02 August 2024
Over the past decades, pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) have become a new and important tool in the field of environmental discharge management. By providing information on pollutant releases into public environments, PRTRs raise awareness about the main sources of threats to health and the environment and enable the public to play a more effective role in influencing decision-making processes related to these threats. Increased transparency can create pressure on companies to reduce the pollution burden arising from their activities.
PRTR is a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register, commonly known as PRTR. It is a publicly accessible register that contains information on releases (emissions) from operators into the environment, and their transfers, and it includes a specific set of pollutants from certain specific activities. The information included in a PRTR is reported periodically, usually on an annual basis, and is mandatory for operators responsible for activities that cause releases and transfers.
The Kiev Protocol on PRTR is the first legally binding international instrument on this subject, committing its parties to establish PRTRs that are publicly accessible and maintained through mandatory reporting of a wide range of pollutants from certain significant environmental activities.
This guide introduces the concept of the Aarhus Convention, explains the history of how the Protocol came into force, and describes its main requirements and the activities being undertaken to promote its implementation.
The preparation of this guide was supported by the project “Enhancement of Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) in the Western Balkan Countries and the Republic of Moldova,” which was funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment with funds from the Advisory Assistance Program (AAP) for environmental protection in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, as well as other countries bordering the European Union. It was supervised by the German Environment Agency (UBA) and implemented by Participatio Ltd. in partnership with EcoContact, REC Albania, REC BiH, and REC Montenegro.
For more information, download: The Guide for the Use of Information in the Aarhus Convention.