Co-operative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the long-range transmissions of air pollutants in Europe (or, European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme – EMEP)
is one of the main international air pollution monitoring programs carried out within the framework of the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (1979) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Roshydromet takes part in the implementation of EMEP, ensuring participation and fulfilling the obligations of the Russian Federation.
The main goal of EMEP is to provide, on a regular basis, governments, Convention bodies and other international research programs with qualified (verified) scientific information to assess long-range transport of atmospheric pollution, support the development and evaluate the effectiveness of implementation of international protocols under the Convention to reduce air emissions .
More than 40 countries participate in EMEP and have signed and ratified a set of protocols to implement EMEP and to reduce emissions of major anthropogenic pollutants in Europe
(http://www.msceast.org/index.php/russian).
The structure of the international EMEP program, formed over the first 15 years of its implementation, includes 5 program centers (for monitoring chemical pollution, for modeling and for inventorying air emissions) and 4 Task Forces on the main problems of research and implementation of the program. You can obtain detailed information on the progress of the program, its participants, activities carried out and published reports on the EMEP portal (http://emep.int/).
The main tasks of the participating countries in the field of monitoring:
• conducting regular observations of the content of pollutants in the atmosphere according to agreed programs;
• assessment at the national level and in cooperation with the international Chemical Coordination Center (CCC/NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research) of the level of pollution and trends in its change according to monitoring data;
• assessment of the representativeness of modeling results carried out regularly by two meteorological synthesis centers (Norway (http://emep.int/mscw/index_mscw.html); Moscow (http://www.msceast.org/)) based on measurements of atmospheric concentrations and fluxes of substances.
The improvement, development and expansion of the monitoring program is carried out through discussion and approval by the EMEP Steering Body (EMEP Stearing Body (http://emep.int/emep_overview.html)) international documents:
• EMEP Strategies (http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/documents/2010/eb/eb/ece.eb.air.2010.4.r.pdf)
• “EMEP Monitoring Strategies 2020-2029.” (https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/documents/2019/AIR/EB/ECE_EB.AIR_2019_4-1916517R.pdf
The formulation of monitoring directions, assessment and presentation of research results, as well as discussion of scientific projects are carried out within the framework of the Task Force (EME/WMO) on Monitoring and Modeling (http://www.emep.int/).
The EMEP regular monitoring program includes measurements of pollutants on a list agreed by countries in air and precipitation. Sampling and primary processing are carried out at a network of specialized stations located at a considerable distance from large cities and industrial centers (more than 50-100 km).
To ensure high-quality results, specialized networks in all countries use the adopted EMEP Guidelines for Sampling and Chemical Analysis (2006) (http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/ie/capact/ppp/pdfs/rws2/emep)for carrying out observations and analyzes of samples. The quality of measurement data in network laboratories of countries is checked annually during international intercalibrations coordinated by CCC.
In 1980-1990 In the border areas of the republics of the former Soviet Union located on the European part, a network of EMEP atmospheric monitoring stations was organized. From the very beginning of the implementation of the EMEP program, the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology, as a national center, has been providing coordination and methodological guidance and analytical support for the implementation of the observation program. Currently, on the territory of Russia (in 3 UGMS), EMEP stations operate, created at hydrometeorological stations in areas of specially protected natural areas:
• Pasvik State Nature Reserve (Janiskoski village, Murmansk region),
• Pinega State Natural Biosphere Reserve (Pinega station, Arkhangelsk region),
• Prioksko-Terrasny State Natural Biosphere Reserve (Danki station, Moscow region),
• Central Forest State Natural Biosphere Reserve (Lesnoy station, Tver region).
The unified analytical laboratory and scientific and methodological center of the national network are located in the Federal State Budgetary Institution “IGKE”. Summarized materials obtained during the implementation of EMEP on the Russian network are presented in the annual issues of the “Review of the State and Pollution of the Environment in the Russian Federation” (http://downloads.igce.ru/publications/reviews/review2015.pdf), “Review of the background state of the natural environment of the CIS countries” (http://downloads.igce.ru/publications/obz_fon_2/of_2015.pdf).
