Article 8 of 1979 LRTAP Convention states that:  "The Contracting Parties, within the framework of the Executive Body referred to in article 10 and bilaterally, shall, in their common interests, exchange available information on:  data on emissions at periods of time to be agreed upon, of agreed air pollutants, starting with sulphur dioxide,coming from grid-units of agreed size; or on the fluxes of agreed air pollutants, starting with sulphur dioxide, across national borders, at distances and at periods of time to be agreed upon;….”

2023 Reporting Guidelines

At its 42^nd session (Geneva, 12-16 December 2022), the Executive Body for the Air Convention adopted the 2023 Reporting Guidelines for reporting emissions and projections data under the Convention (see EB Decision 2022/1).

The document is a revised version of the 2014 Guidelines for reporting emission data under the Convention (ECE/EB.AIR/125), which itself is a revised version of the 2009 Guidelines for Reporting Emission data under the Convention (ECE/EB.AIR/97), which were approved by the Executive Body in 2008 (ECE/EB.AIR/96, para. 83 (b)).

Updates

Annex I was developed and tested during 2018/2019 by TFEIP WG/CEIP.  This revised version was approved by EMEP SB during its 5^th Joint Session and should be used for reporting under the Air Convention from 2020 onwards.

Annex II  (template for IIR) has been revised in 2021 (to be used from 2022 onwards). Changes include:

• Changes to the suggested information on the inclusion of the condensables
• Clearer specification of the information that should be provided in the chapter on reporting of  gridded data and LPS data
• Revisions in the guidance provided in the sector „sections“
• Suggestion to include information on verification activities
• Suggestion to include a table with information on the implementation of recommendations/findings from reviews (CLRTAP stage 3 and where relevant NECD review)

Annex IV  (template for projections) to the reporting Guidelines was adopted for application in 2024 and subsequent years.

• The structure of the revised template now corresponds to the structure of Annex I (Emission reporting template)

Deadlines

• full time series of emissions (Annex I) annually by 15 February 
• notification on new adjustment application (if applicable)  by 15 February
• IIRs (Annex II) annually by 15 March 
• projections (Annex IV) 2015 onwards every four years by 15 March
• gridded data  (Annex V) 2017 onwards every four years by 1 May
• supporting documentation for new  adjustment application by 15 March
• LPS information (Annex VI) 2017 onwards every four years by 1 May
• EU may deliver emission and projections report by 30 April, its IIR by 30 May and its gridded data and LPS by 15 June.

Extended reporting instructions

Annual emission inventory reporting shall cover full time series  from 1990 to N-2 (2000 onwards for PM and BC).

Projections should be reported for NO_x, NMVOC, SO_x, NH₃ and BC (where appropriate).

Parties are kindly invited to:

1. use one of the EMEP - ISO2 codes to indicate their country (list of country and area codes ) (revised in 2023).
2. solely use the latest version of the templates.
3. forward their data in standardized format electronically to the EMEP Centre on Emission Inventories and Projections (CEIP) or alternatively upload it on the EIONET Central data depository maintained by EEA and
4. inform the UNECE Secretariat of the contents of their data submission by means of the notification form (Annex III) (but without sending the data files to the Secretariat).
5. check the formats with RepDab before submitting data to CEIP/EEA.
6. Resubmissions due to errors should be provided as soon as possible but latest within 4 weeks from the due date for submission including clear explanations of the changes made.
7. Parties are encouraged to submit recalculations on a sectoral basis and on gridded basis, if recalculations are made for a year for which gridded data are required.

CEIP, on behalf of the Convention, communicates directly with CEIP contact points regarding any queries on Parties submission. Parties are kindly requested to reply to CEIP requests.

Questions or comments regarding the emission reporting can be sent to CEIP (technical questions on the data submitted) or to the UNECE Secretariat (procedural issues).