Brussels, 10/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The members of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) agreed to speed-up the eradication of single-hulled vessels, at the meeting of the Committee on the Protection of the Marine Environment, held in London last week. A proposal comprising two options on the deadline for the definitive eradication of single-hulled vessels, 2015 or 2017, is to be examined by the 158 countries members of the IMO, in the perspective of adopting a formal decision through consensus, in April 2001, at the next meeting of the aforementioned IMO Committee. Only the United States, which provides in its internal legislation eradicating single-hulled vessels in 2015, emitted reservations on the document proposing these alternatives. EU members, who had agreed to defend the 2015 target date at the last Transport Council (see EUROPE of 2&3 October, p.10), backed the compromise.
There is consensus within the IMO to eradicate the largest single-hulled vessels (over 20,000 tonnes) not complying with the Marpol Convention, between 2003 and 2005, similar dates to those decided on by the EU. There is also agreement on the eradication of single-hulled vessels meeting Marpol standards, whose construction is earlier: 1) between 2003 and 2007 for vessels of over 20,000 tonnes, built before 1981, 2) between 2003 and 2010 for vessels of over 5,000 tonnes built prior to 1988. The differences, reflected by options submitted for examination by the members of the IMO, on the other hand, relate to eradication in 2015 or 2017 of the more recent vessels: after 1981 for the "over 20,000 tonnes", after 1988 for vessels of over 5,000 tonnes.
IMO member States have asked for time to consider these two options, on the basis of a study that the IMO has just handed them on the economic impact of the eradication of single-hulled vessels. This eradication is one of the three measures proposed by the European Commission to step-up maritime safety, following the sinking of the oil tanker Erika off the French coast in December 1999.