses risk to aquatic organisms due to its toxicity.
  • Chrysotile asbestos is also recommended by the Chemicals Review Committee (CRC) for listing in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention but for which the Conference of the Parties (COP) has not yet been able to reach consensus.
• Annex IV: Stipulates the details and criteria for including Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulations (SHFPs) in Annex III and calls for additional information like risk and hazard evaluations, if accessible.

What is Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation?

• The Rotterdam Convention establishes a procedure known as Prior Informed Consent (“PIC”).
• The PIC process is relevant to chemicals enumerated in Annex III of the Convention.
• It helps in controlling the export of dangerous chemicals to nations that do not wish to receive them.
• For chemicals in Annex III, a Decision Guidance Document (DGD) is shared with all participants, that helps governments in understanding the risks associated with the chemical usage.
• Countries must decide on the future importation of each chemical listed in Annex III.
  • If a country decides against the import of a particular chemical, it must also halt its local production and reject imports from all sources.
• The process does not outrightly ban or regulate any substances, and countries aren’t obligated to block imports.
• The PIC process operates via extensive data sharing, priority attention to national decisions on imports, and export control obligations.
  • For example, all exporting countries must confirm that chemical exports under the PIC process align with each importing country’s decision.

Conclusion

The Rotterdam Convention plays an instrumental role in promoting responsible and informed international trade of hazardous chemicals and pesticides. It strikes a balance between the need for these substances in various sectors and the potential risks they pose to human health and the environment. Through its PIC procedure, it ensures that countries are well-informed and have the authority to make decisions on the import of such substances, fostering global cooperation and shared responsibility.

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