Brussels, 23/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Satu Hassi (Greens, Finland), a member of the parliamentary committee on the environment, was appointed on 22 September as rapporteur at the European Parliament for the proposal for a directive on reducing sulphur emissions caused by maritime transport. And she will not be easily taken in, mainly for two reasons:
Firstly, it is a question of public health. “The reduction of the sulphur emissions will have a significant impact on human health, and the reduction of marine emissions will be essential for achieving cleaner air. Without new legislation, emissions in EU-waters would exceed all the emissions from land by the end of this decade”, she warns. Secondly, the cost of emission reduction, proposed in order to come into line with the rules adopted in 2008 by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have, she says, been exaggerated by the maritime industry (see EUROPE 10111). “In many cases, it will become more affordable to clean the exhausts the way power plants do instead of switching fuel”, Hassi comments. Also, she points out, new technical solutions do exist, especially in Finland, and the new rules on emissions will stimulate innovation and be a source of commercial opportunity for innovative companies. (AN/transl.jl)