WRITTEN QUESTION E-0018/00 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Oil discharged at sea.
C 330 E/68 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 Can the Council agree to a directive making it compulsory for ships to clean their oil tanks before leaving port, given the threat to various biotopes along Europeís coastline from oil discharges? If not, why does the Council feel that such an obligation is unnecessary and what alternative proposals does it have for effectively tackling the problem of oil discharges? Reply (2 May 2000) 1. The Council is aware of the problem raised by the Honourable Member. Incorporating environ- mental-protection requirements is a precondition for defining and implementing Community policies and actions. Following the mandates given by the European Council at its meetings in Cardiff (15 to 16 June 1998), Vienna (11 to 12 December 1998) and Cologne (3 to 4 June 1999), the task of incorporating these requirements has already started within the various sectoral policies. The Council has not, however, yet received any proposals from the Commission specifically concerning the points raised in this question. The Council would refer the Honourable Member to a body of texts which have already been 2. approved or are currently under examination which, on account of the growing quantities of dangerous or polluting goods transported by sea, are designed to avoid and reduce the risks likely to arise from serious accidents at sea. 3. In this respect mention should be made of Directive 93/75/EC concerning minimum requirements for vessels bound for or leaving Community ports and carrying dangerous or polluting goods. It was amended twice in 1998. 4. On 8 November 1999 the Council adopted a common position with a view to adopting a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues. That common position, together with Directive 95/21/EC on Port State control, provides for inspections in Community ports in order to monitor implementation of the international and Community rules on the subject. In a similar vein the Council has just adopted (December 1999) a common position on a proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution. One of the aims of that Decision is to supplement Member Statesí efforts in cases of oil spillage or threat of oil spillage and to strengthen their clean-up capacity in that field. 5. In addition, at its meeting on 24 January 2000, dealing among other things with oil tanker safety, the Council took note of the initiatives envisaged by the Commission concerning in particular increased security standards for oil tankers to be admitted to European Union ports, intensification of security inspections and identification of those financially responsible in cases of pollution. The Council would stress, furthermore, that the Community provisions on the subject are based on 6. international the International the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships or the resolutions of the International Maritime Organization. law, i. e. (2000/C 330 E/075) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0018/00 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (19 January 2000) Subject: Oil discharged at sea Oil discharges in the Atlantic and the North Sea are a threat to the various biotopes along Europeís coastline. The large number of birds covered in oil, mainly in December, January and February, illustrates the serious nature of the pollution. Ships usually make use of stormy weather to flush their oil tanks clean without being seen. 21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/69 The only possible solution, according to the Maríne Ecological Centre in Ostend, would be rules making it compulsory for ships to clean their oil tanks before leaving port. Ships would not be able to leave without a certificate of proof. Can the Commission agree to a directive making it compulsory for ships to clean their oil tanks before leaving port, given the threat to various biotopes along Europeís coastline from oil discharges? If not, why does the Commission feel that such an obligation is unnecessary and what alternative proposals does it have for effectively tackling the problem of oil discharges? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (14 March 2000) The Commission shares the Honourable Memberís concern about operational pollution in Community waters. Regulations governing the reduction of operational pollution by tankers have been developed by the International maritime organisation (IMO) through the International convention for the prevention of pollution from ships (Marpol 73/78). These regulations have been effective in reducing operational pollution to the extent that modern crude oil tankers are no longer cleaning their tanks with water. The current phasing in of modern designs and operating systems is expected to reduce such pollution further in the next few years. Much of the operational pollution from all types of ships in Community waters results from their inability in some ports to deliver cargo residues and ship generated wastes to shore facilities. The Commission proposal for a Council directive on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues (1) 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 ships use them. By providing rules, incentives and control procedures for the delivery of ship-generated waste in ports, the need for discharges at sea will be greatly reduced. The Commission is confident that the proposed directive, currently in second reading in the Parliament, will have a strong effect on reducing operational pollution, and in particular oil pollution of all types of ships. In addition, the Commission presented a proposal for a decision setting up a Community framework for co-operation in the field of accidental marine pollution (2). This proposal, currently under discussion in Council and Parliament, aims at further developing Community initiatives (common training, exchange of experts, exercises, pilot projects, exchange of information) in order to support Member Statesí efforts to tackle the problem of oil pollution at sea. In view of the above, the Commission does not envisage, proposals requiring ships to clean their tanks before leaving port. for the time being, preparing additional (1) OJ C 271, 31. 8. 1998. (2) OJ C 25, 30. 1. 1999 amended by COM(1999) 641 final. (2000/C 330 E/076) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0019/00 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (19 January 2000) Subject: Rejection of food aid funded from Echoís budget Shortly, more than 70 tons of food aid ü approximately 170 000 tins of beef ü is to be flown back to the Irish Republic because the Bosnian authorities have refused to authorise its consumption. The failure of this food aid project is a serious financial blow to MØdecins sans FrontiŁres and Echo, the Commissionís