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Parties to UN-backed treaty further reduce use of ozone-destroying pesticide
Montreal, Canada - The 189 member Governments of a United Nations-sponsored treaty to protect the world's ozone layer, which filters out ultraviolet solar rays that cause skin cancer and other ills, today finalized an agreement under which developed countries will reduce their use of an ozone-destroying pesticide.
Under the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, developed countries agreed to phase-out completely by 1 January, 2005, their controlled uses of methyl bromide, an effective fumigant and pesticide for strawberries, flowers and other high-value crops, but can request temporary exemptions to the deadline when there are no technically or economically feasible alternatives.