WRITTEN QUESTION E-1330/00

by Marielle De Sarnez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(27 April 2000)

Subject: Discharges of oil at sea

Following the disastrous loss of the Erika oil tanker off the coast of Brittany, several oil tankers took advantage of the polluted state of the sea to clean their tanks while at sea, in defiance of the law.

In view of the threat to the environment from illicit discharges of this kind, does the Commission have any plans to draw up a directive requiring ships to clean their tanks before leaving port in order to obtain a certificate without which the ship would not be allowed to put to sea?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(9 June 2000)

The Commission is greatly concerned about operational pollution, including tank-cleaning operation in Community waters, which represents a greater share of the total marine oil pollution than that caused by accidents.

Various international measures regarding construction and operation of oil tankers (mainly through the Marpol 73/78 Convention) have significantly reduced the need for and benefits of discharge of cargo residues at sea during the last decades. The application of these international rules is controlled in Community ports through port state control under Council Directive 95/21/EC of 29 June 1995 concerning the enforcement, in respect of shipping using Community ports and sailing in the waters under the jurisdiction of the Member States, of international standards for ship safety, pollution prevention

and shipboard living and working conditions (port State control)(1). In addition, separate European construction requirement for oil tankers have recently been proposed by the Commission in its communication on the safety of the seaborne oil trade(2).

Much of the operational pollution from all types of ships in Community waters results from the impossibility in some ports to deliver cargo residues and ship generated wastes to shore facilities or from reluctance of ships to use them. The proposed directive on port reception facilities(3) addresses this particular problem and introduces a number of requirements on both ports and ships to ensure that adequate facilities are available in all Community ports and that they are utilised by ships. By providing rules on reception facilities, waste management planning, financial and other incentives to deliver waste ashore, the need for discharges at sea will be greatly reduced. The proposal would also impose an obligation for ships to notify the port of on-board quantities of wastes and residues. This, coupled with port-based checks, will greatly improve the control of compliance with the international rules. Therefore, the Commission is confident that the proposed directive, currently in conciliation in the Parliament and Council, will have a considerable effect on reducing operational pollution, and in particular oil pollution of all types of ships.

Finally, the Commission announced in its communication on the safety of the seaborne oil trade that it plans to examine other Community initiatives that could be taken to reduce the occurrence of operational pollution by all types of ships.

(1) OJ L 157, 7.7.1995.

(2) COM(2000) 142 final.

(3) OJ C 271, 31.8.1998 as modified (OJ C 148, 18.5.1999).