Within two years of the date of entry into force of this Regulation, Member States shall draw up and maintain release inventories for the substances listed in Annex III into air, water and land in accordance with their obligations under the Convention and the Protocol.

A Member State shall communicate its action plan on measures to identify, characterise and minimise with a view to eliminating where feasible as soon as possible the total releases developed in accordance with its obligations under the Convention, to both the Commission and the other Member States as part of its national implementation plan, pursuant to Article 8.

The action plan shall include measures to promote the development and, where it deems appropriate, shall require the use of substitute or modified materials, products and processes to prevent the formation and release of the substances listed in Annex III.

Member States shall, when considering proposals to construct new facilities or significantly to modify existing facilities using processes that release chemicals listed in Annex III, without prejudice to Council Directive 1996/61/EC14, give priority consideration to alternative processes, techniques or practices that have similar usefulness but which avoid the formation and release of substances listed in Annex III.