WRITTEN QUESTION E-3096/00

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(4 October 2000)

Subject: Unchecked dumping of waste by oil tankers

It is common practice along our coasts for tankers to degas and clean the tanks in which they transport gas oil and oil. Such practices, conducted away from port facilities, lead to pollution such as that provoked by the Campurdán oil tanker in the Ares ria in Galicia, Spain, on 23 July last.

Although all the EU Member States are signatories to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol 73/78), the dumping of waste and residues, including oil, into our seas continues. This unacceptable practice is due in part to the lack of suitable port facilities for waste disposal.

Perhaps for this reason, in the specific case of the Campurdán, which had a crack in its hull in need of repair, the La Coruña port authority made the tanker leave the port so as to avoid polluting it. The port authority thus ensured that the tanker moved away to a distance of two or three miles before conducting cleaning and degassing operations unchecked, hoping no doubt that the dumped material would be swept out to sea, and any subsequent protests with it.

At its most recent plenary session the European Parliament approved the Directive on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues.

Is the Commission aware of the aforementioned incident? Has it received any other complaints on this matter?

How does the Commission intend to force ports to provide suitable facilities able to cope with incidents of this nature, instead of diverting ships and the waste they dump to clean areas such as the Ares ria or the out at sea?

What action will it take to prevent a repetition of this regrettable incident?

How does it intend to ensure that such practices, which tend to go unpunished, are abandoned?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2000)

Operational oil pollution by ships represents a greater share of the total marine oil pollution than that caused by accidents. The Commission is regularly informed about this type of incident, and is seriously concerned about the problem of voluntary discharges at sea.

A great deal of the operational pollution from all types of ships in Community waters results from the inability of some ports to provide adequate waste reception facilities and, of course, from reluctance of ships to use them for various reasons. The recently adopted Parliament and Council Directive 2000/59/EC(1) on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues addresses these problems 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 used by ships.

On expiring of the time allowed for Member States to implement the Directive, 24 months after its publication in the Official journal, the Commission will monitor that it is properly implemented in all Member States. This includes ensuring that all ports provide adequate reception facilities, and undertake regular waste management planning which is approved by national authorities. The Directive also imposes an obligation for ships to notify the port of on-board quantities

of wastes and residues and to deliver their waste in certain circumstances. In addition all ships calling at Community ports have to contribute to the financing of the facilities, irrespective of whether they deliver waste or not. This, coupled with spot checks by the authorities, should greatly reduce the problem of oil pollution by ships, in cases such as that described by Honourable Member.

Moreover, a new decision of the Parliament and of the Council setting up a Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution should be soon finalised. This decision, once adopted, will in particular allow the development of joint initiatives such as workshops or training courses aiming to strengthen the measures taken by Member States against illicit operational spills from vessels.

(1) Not yet published.