On Thursday 16 November, with 36 votes in favour and one against, MEPs from the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) adopted their negotiating position on the directive on ship-source pollution and the introduction of penalties (see EUROPE 13253/14). They unanimously supported the decision to begin discussions with the Member States on the final form of the legislation, once the plenary has given the go-ahead next week.
This revision of the directive is intended to transpose into EU law major changes to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the main international convention dealing with the prevention of pollution of the marine environment, whether caused by operations or accidents. It is drawn up by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
“This legislation is the right step towards bringing EU rules into line with international standards. It represents a commitment to cleaner seas, greater responsibility and a more sustainable maritime future”, commented the rapporteur, Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP, Romanian), in a press release.
“It is time for the Member States to step up and protect European seas from the harmful effects of ships dumping waste”, he added. “Illegal discharges must be effectively detected and penalties set at a level that acts as a real deterrent”.
In its mandate, the TRAN Committee strengthened the initial text. It supported the proposal to extend the current European rules prohibiting the discharge of oil and noxious liquid substances to include the discharge of sewage, garbage, and residues from scrubbers.
MEPs want ship-owners to bear the responsibility for any environmental damage caused by ship pollution, in case the master or crew responsible for the illegal discharge can no longer be found or cannot afford to pay the full amount of the penalty. They also want EU governments to avoid setting maximum or minimum penalties for infringements to ensure that the effectiveness and proportionality of penalties are not undermined.
To improve the application of the rules, they have allowed for the introduction of CleanSeaNet, a European satellite-based alert system for oil spill and vessel detection. They want as well for 50% of CleanSeaNet alerts to be verified on the spot and as soon as possible, to prevent an illegal discharge from dispersing and therefore becoming undetectable by the time of arrival on the location. Verification would be carried out by vessel or by drone.
To read the compromise amendments: https://aeur.eu/f/9ll (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)