Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer 
(Montreal, 16 September 1987) 

The Parties to this Protocol, 

Being Parties to the Vienna Convention for the  
Protection of the Ozone Layer, 

Mindful of their obligation under that Convention to  
take appropriate measures to protect human health and  
the environment against adverse effects resulting or  
likely to result from human activities which modify or  
are likely to modify the ozone layer, Recognizing that  
world-wide emissions of certain substances can  
significantly deplete and otherwise modify the ozone  
layer in a manner that is likely to result in adverse  
effects on human health and the environment, 

Conscious of the potential climatic effects of emissions  
of these substances, 

Aware that measures taken to protect the ozone layer  
from depletion should be based on relevant scientific  
knowledge, taking into account technical and economic  
considerations, 

Determined to protect the ozone layer by taking  
precautionary measures to control equitably total global  
emissions of substances that deplete it, with the  
ultimate objective of their elimination on the basis of  
developments in scientific knowledge, taking into  
account technical and economic considerations, 

Acknowledging that special provision is required to meet  
the needs of developing countries for these substances, 

Noting the precautionary measures for controlling  
emissions of certain chlorofluorocarbons that have  
already been taken at national and regional levels, 

Considering the importance of promoting international  
co-operation in the research and development of science  
and technology relating to the control and reduction of  
emissions of substances that deplete the ozone layer,  
bearing in mind in particular the needs of developing  
countries, 

Have agreed as follows: 

Article 1 
Definitions 

For the purposes of this Protocol: 

1. "Convention" means the Vienna Convention for the  
Protection of the Ozone Layer, adopted on 22 March 1985. 

2. "Parties" means, unless the text otherwise indicates,  
Parties to this Protocol. 

3. "Secretariat" means the secretariat of the  
Convention. 

4. "Controlled substance" means a substance listed in  
Annex A to this Protocol, whether existing alone or in a  
mixture. It excludes, however, any such substance or  
mixture which is in a manufactured product other than a  
container used for the transportation or storage of the  
substance listed. 

5. "Production" means the amount of controlled  
substances produced minus the amount destroyed by  
technologies to be approved by the Parties. 

6. "Consumption" means production plus imports minus  
exports of controlled substances. 

7. "Calculated levels" of production, imports, exports  
and consumption means levels determined in accordance  
with Article 3.  

8. "Industrial rationalization" means the transfer of  
all or a portion of the calculated level of production  
of one Party to another, for the purpose of achieving  
economic efficiencies or responding to anticipated  
shortfalls in supply as a result of plant closures. 

Article 2 
Control Measures 

1. Each Party shall ensure that for the twelve-month  
period commencing on the first day of the seventh month  
following the date of the entry into force of this  
Protocol, and in each twelve-month period thereafter,  
its calculated level of consumption of the controlled  
substances in Group I of Annex A does not exceed its  
calculated level of consumption in 1986. By the end of  
the same period, each Party producing one or more of  
these substances shall ensure that its calculated level  
of production of the substances does not exceed its  
calculated level of production in 1986, except that such  
level may have increased by no more than ten per cent  
based on the 1986 level. Such increase shall be  
permitted only so as to satisfy the basic domestic needs  
of the Parties operating under Article 5 and for the  
purposes of industrial rationalization between Parties. 

2. Each Party shall ensure that for the twelve-month  
period commencing on the first day of the thirty-seventh  
month following the date of the entry into force of this  
Protocol, and in each twelve-month period thereafter,  
its calculated level of consumption of the controlled  
substances listed in Group II of Annex A does not exceed  
its calculated level of consumption in 1986. Each Party  
producing one or more of these substances shall ensure  
that its calculated level of production of the  
substances does not exceed its calculated level of  
production in 1986, except that such level may have  
increased by no more than ten per cent based on the 1986  
level. Such increase shall be permitted only so as to  
satisfy the basic domestic needs of the Parties  
operating under Article 5 and for the purposes of  
industrial rationalization between Parties. The  
mechanisms for implementing these measures shall be  
decided by the Parties at their first meeting following  
the first scientific review. 

3. Each Party shall ensure that for the period 1 July  
1993 to 30 June 1994 and in each twelve-month period  
thereafter, its calculated level of consumption of the  
controlled substances in Group I of Annex A does not  
exceed, annually, eighty per cent of its calculated  
level of consumption in 1986. Each Party producing one  
or more of these substances shall, for the same periods,  
ensure that its calculated level of production of the  
substances does not exceed, annually, eighty per cent of  
its calculated level of production in 1986. However, in  
order to satisfy the basic domestic needs of the Parties  
operating under Article 5 and for the purposes of  
industrial rationalization between Parties, its  
calculated level of production may exceed that limit by  
up to ten per cent of its calculated level of production  
in 1986. 

