21/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has sent reasoned opinions to Greece and Slovenia and decided to take Poland to the Court of Justice failure to respect EU legislation on the improvement of the availability and use of port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues. Directive 2000/59/EC aims at reducing the discharges of ship-generated waste and cargo residues into the sea from ships using ports in the EU by improving the availability and use of the facilities designed to receive and treat such waste and residues, thereby enhancing the protection of the maritime environment. Member States should have transposed the Directive established waste reception and handling plans for all their ports by 27 December 2002.