Tbilisi - Green Customs Initiative

Violations of legislation, administrative or criminal codes within the framework ofdifferent conventions.Cooperation between customs agencies in CIS countriesMr Sulkhan Suladze, Head of Georgian Refrigeration Association, presented the caseof the discovery of counterfeit HFC-134a in the market in Georgia. A techniciandemonstrated the use of a refrigerant identifier to analyse the contents of the cylinder.Using an unopened cylinder provided by the merchant, they tested it for the first timein front of the workshop participants. Highlights from the presentation included: Most CFC-12 was imported from the Russian Federation in multiuse containers. Georgia used Neutronics portable refrigerant identifiers that can detect R-12, R-22, R-134a, and which can also identify percentages of propane, butane CO2,oxygen. Georgia has refrigerant identifiers at 8 terminal checkpoints, trained customsofficers, and developed short pocket guidebook for customs officers (available inGeorgian and English). Using this equipment, they determined that this was a falsified cylinder that wasmade in a Chinese factory. The packaging was also mislabelled. It is not HFC-134a but 100% R-12. A local person bought it at high price thought that he wasbuying HFC-134a.Points from the discussion included: Deciding what to do with the substances that were confiscated. The need to provide proper equipment to customs officers to enable them to detectillegal/counterfeit goods.Dr. Ezra Clark presented EIA’s work in the the area of combating illegal trade inozone depleting substances. He presented the UNEP-EIA-Sweden video “Combatingthe Illegal Trade in Ozone Depleting Substances – A Guide for Enforcement Officers”and handed out the accompanying fact sheets to all participants. The ensuingdiscussion included: EIA’s provision of information to RILOs which has been used for RILO bulletins. EIA’s observations on the shortcomings of licensing systems under the MontrealProtocol related to the lack of sharing of information between Parties. The Ozone Secretariat’s ongoing study of the establishment of a global ODStracking system. Indicators of illegal trade Availability and alternatives – requires proactive cross-checking Companies new to the trade Price discrepancies Industry intelligence Import/export data discrepancies.Mr Kocov presented the Stockholm Convention The presentation includeddescriptions and photos of health impacts of POPs which was particularly useful inemphasising the importance and impact of this MEA. Points from his presentationincluded: The 12 controlled persistent organic pollutants include pesticides, industrialchemicals and unintended by products. DDT has been sprayed for lice control in the Balkan countries. There are numerous trade names of PCBs. PCBs can be found in transformer oil,capacitors for fluorescent lights, creasote on wooden poles/railway ties, paint, etc.9