Regulation (EC) No 417/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 February 2002 on the accelerated phasing-in of double hull or equivalent design requirements for single hull oil tankers and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 2978/94

Regulation (EC) No 417/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 18 February 2002
on the accelerated phasing-in of double hull or equivalent design requirements for single hull oil tankers and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 2978/94
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 80(2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions(3),
Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty(4),
Whereas:
(1) Within the framework of the common transport policy, further measures must be taken to enhance safety and prevent pollution in maritime transport.
(2) The Community is seriously concerned by the shipping accidents involving oil tankers and the associated pollution of its coast-lines and harm to its fauna and flora and other marine resources.
(3) In its communication "a common policy on safe seas", the Commission underlined the request of the extraordinary Council on Environment and Transport of 25 January 1993 to support the action in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on the reduction of the safety gap between new and existing ships by upgrading and/or phasing out existing ships.
(4) In its Resolution on a common policy on safe seas(5), the European Parliament welcomed the Commission communication and called in particular for action to be taken to improve tanker safety standards.
(5) By its Resolution of 8 June 1993 on a common policy on safe seas(6), the Council fully supported the objectives of the Commission communication.
(6) In its Resolution on the oil slick off the French coast adopted on 20 January 2000, the European Parliament welcomed any efforts by the Commission to bring forward the date by which oil tankers will be obliged to have a double-hull construction.
(7) The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has established, in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 and the Protocol of 1978 related thereto (MARPOL 73/78), internationally agreed pollution prevention rules affecting the design and operation of oil tankers. Member States are Parties to MARPOL 73/78.
(8) According to Article 3.3 of MARPOL 73/78, that Convention does not apply to warships, naval auxiliary or other ships owned or operated by a State and used only for government non-commercial services.
(9) Comparison of tanker age and accident statistics shows increasing accident rates for older ships. It has been internationally agreed that the adoption of the 1992 amendments to MARPOL 73/78 requiring the application of the double hull or equivalent design standards to existing single hull oil tankers when they reach a certain age will provide those tankers with a higher degree of protection against accidental oil pollution in the event of collision or stranding.
(10) It is in the Community's interest to adopt measures to ensure that oil tankers entering into ports and offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of Member States and that oil tankers flying the flags of Member States comply with Regulation 13G of Annex I of MARPOL 73/78 as revised in 2001 by Resolution MEPC 95(46) in order to reduce the risk of accidental oil pollution in European waters.
(11) Amendments to the MARPOL 73/78 Convention adopted by the IMO on 6 March 1992 entered into force on 6 July 1993. These measures impose double hull or equivalent design requirements for oil tankers delivered on or after 6 July 1996 aimed at preventing oil pollution in the event of collision or stranding. Within these amendments, a phasing-out scheme for single hull oil tankers delivered before that date took effect from 6 July 1995 requiring tankers delivered before 1 June 1982 to comply with the double hull or equivalent design standards not later than 25 years and, in some cases, 30 years after the date of their delivery. Such existing single hull oil tankers would not be allowed to operate beyond 2007 and, in some cases, 2012 unless they comply with the double hull or equivalent design requirements of Regulation 13F of Annex I of MARPOL 73/78. For existing single hull oil tankers delivered after 1 June 1982 or those delivered before 1 June 1982 and which are converted, complying with the requirements of MARPOL 73/78 on segregated ballast tanks and their protective location, this deadline will be reached at the latest in 2026.
(12) New important amendments to Regulation 13G of Annex I of MARPOL 73/78 were adopted on 27 April 2001 by the 46th session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC-46) by Resolution MEPC 95(46), entering into force on 1 September 2002, in which a new accelerated phasing-out scheme for single hull oil tankers was introduced. The respective final dates by which tankers must comply with Regulation 13F of Annex I of MARPOL 73/78 depend on the size and age of the ship. Oil tankers are therefore in that scheme divided into three categories according to their tonnage, construction and age. All these categories, including the lowest one (3), are important for intra-Community trade.
(13) The final date by which a single hull oil tanker is to be phased out is the anniversary of the date of delivery of the ship, according to a schedule starting in 2003 until 2007 for Category (1) oil tankers, and until 2015 for Category (2) and (3) oil tankers.
(14) The revised Regulation 13G of Annex I of MARPOL 73/78 maintains the requirements for Category (1) tankers, after 25 years, to have wingtanks or double bottoms in protective locations not used for the carriage of cargo or to operate only with hydrostatically balanced loading.
(15) That same Regulation introduces a requirement that Category (1) and (2) oil tankers may only continue to operate after the anniversary of the date of their delivery in 2005 and 2010 respectively subject to compliance with a Condition Assessment Scheme (CAS), adopted on 27 April 2001 by IMO in Resolution MEPC 94(46). The CAS imposes an obligation that the flag State administration issues a Statement of Compliance and is involved in the CAS survey procedures.
(16) Paragraph 5 of the said Regulation allows for an exception for Category (2) and (3) oil tankers to operate, under certain circumstances, beyond the time-limit of their phasing-out. Paragraph 8b of the same Regulation gives the right for Parties to the MARPOL 73/78 Convention to deny entry into the ports or offshore terminals under their jurisdiction of oil tankers allowed to operate under this exception. Member States have declared their intention to use the right. Decision to have recourse to this right has to be communicated to the IMO.
(17) It is important to ensure that the provisions in this Regulation do not endanger the safety of crew or oil tankers in search of a safe haven or a place of refuge.
(18) In order to allow shipyards in Member States to repair single hull oil tankers, Member States may make exceptions to allow entry into their ports of such vessels, provided they are not carrying any cargo.
(19) It should be possible to amend certain provisions of this Regulation so as to bring them into line with international instruments adopted, amended or entering into force after the entry into force of this Regulation without broadening its scope. Such amendments should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(7).
(20) In view of the approaching deadline for single hull oil tankers which do not comply with the requirements of MARPOL 73/78 on segregated ballast tanks and their protective location, and given that this is most relevant for Category (1) tankers, there are no reasons to maintain the differential charging system for which Regulation (EC) No 2978/94(8) provides between such oil tankers and oil tankers that comply with the said requirements beyond 2007, and therefore Regulation (EC) No 2978/94 should be repealed,