Ship waste disposal plan under threat

Date: 01/06/2000

By Renée Cordes

EUROPEAN shipowners are anxiously awaiting the outcome of negotiations between the EU institutions on future charges for port waste-disposal facilities.

If a compromise is not reached soon in talks between MEPs and Union governments, shipowners fear the European Commission will have to go back to the drawing board to draft a new proposal to address what they say is a "largely neglected" concern.

The Commission proposal now on the table seeks to ensure a significant reduction in marine pollution by discouraging ships from dumping waste at sea. Vessels which were not able to deliver their waste at ports would have to prove it was impossible to do so in order to move on.

Both the Commission and EU governments say individual member states should be given the power to decide how much to charge ships for using port facilities which handle waste from incoming vessels. Union governments are already required to set up such facilities for all EU ships under legislation agreed last year.

But the Parliament argues that this system can only work if it is accompanied by the introduction of a Union-wide charge, which could be incorporated into general port fees.

The argument has forced the two sides into conciliation talks, and there are fears that they may not be able to agree a compromise. "Our main preoccupation is to get this adopted and to ensure the provision of facilities, which is not universal at the moment," said Tim Marking of the European Community Shipowners Association. "Our fear is that it will be blocked altogether."

The organisation insists the lack of adequate waste-handling facilities needs to be corrected, and says the EU should set an example to the rest of the world. Marking said industry generally supported governments' objections to introducing a special fee, but could be flexible on this issue.