4. Each Party shall ensure that for the period 1 July  
1998 to 30 June 1999, and in each twelve-month period  
thereafter, its calculated level of consumption of the  
controlled substances in Group I of Annex A does not  
exceed, annually, fifty per cent of its calculated level  
of consumption in 1986. Each Party producing one or more  
of these substances shall, for the same periods, ensure  
that its calculated level of production of the  
substances does not exceed, annually, fifty per cent of  
its calculated level of production in 1986. However, in  
order to satisfy the basic domestic needs of the Parties  
operating under Article 5 and for the purposes of  
industrial rationalization between Parties, its  
calculated level of production may exceed that limit by  
up to fifteen per cent of its calculated level of  
production in 1986. This paragraph will apply unless the  
Parties decide otherwise at a meeting by a two-thirds  
majority of Parties present and voting, representing at  
least two-thirds of the total calculated level of  
consumption of these substances of the Parties. This  
decision shall be considered and made in the light of  
the assessments referred to in Article 6. 

5. Any Party whose calculated level of production in  
1986 of the controlled substances in Group I of Annex A  
was less than twenty-five kilotonnes may, for the  
purposes of industrial rationalization, transfer to or  
receive from any other Party, production in excess of  
the limits set out in paragraphs 1, 3 and 4  
provided that the total combined calculated levels of  
production of the Parties concerned does not exceed the  
production limits set out in this Article. Any transfer  
of such production shall be notified to the secretariat,  
no later than the time of the transfer. 

6. Any Party not operating under Article 5, that has  
facilities for the production of controlled substances  
under construction, or contracted for, prior to 16  
September 1987, and provided for in national legislation  
prior to 1 January 1987, may add the production from  
such facilities to its 1986 production of such  
substances for the purposes of determining its  
calculated level of production for 1986, provided that  
such facilities are completed by 31 December 1990 and  
that such production does not raise that Party's annual  
calculated level of consumption of the controlled  
substances above 0.5 kilograms per capita. 

7. Any transfer of production pursuant to paragraph 5 or  
any addition of production pursuant to paragraph 6 shall  
be notified to the secretariat, no later than the time  
of the transfer or addition. 

8.  
(a) Any Parties which are Member States of a regional  
economic integration organization as defined in Article  
1 (6) of the Convention may agree that they shall  
jointly fulfill their obligations respecting consumption  
under this Article provided that their total combined  
calculated level of consumption does not exceed the  
levels required by this Article. 

(b) The Parties to any such agreement shall inform the  
secretariat of the terms of the agreement before the  
date of the reduction in consumption with which the  
agreement is concerned. 

(c) Such agreement will become operative only if all  
Member States of the regional economic integration  
organization and the organization concerned are Parties  
to the Protocol and have notified the secretariat of  
their manner of implementation. 

9.  
(a) Based on the assessments made pursuant to Article 6,  
the Parties may decide whether: 
(i) adjustments to the ozone depleting potentials  
specified in Annex A should be made and, if so, what the  
adjustments should be; and  
(ii) further adjustments and reductions of production or  
consumption of the controlled substances from 1986  
levels should be undertaken and, if so, what the scope,  
amount and timing of any such adjustments and reductions  
should be. 

(b) Proposals for such adjustments shall be communicated  
to the Parties by the secretariat at least six months  
before the meeting of the Parties at which they are  
proposed for adoption. 

(c) In taking such decisions, the Parties shall make  
every effort to reach agreement by consensus. If all  
efforts at consensus have been exhausted, and no  
agreement reached, such decisions shall, as a last  
resort, be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of the  
Parties present and voting representing at least fifty  
per cent of the total consumption of the controlled  
substances of the Parties.  

(d) The decisions, which shall be binding on all  
Parties, shall forthwith be communicated to the Parties  
by the Depositary. Unless otherwise provided in the  
decisions, they shall enter into force on the expiry of  
six months from the date of the circulation of the  
communication by the Depositary. 

10.  
(a) Based on the assessments made pursuant to Article 6  
of this Protocol and in accordance with the procedure  
set out in Article 9 of the Convention, the Parties may  
decide: 
(i) whether any substances, and if so which, should be  
added to or removed from any annex to this Protocol; and 
(ii) the mechanism, scope and timing of the control  
measures that should apply to those substances; 

(b) Any such decision shall become effective, provided  
that it has been accepted by a two-thirds majority vote  
of the Parties present and voting. 

