WRITTEN QUESTION E-2630/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 September 2002)

Subject: Rapidly growing contribution of maritime shipping to overland air pollution

1. According to the report, Quantification of emissions from ships associated with ship movements between ports in the European Community (July 2002, Entec UK Ltd), air pollution and acid rain over land in Europe are increasingly caused by emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide from fuel used by ships, more than half of the pollution is caused by vessels sailing within the EU or departing from EU ports, and the largest emissions of sulphur, nitrogen, hydrocarbons and fine dust occur particularly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Might this justify making catalytic reduction units and low-sulphur fuel compulsory, or at least strongly encouraging their use?

2. Why is the proportion of air pollution in Europe which is accounted for by maritime shipping rising rapidly (from 4 % SOX in 1990 to between 30 and 68 % in 2010; from 9 % NOX in 1990 to between 40 and 55 % in 2010), despite the fact that less energy is used per unit of cargo than in road haulage or air transport, whereas efforts are being made to reduce emissions from the ever increasing volume of land transport?

3. Does Directive 1999/30/EC(1) sufficiently provide for a limit on SOX pollution from the fuel of seagoing vessels, comparable to that for vehicles on land? If not, why not?

4. How soon does the Commission anticipate that fuel for seagoing vessels will emit average levels of greenhouse gases similar to those emitted by other fuels used in transport, and how will the Commission achieve this?

(1) OJ L 163, 29.6.1999, p. 41.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(22 October 2002)

1. Informed by the Entec study, the Commission is currently finalising a Community strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions from seagoing ships(1). With respect to low sulphur fuel, the strategy will include a proposal to amend Council Directive 1999/32/EC(2) to introduce new sulphur limits on marine fuels. With respect to nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions, the Commission's priority at present is to strengthen global engine emission standards through the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), but the strategy will also set out options to promote low-emission shipping in Community sea areas, including market-based instruments.

2. The contribution of ships' emissions to air pollution in the Community is rising rapidly because regulatory action has been taken to reduce emissions from other sectors, and because national emissions ceilings (targets for 2010) have been set for land-based emissions in each Member State. With the exception of sulphur oxides (SOX), ships generally have low emissions per tonne kilometre relative to other freight transport modes, because they move greater volumes more slowly.

3. Directive 1999/32/EC (not 1999/30/EC) concerns the sulphur content of liquid fuels. The Commission does not believe that the current sulphur limits on marine gas oil are sufficient, compared sulphur limits on other fuels. For this reason the Commission will propose to introduce new sulphur limits on marine fuels through an amendment to Directive 1999/32/EC later 2002.

4. With respect to greenhouse gases, the principal gas under consideration in the Commission's forthcoming strategy is carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 emissions are a function of fuel carbon content. The carbon content of most liquid fuels is broadly similar, so greenhouse gas emission levels from marine fuel oils are similar to those from liquid fuels used in other transport modes.

Overall, greenhouse gas emissions from ships per tonne kilometre are significantly lower than other transport modes, because ships move a greater volume of goods at a lower speed. This is one reason why the Commission seeks to promote a modal shift from road to waterborne transport. Nonetheless, it recognises that ships' unitary emissions of CO2 can be reduced and the Commission is therefore supporting the development of a greenhouse gas indexing system at the IMO.

(1) (for more details see http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/transport.htm 3).

(2) Council Directive 1999/32/EC of 26 April 1999 relating to a reduction in the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels and amending Directive 93/12/EEC, OJ L 121, 11.5.1999.