Brussels, 25/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - The maritime regions are calling for flexibility in the implementation of the European directive on the content of sulphur in marine fuel. At the end of a seminar organised on this issue by the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) in Dunkirk on 22 March, the regions spoke with a single voice in a joint statement.
Sulphur. The CPMR backs the European Commission's ambition of reducing sulphur emissions by shipping vessels, but believes the timeframes for implementation in 2015 and 2020 are too short. The CPMR therefore urges “the member states, the European Commission and the IMO to ensure that the necessary flexibility is introduced in the implementation of the directive to ensure that its application does not result in a transfer of some maritime traffic to the roads”. In addition, the regions are concerned about financing, as Wulfran Despicht, Vice-President for the Sea of the Region of Nord-Pas de Calais, summarised: “I wonder if the various economic players have been made sufficiently aware of the issues relating to the implementation of the directive and above all if the investment can be funded after 2015 and by whom”. In its statement, the CPMR mentions different areas - the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) should support the “sulphur challenge”.
LNG. This is especially an issue of financing liquefied natural gas (LNG) refuelling points. However, on this point, the CPMR also questions “the necessity for the core network ports to have LNG refuelling points from 2020, whilst the TEN-T guidelines set a 2030 deadline for completion of the same core network”. This remark was also made by MEPs from the European Parliament's transport committee. (MD/transl.fl)