PRTR initiation - Developing a PRTR proposal
A “National PRTR Proposal” articulates specifications for all aspects of a PRTR, including legal implications, technical design, institutional and administrative responsibilities, and national implementation of the PRTR system.
The PRTR Proposal embodies the lessons learned from the PRTR Pilot, and includes adjustments and modifications that address the lessons learned. The proposal is a tool for communicating the design of the national PRTR system and for obtaining approval for a PRTR from national decision makers. A PRTR proposal should be structured to include the following sections:
- Introduction;
- Objectives of the National PRTR System;
- Legal Implementation of the National PRTR System;
- Reporting Requirements and Procedures for Point Sources of Emissions;
- Treatment of Non-Point and Non-Reporting Point Sources of Emissions;
- PRTR Data Management System;
- Administration of the National PRTR System;
- National Implementation Work Plan;
- Review Procedures; and
- Recommendations for Further Development of the PRTR System.
To develop a PRTR that is harmonised with other PRTR systems, your country may consider including specifications relevant to harmonisation within the National PRTR Proposal. Examples of the types of specifications relevant to harmonisation that might be included within a National PRTR Proposal are:
Section of National PRTR ProposalSpecifications Relevant to Harmonisation
Objectives of the national PRTR SystemHarmonisation goals
Reporting requirements and procedures for point sources of emissionsDesign decisions for collecting harmonised data for point sources
Treatment of non-point and non-reporting point sources of emissionsDesign decisions for collecting harmonised data for non-point sources
Administration of the national PRTR systemDisseminating PRTR data for use in global scale analyses
Recommendations for further development of the PRTR systemImproving harmonisation of PRTR data through future enhancements to the PRTR
For a cost-effective management scheme, you may wish to implement the next element (Preparing a Legal Instrument) or choose another element from the Management scheme elements list.
Relevant tools
- UNITAR and IOMC: Implementing a National PRTR Design Project: A Guidance Document (1997)
- UNITAR and IOMC: Structuring a National PRTR Proposal, UNITAR Guidance Series for Implementing a National PRTR Design Project, Supplement 4 (1997)
- UNITAR, UNEP, and GEF: Final Meeting of the Steering Committee for the GEF Medium-sized project on “POPs Monitoring, Reporting and Information Dissemination using Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs)” (2012)