The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement made in 1987. It was designed to stop the production and import of ozone depleting substances.Learn about EPA's efforts to address ozone layer depletion through international treaties and initiatives. The first international agreement aimed at protecting the ozone layer was the 1985 Vienna Convention. The Montreal Protocol shows what is possible when science, diplomacy, and business cooperate to implement international environmental agreements. The Montreal Protocol was the first global treaty that dealt with the environment and showed what was possible with global cooperation. The motivation behind this scientific publication is to tell the story of ozone depletion, ozone-depleting substances and the success of the Montreal Protocol. The first international agreement aimed at protecting the ozone layer was the 1985 Vienna Convention. Montreal Protocol ; Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. It united the world to phase out ozonedepleting substances putting the ozone layer on the path to recovery and protecting all life on Earth.