11. Notwithstanding the provisions contained in this  
Article, Parties may take more stringent measures than  
those required by this Article. 

Article 3 
Calculation of Control Levels 

For the purposes of Articles 2 and 5, each Party shall,  
for each Group of substances in Annex A, determine its  
calculated levels of:  

(a) production by: 
(i) multiplying its annual production of each controlled  
substance by the ozone depleting potential specified in  
respect of it in Annex A; and 
(ii) adding together, for each such Group, the resulting  
figures;  

(b) imports and exports, respectively, by following,  
mutatis mutandis, the procedure set out in subparagraph  
(a); and 

(c) consumption by adding together its calculated levels  
of production and imports and subtracting its calculated  
level of exports as determined in accordance with  
subparagraphs (a) and (b). However, beginning on 1  
January 1993, any export of controlled substances to  
non-Parties shall not be subtracted in calculating the  
consumption level of the exporting Party. 

Article 4 
Control of Trade with Non-Parties 

1. Within one year of the entry into force of this  
Protocol, each Party shall ban the import of controlled  
substances from any State not party to this Protocol. 

2. Beginning on 1 January 1993, no Party operating under  
paragraph 1 of Article 5 may export any controlled  
substance to any State not party to this Protocol. 

3. Within three years of the date of the entry into  
force of this Protocol, the Parties shall, following the  
procedures in Article 10 of the Convention, elaborate in  
an annex a list of products containing controlled  
substances. Parties that have not objected to the annex  
in accordance with those procedures shall ban, within  
one year of the annex having become effective, the  
import of those products from any State not party to  
this Protocol. 

4. Within five years of the entry into force of this  
Protocol, the Parties shall determine the feasibility of  
banning or restricting, from States not party to this  
Protocol, the import of products produced with, but not  
containing, controlled substances. If determined  
feasible, the Parties shall, following the procedures in  
Article 10 of the Convention, elaborate in an annex a  
list of such products. Parties that have not objected to  
it in accordance with those procedures shall ban or  
restrict, within one year of the annex having become  
effective, the import of those products from any State  
not party to this Protocol. 

5. Each Party shall discourage the export, to any State  
not party to this Protocol, of technology for producing  
and for utilizing controlled substances. 

6. Each Party shall refrain from providing new  
subsidies, aid, credits, guarantees or insurance  
programmes for the export to States not party to this  
Protocol of products, equipment, plants or technology  
that would facilitate the production of controlled  
substances. 

7. Paragraphs 5 and 6 shall not apply to products,  
equipment, plants or technology that improve the  
containment, recovery, recycling or destruction of  
controlled substances, promote the development of  
alternative substances, or otherwise contribute to the  
reduction of emissions of controlled substances. 

8. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article,  
imports referred to in paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 may be  
permitted from any State not party to this Protocol if  
that State is determined, by a meeting of the Parties,  
to be in full compliance with Article 2 and this  
Article, and has submitted data to that effect as  
specified in Article 7. 

Article 5 
Special Situation of Developing Countries 

1. Any Party that is a developing country and whose  
annual calculated level of consumption of the controlled  
substances is less than 0.3 kilograms per capita on the  
date of the entry into force of the Protocol for it, or  
any time thereafter within ten years of the date of  
entry into force of the Protocol shall, in order to meet  
its basic domestic needs, be entitled to delay its  
compliance with the control measures set out in  
paragraphs 1 to 4 of Article 2 by ten years after that  
specified in those paragraphs. However, such Party shall  
not exceed an annual calculated level of consumption of  
0.3 kilograms per capita. Any such Party shall be  
entitled to use either the average of its annual  
calculated level of consumption for the period 1995 to  
1997 inclusive or a calculated level of consumption  
of 0.3 kilograms per capita, whichever is the lower, as  
the basis for its compliance with the control measures. 

2. The Parties undertake to facilitate access to  
environmentally safe alternative substances and  
technology for Parties that are developing countries and  
assist them to make expeditious use of such  
alternatives. 

3. The Parties undertake to facilitate bilaterally or  
multilaterally the provision of subsidies, aid, credits,  
guarantees or insurance programmes to Parties that are  
developing countries for the use of alternative  
technology and for substitute products. 

Article 6 
Assessment and Review of Control Measures 

Beginning in 1990, and at least every four years  
thereafter, the Parties shall assess the control  
measures provided for in Article 2 on the basis of  
available scientific, environmental, technical and  
economic information. At least one year before each  
assessment, the Parties shall convene appropriate panels  
of experts qualified in the fields mentioned and  
determine the composition and terms of reference of any  
such panels. Within one year of being convened,  
the panels will report their conclusions, through the  
secretariat, to the Parties. 

