(11)The Union and the individual Member States are Contracting Parties to the UN-ECE Convention of 13 November 1979 on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. The second UN-ECE Protocol on transboundary pollution by sulphur dioxide stipulates that the Contracting Parties should reduce sulphur dioxide emissions in line with or beyond the 30 % reduction specified in the first Protocol, and the second UN-ECE Protocol is based on the premise that critical loads and levels will continue to be exceeded in some sensitive areas. Further measures to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions will still be required. The Contracting Parties should therefore make further significant reductions in emissions of sulphur dioxide.