By
Rebecca Gibson |
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has published an analysis of the delivery of ship-generated waste and cargo residues in 40 European ports.
The analysis, prepared by Danish consultancy Ramboll as part of a review of the EU directive on port reception facilities which dates back to 2000, indicates an apparent increase in ship-waste delivery from 2004 to 2008 for European ports, whilst a decrease was noted in 2009 and 2010.
In compliance with the Directive, all EU Member States have implemented an indirect fee into the port waste fee system. A number of individual models are in place in these ports, depending in some cases upon whether a waste fee system was in place before the EU Directive was enforced. Although most ports contract both the collection and treatment of ship-generated waste to private operators, the waste volume figures they produce are inconclusive as to which waste fee system model is the most efficient, especially as incentives for waste delivery vary dependent upon port and region.
Although the provisions of the Directive on cost recovery state that ports and port reception facilities cannot provide an incentive for ships to discharge their waste into the sea, the Directive’s requirements allow the Member States’ ports to design the indirect fee to contribute significantly to the costs of port reception facilities. “Because of the existing differences in costs for operating a waste reception facility among Member States, a fully harmonised fee system covering all costs would be impossible and should therefore not be an objective,” said ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven.
ESPO concedes that fees should be fair, transparent and non-discriminatory and recognises that in some countries the port authorities are not given the competence to set the fee for port reception facilities. Therefore, in order to ensure all port authorities can bring forward their practical experience in this matter and set a realistic fee, ESPO recommends all port authorities are consulted when setting the fee for waste disposal. Verhoeven said, “We however suggest that an exchange of best practices on parameters, principles and methods for fee calculation could be a helpful way forward in creating a more level playing field.”
Two main propositions are currently under consideration and involve either an in-depth legislative review, or minor amendments to the Directive with parallel provision of guidance and recommendation on key identified areas. These propositions, as well as the implementation of the Directive, will be discussed during a workshop of the European association of port reception facility providers in Europe (Euroshore) in Antwerp on 25 October, which both ESPO and the European Community Shipowners’ Association will attend. The EC impact assessment on the review of the Directive is due for completion, whilst the Commission’s proposals are expected around April 2013.