Laos announces a regulation to control substances under Montreal Protocol 
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Lao PDR established “Decision on the Management of Substances under Montreal Protocol No. 1686/MONRE” on 7 April 2021 and announced in the official gazette on 12 July 2021. The Decision prescribes the regulations, methods, and measures regarding the management and monitoring of business operations and the use of substances under the Montreal Protocol and the containing equipment of the substances in order to control, minimize, and suspend the use of substances that deplete the ozone layer. The Decision applies to the individual, enterprise, or organization of both domestic and overseas that perform activities in Laos.
Scope
The scope of the decision covers substances under Montreal Protocol and equipment containing those substances including refrigeration system, air conditioner, fire protection system, fire extinguishers and etc. Business operators regarding import-export, distribution, service, storage, transport, and use of substances and equipment shall run their business in accordance with the Decision.
General requirements
The control, decrease, and suspension of the substances under Montreal Protocol and decrease the use of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that cause global warming shall comply with the National Plan on the Decrease and Suspension of Substances that Deplete Ozone; the National Plan on the Decrease and Suspension the use of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs); the National Plan on the Decrease and Suspension the use of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
The individual, enterprise, or organization that conducts the business and use of substances under the Montreal Protocol and the equipment containing those substances shall build the warehouse to store the substances prior to distribution and use. The request for permission to build a warehouse shall comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. In addition, the individual, enterprise, or organization that conducts the business and use of substances under the Montreal Protocol shall perform the treatment through the uses of techniques, technology, machinery, or tools and equipment that are suitable in accordance with the Handbooks on Safety. Before and after the treatment, the report shall be made to the Industry and Commerce Sector; the Department of Pollution Control, Monitoring, and Inspection, as well as the related sectors for acknowledgment and monitoring accordingly.
Import control
The Provincial and Capital Department of Natural Resources and Environment monitor and inspect the refrigeration system of the substances before crossing the international border in collaboration with the related sectors in order to collect information regarding the types of substances and containers of substances under Montreal Protocol and report to the Department of Pollution Control, Monitoring, and Inspection every time. A certification label issued by the Department of Pollution Control, Monitoring, and Inspection will be affixed to the product after passing the inspection. The refrigeration system containing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) of the R-22 and R-123 will be prohibited for importation from 01-Jan-2023 onwards.
Download original text of the Decision at
http://laoofficialgazette.gov.la/kcfinder/upload/files/1686%E0%BA%81%E0%BA%8A%E0%BA%AA2021.pdf