Article 7 
Reporting of Data 

1. Each Party shall provide to the secretariat, within  
three months of becoming a Party, statistical data on  
its production, imports and exports of each of the  
controlled substances for the year 1986, or the best  
possible estimates of such data where actual data are  
not available. 

2. Each Party shall provide statistical data to the  
secretariat on its annual production (with separate data  
on amounts destroyed by technologies to be approved by  
the Parties), imports, and exports to Parties and non- 
Parties, respectively, of such substances for the year  
during which it becomes a Party and for each year  
thereafter. It shall forward the data no later than nine  
months after the end of the year to which the data  
relate. 

Article 8 
Non-Compliance 

The Parties, at their first meeting, shall consider and  
approve procedures and institutional mechanisms for  
determining non-compliance with the provisions of this  
Protocol and for treatment of Parties found to be in  
non-compliance. 

Article 9 
Research, Development, Public Awareness and Exchange of  
Information 

1. The Parties shall co-operate, consistent with their  
national laws, regulations and practices and taking into  
account in particular the needs of developing countries,  
in promoting, directly or through competent  
international bodies, research, development and  
exchange of information on: 

(a) best technologies for improving the containment,  
recovery, recycling or destruction of controlled  
substances or otherwise reducing their emissions; 

(b) possible alternatives to controlled substances, to  
products containing such substances, and to products  
manufactured with them; and 

(c) costs and benefits of relevant control strategies. 

2. The Parties, individually, jointly or through  
competent international bodies, shall co-operate in  
promoting public awareness of the environmental effects  
of the emissions of controlled substances and other  
substances that deplete the ozone layer. 

3. Within two years of the entry into force of this  
Protocol and every two years thereafter, each Party  
shall submit to the secretariat a summary of the  
activities it has conducted pursuant to this Article. 
Article 10 
Technical Assistance 

1. The Parties shall, in the context of the provisions  
of Article 4 of the Convention, and taking into account  
in particular the needs of developing countries, co- 
operate in promoting technical assistance to facilitate  
participation in and implementation of this Protocol.  

2. Any Party or Signatory to this Protocol may submit a  
request to the secretariat for technical assistance for  
the purposes of implementing or participating in the  
Protocol. 

3. The Parties, at their first meeting, shall begin  
deliberations on the means of fulfilling the obligations  
set out in Article 9, and paragraphs 1 and 2 of this  
Article, including the preparation of workplans. Such  
workplans shall pay special attention to the needs and  
circumstances of the developing countries. States and  
regional economic integration organizations not party to  
the Protocol should be encouraged to participate in  
activities specified in such workplans. 

Article 11 
Meetings of the Parties 

1. The Parties shall hold meetings at regular intervals.  
The secretariat shall convene the first meeting of the  
Parties not later than one year after the date of the  
entry into force of this Protocol and in conjunction  
with a meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the  
Convention, if a meeting of the latter is scheduled  
within that period. 

2. Subsequent ordinary meetings of the Parties shall be  
held, unless the Parties otherwise decide, in  
conjunction with meetings of the Conference of the  
Parties to the Convention. Extraordinary meetings of the  
Parties shall be held at such other times as may be  
deemed necessary by a meeting of the Parties, or at the  
written request of any Party, provided that, within six  
months of such a request being communicated to them by  
the secretariat, it is supported by at least one third  
of the Parties. 

3. The Parties, at their first meeting, shall: 

(a) adopt by consensus rules of procedure for their  
meetings; 

(b) adopt by consensus the financial rules referred to  
in paragraph 2 of Article 13; 

(c) establish the panels and determine the terms of  
reference referred to in Article 6; 

(d) consider and approve the procedures and  
institutional mechanisms specified in Article 8; and 

(e) begin preparation of workplans pursuant to paragraph  
3 of Article 10; 

4. The functions of the meetings of the Parties shall be  
to: 

(a) review the implementation of this Protocol; 

(b) decide on any adjustments or reductions referred to  
in paragraph 9 of Article 2; 

(c) decide on any addition to, insertion in or removal  
from any annex of substances and on related control  
measures in accordance with paragraph 10 of Article 2; 

(d) establish, where necessary, guidelines or procedures  
for reporting of information as provided for in Article  
7 and paragraph 3 of Article 9; 

(e) review requests for technical assistance submitted  
pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 10; 

(f) review reports prepared by the secretariat pursuant  
to subparagraph (c) of Article 12; 

(g) assess, in accordance with Article 6, the control  
measures provided for in Article 2; 

(h) consider and adopt, as required, proposals for  
amendment of this Protocol or any annex and for any new  
annex; 

(i) consider and adopt the budget for implementing this  
Protocol; and 

(j) consider and undertake any additional action that  
may be required for the achievement of the purposes of  
this Protocol. 

