Activites

• 2005/07/22 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 2005/33
  • OJ L 191 22.07.2005, p. 0059-0069
• 2005/07/06 Final act signed
• 2005/07/06 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2661
• 2005/05/23 Council Meeting
• 2005/04/13 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T6-0124/2005 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the report by Satu HASSI (Greens/EFA, FI) and agreed on the text of compromise amendments reached in informal negotiations with the Council. The final outcome is, however, less ambitious than that envisaged in the environment committee. The directive aims to reduce the sulphur content in marine fuels to 1.5% by 2007 (2 years after the entry into force of the directive). It will apply to all vessels in the Baltic, the North Sea and the English Channel, and passenger ships in all EU waters. The figure must be reduced to 0.5% in port areas where ships will be required to switch off all engines and use shore-side electricity while at berth in ports. A new recital states that human beings and the natural environment in coastal areas and in the vicinity of ports are particularly affected by pollution from ships with high sulphur fuels. Specific measures are therefore required in this regard.Whilst the environment Committee had hoped to fix a second phase for new limits to come in by 2010, following negotiations with Council, a revision clause has been introduced. The compromise text states that the Commission should draw up a report by 2008, and that, in the light of progress made, and following a cost-benefit analysis, it “will closely examine the proposals to reduce, if possible, the limits to 0.5%” in zones under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). A new limit value, less than 0.5%, could then be considered. The Commission may consider submitting proposals on economic instruments as alternative or complementary measures in the context of the 2008 review, provided that environmental and health benefits can be clearly demonstrated.A new recital states that the Directive should be seen as the first step in an ongoing process to reduce marine emissions, offering perspectives for further emission reductions through lower fuel sulphur limits and abatement technologies, and for economic instruments to be developed as an incentive to achieve significant reductions.

• 2005/04/12 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2005/03/18 Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading
  • A6-0056/2005
• 2005/03/15 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
• 2004/12/16 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2629
• 2004/12/09 Council Meeting
  • 12891/2/2004 summary

    The common position was adopted by a qualified majority with the Cypriot and Italian delegation voting against and the Swedish delegation abstaining.In the Council’s view, the common position constitutes a balanced compromise where : - there is a coherent set of dates for entry into force of the Directive’s provisions, taking into account the now imminent entering into force of MARPOL Annex VI (in May 2005); - no derogations laid down in conflict with the entering into force of MARPOL Annex VI and the establishment of SOxECAs; - the technical and practical problems of the new requirements for ships at berth are taken into consideration in a reasonable manner, including the specific temporary derogation asked by Greece for some Ro/Ro ferries.In its amended proposal, the Commission accepted in full, in part or in principle 30 of the 36 amendments proposed by the European Parliament in its first reading. 21 amendments have now been incorporated, either verbatim or in spirit, in the common position.The Council has now agreed to incorporate most of the Parliamentary amendments which offered clarifications, and which proposed trials for exhaust gas cleaning. On implementation dates there has been an important development since the Parliament’s first reading: the International Maritime Organization’s air pollution convention, MARPOL Annex VI, has received enough ratifications to enter into force. The implementation dates in the Common Position have therefore been rescheduled to correspond with the implementation dates in MARPOL Annex VI. With regard to second phase limits, the Council has agreed to include more specific text in the review clause (Article 7), proposing to press for tighter limits at the IMO in the context of a revision of MARPOL Annex VI, and also proposing to bring forward the Commission’s report on economic instruments as a possible complementary measure.The Council also brought additional changes to the proposal, these are as follows :- four new exemptions have been introduced for fuels used by ships which are: involved in military activities, securing the safety of life at sea, damaged, or using approved abatement technologies.In Article 1(2), a number of new definitions are added, for MARPOL, Annex VI, warships, "placing on the market", "outermost regions", and "abatement technology";- the repeal of the existing marine gas oil provisions is delayed until 2010 (including the derogation for Greece and the outermost regions which will remain until then);- the Article on SOxECAs and passenger ships, Member States’ enforcement responsibilities are clarified, the provision requiring Member States to ensure the availability of compliant fuel is deleted, and application dates are generally altered to be in line with MARPOL Annex VI, or 12 months after entry into force of the directive, whichever is later;- the low sulphur fuel requirement for ships at berth and inland vessels is delayed until 1 January 2010. For ships at berth, flexibility is introduced "allowing sufficient time"for fuel switching, short-stay vessels are exempted, and a two-year derogation is allowed for 16 Greek passenger vessels. Inland waterway vessels are exempted while at sea;- much fuller text is included on the trials and use of new abatement technologies, including revised comitology procedures for their approval;- the Article on sampling and analysis is slightly shortened and the drafting is clarified;- the Commission report is brought forward to 2008, and its basis is revised to include trends in fuel costs, modal shift, progress at IMO and a new cost-benefit analysis of the passenger vessel provision. It may be accompanied by proposals for second stage sulphur limit values. A separate report on economic instruments is called for by 2005. The scope of the comitology procedure is limited;- the Article establishing the regulatory committee is slightly redrafted.

