ESPO restates that a single standing charge for the bestowal in the ports of the refusals of the ships is not online with the principle "who pollutes wage"



The association of the European ports has introduced today own appraisals on the proposal announced from the EU commission of review of the directive n. 59 on November 27, 2000 relative to the harbour systems of collection for the refusals produced from the ships and residual ones of the cargo. The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) considers the choice of the Commission positive to be based on the progresses realized in the within of the directive in vigor, than - it has evidenced the association - it has contributed to reduce in meaningful way the drainages of refusals in sea". In particular - it has specified ESPO - "standing charge minimal that must to be paid from all ships that calls in the ports of the EU, independently from the fact that they use the systems of collection of the refusals or from the amount of refusals conferred, has worked. This has done so as that only 2.5% of oil waste are not conferred in the systems of collection in the ports".

The association has expressed also appreciation about the fact that the proposal has the objective to increase the efficiency and to reduce the administrative burdens, but has found that but the new directive would have also to assure that a efficient but responsible system for the management of the refusals of the ships is promoted, online with the principle "who pollutes wage". "The European ports - Isabelle Ryckbost has explained, ESPO general secretary - recognize that to supply the just incentives are essential and the harbour authorities are sure available to contribute. However the introduction of a tariff system based on which the ships could deliver unreasonable amounts of refusals, included hazardous waste, for a single standing charge, would constitute a serious one and unacceptable dissonance regarding the principle "who pollutes wage". It is risked to on board discourage the elimination of the refusals to the source reducing the volumes of refusals, that it has been the cornerstone of politics on the refusals of the European Union".

The tariff regime applicable to the refusals produced from the ships that currently are in vigor previews that all the ships that they land in the ports of a State EU contribute in meaningful measure to the costs of the harbour systems of collection of the refusals produced from the ships to prescind from the effective use of these systems. This contribution can be built-in the harbor dues or can be defined through a rate distinguished standard for the refusals (the rates can be differentiated, for example according to the type and of the dimension of the ship). ESPO has specified that currently this contribution poured from all the ships that scale the ports of the EU covers at least a third party of the costs totals of the systems of collection of the refusals in the ports, while the remaining quota is covered by the rate, previewed also it from the norm currently in vigor, that it reflects the actual cost of the management of the amounts of refusals delivered from the ship.

ESPO has remembered that the proposed new of the EU commission, with the scope to strengthen this politics of incentives, previews the application of the single standing charge for the refusals of which to annexed V (the Precautions for the prevention of the marine pollution risk) of the Marpol, the international convention for the prevention of the pollution caused from ships, let alone for the refusals that are collected by the fishing nets. The proposal previews that every port establishes a standing charge that covers all the amounts of refusals, without limits or thresholds. ESPO has remembered moreover that annexed the V of the Marpol include not only refusals as domestic plastic or refusals, but also hazardous waste classified as such from the legislation of the EU.

In order to ask for the risk inborn in this proposal, that is that the ships are induced to unload in the ports unreasonable amounts of refusals, included material dangerous, ESPO have proposed to fix a quantitative limit to refusals covered from the standing charge, than second the association it would have to cover only the normal amounts of refusals delivered from a ship of a determined type and dimension. For ESPO, the normative new it would have to authorize the ports to debit to the ships the costs of bestowals of unreasonable amounts of refusals. Moreover, according to ESPO, hazardous waste, than - the association has remembered - usually they need of a special treatment and expensive, they would not have to be covered from the standing charge.