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HIGHLIGHT: Delegations from over 100 countries are gathering in Kuching, Malaysia, between February 23 and 27 for the 4th Conference of Parties to the Basle Convention on the control and monitoring of transboundary shipments of hazardous waste. The main issues on the conference agenda are adoption of the list of hazardous waste subject to a total export ban (amending technical annexes), the addition of Israel and Monaco to Annex VII (countries authorised to import hazardous waste from OECD countries) and the impact of future bilateral Agreements on the international ban.

BODY: The Kuching meeting will first aim to review implementation of the measures set out in the Basle Convention intended to monitor transboundary movements of waste. The Convention proposes to introduce a total ban on hazardous waste exports from member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to non-OECD members and, in particular, developing countries, from 1998 onwards. On December 16, 1997, the EU Council of Ministers adopted a common position on the proposal for a Regulation concerning the transfer of wastes (see Europe Environment No. 513 for further details), transposing the provisions of the Basle Convention into Community law.

Delegates from countries party to the Basle Convention (and European Commission representatives) will seek to agree a list of products subject to a total ban. Delegates will also examine the delicate issue of bilateral Agreements which are regarded by some, not least by environmental organisations such as Greenpeace, as the best means of circumventing a general ban, one that proposes to make no exceptions. The few countries that have refused to sign up to the ban - notably the United States, the world's leading waste-trade generator and also the only OECD county not party to the Basel Convention - argue that shipments of hazardous waste should be permitted to those countries that declare themselves "capable of handling hazardous waste in a safe environment".

Greenpeace recalls that the founding principle of the Convention is a total ban and argues that "it would be a disaster if the international community allowed the few ban opponents to prevail". In a statement issued on the eve of the Conference, the organisation emphasises the need to "conclude the process started years ago to ban waste trade and move into a new era of clean production". Greenpeace urges industry to view the Basle Convention as an incentive to adopt alternative "clean" production methods.