5. The United Nations, its specialized agencies and the  
International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as any State  
not party to this Protocol, may be represented at  
meetings of the Parties as observers. Any body or  
agency, whether national or international, governmental  
or non-governmental, qualified in fields relating to the  
protection of the ozone layer which has informed the  
secretariat of its wish to be represented at a meeting  
of the Parties as an observer may be admitted unless at  
least one third of the Parties present object. The  
admission and participation of observers shall be  
subject to the rules of procedure adopted by the  
Parties. 

Article 12 
Secretariat 

For the purposes of this Protocol, the secretariat  
shall: 

(a) arrange for and service meetings of the Parties as  
provided for in Article 11; 

(b) receive and make available, upon request by a Party,  
data provided pursuant to Article 7; 

(c) prepare and distribute regularly to the Parties  
reports based on information received pursuant to  
Articles 7 and 9; 

(d) notify the Parties of any request for technical  
assistance received pursuant to Article 10 so as to  
facilitate the provision of such assistance; 

(e) encourage non-Parties to attend the meetings of the  
Parties as observers and to act in accordance with the  
provisions of this Protocol; 

(f) provide, as appropriate, the information and  
requests referred to in subparagraphs (c) and (d) to  
such non-party observers; and  

(g) perform such other functions for the achievement of  
the purposes of this Protocol as may be assigned to it  
by the Parties. 

Article 13 
Financial Provisions 

1. The funds required for the operation of this  
Protocol, including those for the functioning of the  
secretariat related to this Protocol shall be charged  
exclusively against contributions from the Parties. 

2. The Parties, at their first meeting, shall adopt by  
consensus financial rules for the operation of this  
Protocol. 

Article 14 
Relationship of this Protocol to the Convention 

Except as otherwise provided in this Protocol, the  
provisions of the Convention relating to its protocols  
shall apply to this Protocol. 

Article 15 
Signature 

This Protocol shall be open for signature by States and  
by regional economic integration organizations in  
Montreal on 16 September 1987, in Ottawa from 17  
September 1987 to 16 January 1988, and at United Nations  
Headquarters in New York from 17 January 1988 to 15  
September 1988. 

Article 16 
Entry into Force 

1. This Protocol shall enter into force on 1 January  
1989, provided that at least eleven instruments of  
ratification, acceptance, approval of the Protocol or  
accession thereto have been deposited by States or  
regional economic integration organizations representing  
at least two-thirds of 1986 estimated global consumption  
of the controlled substances, and the provisions of  
paragraph 1 of Article 17 of the Convention have been  
fulfilled. In the event that these conditions have not  
been fulfilled by that date, the Protocol shall enter  
into force on the ninetieth day following the date on  
which the conditions have been fulfilled. 

2. For the purposes of paragraph 1, any such instrument  
deposited by a regional economic integration  
organization shall not be counted as additional to those  
deposited by member States of such organization. 

3. After the entry into force of this Protocol, any  
State or regional economic integration organization  
shall become a Party to it on the ninetieth day  
following the date of deposit of its instrument of  
ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. 

Article 17 
Parties Joining after Entry into Force 

Subject to Article 5, any State or regional economic  
integration organization which becomes a Party to this  
Protocol after the date of its entry into force, shall  
fulfill forthwith the sum of the obligations under  
Article 2, as well as under Article 4, that apply at  
that date to the States and regional economic  
integration organizations that became Parties on the  
date the Protocol entered into force. 

Article 18 
Reservations 

No reservations may be made to this Protocol. 

Article 19 
Withdrawal 

For the purposes of this Protocol, the provisions of  
Article 19 of the Convention relating to withdrawal  
shall apply, except with respect to Parties referred to  
in paragraph 1 of Article 5. Any such Party may withdraw  
from this Protocol by giving written notification to the  
Depositary at any time after four years of assuming the  
obligations specified in paragraphs 1 to 4 of Article 2.  
Any such withdrawal shall take effect upon expiry of one  
year after the date of its receipt by the Depositary, or  
on such later date as may be specified in the  
notification of the withdrawal. 

Article 20 
Authentic Texts 

The original of this Protocol, of which the Arabic,  
Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are  
equally authentic shall be deposited with the Secretary- 
General of the United Nations. 

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly  
authorized to that effect, have signed this Protocol. 
Done at Montreal this sixteenth day of September, one  
thousand nine hundred and eighty-seven. 

Annex A 
Controlled Substances 
omissis.