ESPO, the standing charge for the bestowal of the refusals of the ships in the ports are irreconcilable with the principle "who pollutes wage"



Last Tuesday the EU commission has adopted a strategy that has the objective protect the atmosphere from the pollution from plastic, strategy that on board includes new dispositions on the harbour systems of collection of the generated of ships or collected refusals in sea that Brussels has introduced also with the scope to reduce the determined administrative burdens from the activity of collection of the refusals in harbour within that they are at the expense of the harbour authorities, of the companies of navigation and other authorities. In order to achieve such objectives the EU commission has intended to search also a greater alignment between the European norm and international convention MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The initiative of the Commission is estimated favorably by the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO): "we receive with favor - Isabelle Ryckbost has explained, general secretary of the association of the European ports - the fact that the proposal aims to increase the efficiency, to reduce the administrative burdens and it is time to the full respect of the principle "who pollutes wage". Now - it has specified Ryckbost - we must estimate in the detail the concrete dispositions that are on the table and to see if the options introduced from the Commission constitute the better way in order to assure a system for the management of the refusals of the ships efficient but meanwhile responsible. The refusals generated from the ships - it has emphasized Ryckbost - always have been a priority for the European ports. The harbour authorities are sure disposed to assume own responsibilities in the within of their competences and possibility financial institutions".

Particular appreciation is expressed by the ESPO about the acknowledgment that a more rigorous application of the norms is not the only way in order to reduce the ocean disposal of the refusals produced from the ships and that equally important is also the introduction of adapted incentives. In particular, association has found that "system tariff introduced from current directive based on which ships pay rate minimal fixed when they climb in a port, independently from the fact that the refusals confer less you or, has sure contributed to the greater bestowal to earth of quantitative of refusals". However the association of the European ports, also taking note that such politics of incentives take part of the current proposal formulated from the EU commission, has evidenced that "the introduction of a tariff system, based on which, with a standing charge, the ships can confer quantitative limitless of refusals, included residual hazardous waste and of cargo, seems to represent a serious one and unacceptable inconciliabilità with the principle "who pollutes wage" and - she has observed ESPO - she risks on board to discourage the elimination of the refusals to the source reducing some the generated volumes, that it has been the cornerstone of politics on the refusals of the European Union".

"The incentives previewed from the current directive - it has specified Ryckbost - have been without a doubt effective in reducing the refusals. To continue on this road appears a reasonable choice. It could be feasible to fix a rate for a quantitative mean. But to allow with exaggerated quantitative the ships to confer to standing charge of refusals or hazardous waste would not be neither responsible neither efficient. In the same way - it has clarified the general secretary of the ESPO - we consider that it is up to the port to decide if and when a reduction of the rate can be come to an agreement to a ship. We do not forget - it has emphasized Ryckbost - than to receive and to manage the refusals has a cost and is the harbour authority that will have to pay the difference between the rate and the actual cost of reception and handling of the amount of refusals effectively conferred. Now - it has concluded Ryckbost - the proposal is on the table. We are ready to ulteriorly discuss the issue with the Commission, the Parliament and the Council and are trusting that a good solution can be reached".

In truth the proposal introduced from the EU commission seems to have beforehand answered to the worries of the association of the ports concerning article 8 "Systems of recovery of the costs" of the directive proposal, based on which "the Member States supply to that the costs of the harbour systems for the collection and the treatment of the refusals of the ships, various by the residual ones of the cargo, are recovered by means of the collection of rates at the expense of the ships", preview that the eventual part of the costs not covered from the so-called indirect rate, turns to cover the indirect administrative costs and a meaningful part of the directed operating costs, "it is recovered based on the types and to the quantitative ones of refusals effectively conferred from the ship". Moreover the specific text that "the rates can be differentiated in function, among other things, of the category, the type and the dimensions of the ship and the type of traffic which it is used, and according to the services lend to out of the norm working hours in the port".