Brussels, 28/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - The scandal of the serious toxic pollution which has caused the deaths of eight people in Côte d'Ivoire following the illegal export of dangerous waste of European origin will have effects on European legislation, Stavros Dimas, European Environment Commissioner announced. He was speaking in the Estonian port of Paldiski where the Probo Koala, sailing under the Panamanian flag but hired by a Dutch company, is now berthed. At the end of August, the Probo Koala transported the dangerous chemicals.
In Estonia to show his support for the judicial investigation launched by Estonian authorities, the Commissioner could not find words strong enough to condemn the violation of Community law which resulted in such a great tragedy. “Such highly toxic waste should never have left the European Union. European and international laws were broken. There is no excuse for it. What happened was not only unethical in the most profound sense of the word, but it was criminal. First and foremost, I want to give my full support to the efforts of the Estonian authorities in their quest to prosecute the criminals who perpetrated this crime. Secondly, I want to raise awareness about the practices of illegal shipping of toxic waste. European governments need to be more aware of what is happening in their harbours and on their ships. And what needs to be done to prevent another such disaster. And when I return to Brussels, I will seek ways and means to reinforce the existing waste shipment regulation and its implementation by Member States. I also plan to put forward a proposal to criminalise certain environmentally damaging practices such as the one perpetrated,” said Mr Dimas. He announced his intention to put the issue on the agenda for the next Environment Council (23 October, and his hope of gaining the support of the European Council.
Before expressing himself in these terms to Greenpeace representatives and the press in the port of Paldiski, the Commissioner met Estonian environment minister Villu Reijan in Tallin.
Reacting to the investigations carried out by the Estonian authorities to establish who was responsible in this affair, the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament called for action to be taken against EU Member States which fail to respect Community legislation on the transfer of waste. Carl Schlyter (Green, Sweden) said, “It is a disgrace that this incident was allowed to take place. The Dutch authorities were fully aware of the nature of the cargo on Probo Koala a month before the lethal toxic waste was dumped in Abijan, yet nothing seems to have been done to prevent it from happening. It leaves the distasteful impression that, so long as it is not in our own backyard, it is okay”. Pointing out that the European regulation on the transfer of waste (transposing the provisions of the Basel Convention in to Community law) clearly prohibits the shipment of hazardous waste from the EU to developing countries, the Green MEP added, “… the decision of the Estonian authorities to launch an inquiry should be applauded. The EU must take legal action against any Member State found to have contravened the Waste Shipment Regulation, particularly those that failed to prevent the illegal traffic. The provisions of the regulation also state that, in cases of illegal dumping, those responsible must take back or provide for the sound disposal of the waste and this must be enforced. In addition, the Commission needs to take a more thorough look at the shortcomings in the enforcement of EU environmental rules. We need to ensure that environmental disasters like this are not repeated”.