Having considered the comments and the recommendation of the Sub-Committee on Monitoring, Evaluation and Finance (UNEP/OzL.Pro/ExCom/33/3, para. 13), the Executive Committee decided:
- To note the report contained in UNEP/OzL.Pro/ExCom/33/6 and, in particular, that the main positive result was that, with only one exception, the companies covered by the evaluation had successfully phased out the target volume of ODS;
- To request the implementing agencies, in cooperation with the Secretariat, to determine proposed project duration on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the particular circumstances, instead of presenting all projects with the same standard duration. Instances where the implementing agencies and the Secretariat could not reach agreement on proposed project duration should be brought to the attention of the Sub-Committee on Project Review when the project was submitted for approval;
- Also to request National Ozone Units to validate the CFC consumption to be phased out in enterprises participating in foam sector projects, retaining records to enable future verification, and to advise their governments that their agreement to the project would indicate a commitment to ensure that the validated phase-out figure was realized and yielded a sustained reduction from the specified level of current sector consumption;
- Further to request that, in accordance with the relevant guidelines, the funding received be partly or fully returned to the Multilateral Fund in cases where technology was changed without informing the Secretariat and without approval by the Executive Committee;
- In view of the instances of equipment purchased by the Multilateral Fund not being used or being reverted to the use of CFCs, to request the National Ozone Units to monitor closely, in cooperation with customs authorities and local environmental protection authorities, the importation of CFCs (if any were still allowed) and to combine this with occasional unscheduled visits to importers and foam companies to check invoices and storage areas for unauthorized use of CFCs. Project documents might include an agreement that the National Ozone Units might conduct a determined number of unscheduled visits to the recipient enterprise. Furthermore, measures were needed to cope with illegal imports that seemed to be widespread in a number of countries;
- To request the implementing agencies to ensure that recipient enterprises were fully aware of their obligation to cease using CFCs upon conversion and to make a commitment to that effect in the project documentation;
- Also to request that, in preparing liquid carbon dioxide (LCD) projects, implementing agencies and National Ozone Units fully explain the nature of the LCD technology to potential recipient enterprises so that their decision to sign the required statement would be well-informed;
- To urge all implementing agencies to ensure the appropriate use, or refund, of unused contingency funds, and to keep funding requests for equipment and trials to levels essential to ensuring the conversion. In cases of serious funding irregularities, such as when project funds were used to purchase non-eligible items, the implementing agency concerned might be requested by the Executive Committee to return funding to the Multilateral Fund;
- To request implementing agencies and National Ozone Units concerned to provide comments on country reports and project evaluation case studies, and particularly explanations on the projects where the evaluation had left questions open, and also to request the Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer to present a synthesis of such comments and explanations in the consolidated project completion report to the Thirty-fifth meeting of the Executive Committee;
- Further to request the implementing agencies, in cooperation with their internal auditors, if necessary, to report on the need for and use of technology transfer funds and on the selection and use of international consultants for preparing, reviewing and implementing foam projects, bearing in mind that technology transfer funds should generally be paid only to supplier companies in cases of patented or otherwise restricted and recent technology, but not to consultants and not for standard technology;
- To require the implementing agencies to justify the use of international consultants in projects more carefully than in the past; their cost should be declared as such and their selection be based on competitive bidding and an evaluation of various options, including package deals with supplier companies and systems houses and the increased use of local engineers, in particular, for standard conversion technologies;
- To request implementing agencies to diversify their choice of technical reviewers for foam projects;
- To take note of the actions proposed for follow-up by the Secretariat in cooperation with the implementing agencies (finalizing the guidelines for equipment destruction and reviewing the agreement on eligibility of high-pressure machines for rigid foam insulation projects), in line with the principles of sustainable and long-term conversion;
- To request the implementing agencies, in cooperation with the National Ozone Units, to conduct safety inspections where applicable and to prepare a report on incidences of fires resulting from conversion projects and to report thereon at its Thirty fifth meeting. As a follow-up, implementing agencies and sector experts might need to update safety guidelines as required.