EPA and
the Economic Commission
for Europe
The Economic Commission for Europe is a United Na-
tions agency. Its 34 members include both Eastern and
Western European countries, the United States, Canada,
and the Soviet Union. It is thus one of the principal
forums in which eastern and western bloc nations meet
on environmental matters. The environmental activities
of the ECE are a significant part of the implementation
of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975.
Environmental activities are coordinated by the Senior
Advisors on Environmental Problems, a committee
which meets annually, with the State Department and
EPA representing the United States.
EPA is a participant in an ECE study on the long-
range transport of air pollutants, particularly sulfur diox-
ide. This study was called for by the Helsinki Final Act,
and will be a major topic of a Soviet-proposed High
Level Meeting on the Environment, tentatively sched-
uled for November, 1979. EPA has participated in the
negotiations for this meeting, where ECE members are
expected to ratify the first international agreement on
cross-border air pollution.
EPA has played a major role in ECE technical
seminars. The Agency hosted a seminar on flue gas
desulfurization, and took part in seminars on waste
technology, nonferrous smelting, and environmental
impact analysis.
EPA is involved in the ECE Group of Rapporteurs on
Air Pollution from Automobiles. This group is working
on international standards for vehicle emissions. Ameri-
,can standards are generally more stringent than those
of other countries. U.S. negotiators are using this
forum to urge European acceptance of stiffen standards
and testing procedures.
In the noise abatement field, where Europeans are
generally ahead of the United States, EPA's Office of
Noise Control Programs has recently begun to partici-
pate in the ECE's efforts at international harmonization
of noise standards for vehicles.
vvEPA
United Stales
Environmental Pfoleclion
Agency
------- |