• #2593
• 2004/06/28 Council Meeting
• #X019
• 2003/12/22 Council Meeting
• 2003/08/01 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(2003)0476 summary

    The amendments accepted by the Commission concern: - new and amended recitals which help clarify and justify the objectives of the directive; - the introduction of a new recital requiring consideration of the special characteristics of outermost regions (French overseas departments, Azores, Madeira and the Canaries) - the exemption of these regions from having to ban the sale of high sulphur diesel oil provided local air quality standards are met; - the deletion of certain paragraphs from the existing directive, removing the possibility for Member States to apply for a derogation from the sulphur limit for inland gas oil; - bringing forward a number of the directive's provisions, to be implemented 6 months after entry into force; this also adds text requiring bunker delivery notes to be signed by a representative of the receiving ship. - bringing forward the deadline for transposition of the directive from 12 months to 6 months. - changing the title of the article on "Sampling and Analysis" to become "Monitoring & Penalties". Another amendment requires fuel oil samples to be taken while being delivered for use on board ships. In addition, another amendment is adopted which requires Member States to lay down rules on effective penalties which are proportionate and dissuasive; - correcting an oversight, adding the word "oil" after "heavy fuel"; - clarifying the definition of ships at berth; - introducing a new recital stating that ship emissions contribute to global warming, ozone formation and eutrophication. Some of the amendments seek to strengthen the proposal considerably - principally through tighter fuel sulphur limits in a second phase. The Commission believes it is premature to define tighter limits at this stage, so these amendments are not acceptable. Other amendments introduce new text on the development of abatement technology and economic instruments as an alternative or complement to regulation on fuel sulphur content. These amendments are acceptable in principle.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/', 'title': 'Environment'}],
• 2003/06/04 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0248/2003 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution by 498 in favour, 1 against and 10 abstentions approving a directive on the sulphur content of marine fuels with a relatively large number of amendments. The resolution was based on the draft by Alexander de ROO (Greens/EFA, NL.) The main amendments are as follows: - in the first phase Member States bordering SOx Emission Control Areas must ensure that marine fuels are not used in the areas of their territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and pollution control zones falling within SOx Emission Control Areas if the sulphur content of those fuels exceeds 1.5% by mass. This applies to all vessels of all flags, including vessels whose journey outside the Community, from 6 months after the entry into force of the Directive; - in the second phase Member States bordering Sox Emission Control Areas must ensure that from 31 December 2008 marine fuels are not used in the areas of their territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and pollution control zones falling within SOx Emission Control Areas if the sulphur content of those fuels exceeds 0.5% by mass. This applies to all vessels of all flags; - Member States must ensure that from 31 December 2008, passenger ships operating on regular services to or from any Community port do not use marine fuels if the sulphur content of those fuels exceeds 0.5% by mass. This applies to vessels of all flags; - Member States must ensure that from 31 December 2010, marine fuels are not used in the areas of their territorial seas and exclusive economic zones outside SOx Emission Control Areas if the sulphur content of those fuels exceeds 1.5% by mass. This applies to all vessels of all flags, including vessels whose journey began outside the Community; - from 31 December 2012 marine fuels must not be used in Member States' territorial seas and exclusive economic zones outside Sox Emission Control Areas if the sulphur content of those fuels exceeds 0.5% by mass. This applies to all vessels of all flags, including vessels whose journey began outside the Community. - Member States must ensure that from 31 December 2008 marine fuels containing no more than 0.5% sulphur by mass are made available in sufficient quantities to meet demand in all Community ports; - there are new provisions for pilot trials for new abatement technologies; - sulphur sampling will begin from the date on which the relevant limits come into force. As a minimum, 50% of the samples taken will be inspected; - Member States must lay down effective penalties applicable to infringements of the monitoring and sampling provisions; - on the basis of the results of pilot trials and other studies carried out, the Commission will, not later than 31 December 2007, submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council with proposals to revise this Directive. This may include proposals for economic instruments - including mechanisms such as differentiated dues and kilometre charges, tradable emission permits and offsetting.�

• 2003/06/03 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2003/04/29 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0151/2003
• 2002/12/04 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2002/11/20 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2002)0595 summary

    PURPOSE: to present a proposal for a Directive amending Directive 1999/32/EC as regards the sulphur content of marine fuels. CONTENT: shipping is an international industry, and air pollutant emissions are a transboundary problem, so in this respect Community legislation can be more effective than national or local measures. Ship SO2 emissions contribute to the exceedance of critical loads for acidification, which is damaging ecosystems in northern Europe, and to the formation of particulate matter, which can damage human health throughout the European Union. Seagoing ships are now one of the biggest sources of SO2 emissions in the EU, and reducing their emissions is now more cost-effective than abating emissions in other sectors. For these reasons, explained in more detail in the Explanatory Memorandum to this proposal, the Commission believes that Community legislation in this area is necessary. This proposal aims to reduce ships' emissions of sulphur dioxide and particulate matter by modifying Council Directive 1999/32 on the sulphur content of marine fuels. In particular, the proposal aims to: - introduce a 1.5% sulphur limit for marine fuels used by all seagoing vessels in the North Sea, English Channel and Baltic Sea, in line with MARPOL Annex VI sulphur limits, in order to reduce the effect of ship emissions on acidification in Northern Europe and on air quality; - introduce a 1.5% sulphur limit for marine fuels used by passenger vessels on regular services to or from any Community port, in order to improve air quality around ports and coasts, and create sufficient demand to ensure an EU-wide supply of low sulphur fuel; - amend existing sulphur provisions for marine gas oils used by seagoing and inland vessels, in order to improve local air quality in ports and on inland waterways. These marine fuels amendments are the main substantive elements of this proposal. Moreover, two other elements are proposed: - consequential amendments to the inland heavy fuel provisions arising from Directive 2001/80/EC relating to large combustion plants, and - the creation of a Regulatory Committee to agree future technical amendments which do not require political co-decision.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/', 'title': 'Environment'}],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2002)0595
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0151/2003
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0248/2003
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(2003)0476
• Council position published: 12891/2/2004
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A6-0056/2005
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T6-0124/2005
• : Directive 2005/33
• : OJ L 191 22.07.2005, p. 0059-0069

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)