Tag: EU

At the Committee on the Safety of the Sea (COSS) held 23 April, EU Member States endorsed the recommendation from the European Commission not to de-recognise Filipino seafarer certificates of competency

Antwerp, Mannheim, Rotterdam, Strasbourg and Switzerland (Image Credit: LNG Masterplan.eu)The port authorities of Antwerp, Mannheim, Rotterdam, Strasbourg and Switzerland signed a joint venture for the introduction of LNG.This involves cooperation in research, promotion, knowledge transfer, legislation and bunker infrastructure. The agreements follow on from the LNG Master plan of the Rhine-Main-Danube corridor in which all participants are involved. The aim of this master plan is to put liquefied natural gas to full scale use as a fuel for inland shipping on the Rhine-Main-Danube corridor.The European Union has provided a subsidy of 40 million to support an LNG infrastructure for the Rhine-Main-Danube area. The Danser Group, supported by the LNG Master plan, has commenced refitting its Eiger-Nordwand tow boat. The engines of this vessel will be powered by LNG for 99%.LNG in RotterdamThere has been a special terminal for the storage and handling of liquefied natural gas in the port of Rotterdam since 2011: the Gate terminal. The Argonon and the Greenstream are the first inland vessels powered by LNG which call at the port of Rotterdam. The Municipality of Rotterdam amended the regulations last year so that inland vessels can now also bunker. The LNG MasterplanThe LNG Masterplan aims to ...

The lock complex at Ijmuiden is the physical access point which connects the North Sea with Amsterdam Seaports and is used intensively by shipping traffic

The European Parliament endorsed a Directive for Maritime Spatial Planning which should help Member States develop plans to better coordinate the various activities that take place at sea, ensuring they are as efficient and sustainable as possible. In coastal and maritime areas, many activities compete for the same space and resources: fishing grounds, aquaculture farms, marine protected areas exist alongside maritime infrastructures such as cables, pipelines, shipping lanes and oil, gas and wind installations. The new Directive will help avoid potential conflicts between such diverse uses and create a stable environment attractive to investors, thereby contributing to sustainable growth. With rapidly increasing demand for maritime space for new activities, from renewable energy to aquaculture installations, better and coherent planning of maritime activities at sea is indeed needed. The Directive sets minimum requirements for the drawing up of national maritime spatial plans. These plans will identify all existing human activities, taking into account land-sea interactions, and the most effective way of managing them. As many of the activities run across national borders, the Directive will help Member States co-operate better. European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki and Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: "Today's vote in the European Parliament ...

The European Commission has given new guidance on the interpretation of the regulation to provide cabotage within a Member State t

EU adopts Maritime Spatial Planning legislation

The European Parliament adopted a financial package of €160.5 million for a period of over seven years (2014-2020) for the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to allow continued action to combat marine pollution. This vote follows an informal agreement reached with the Council in March and shows the support and confidence in the European system to combat pollution at sea established in EMSA. This system which has proven its added-value and cost-efficiency relies on satellite services to detect pollution and a network of specialised anti-pollution vessels available to Member States to recover pollutants Siim Kallas, Vice-President responsible for Transport said: "The European system to combat pollution at sea has proven its added-value and cost-efficiency. I welcome the European Parliament's continued support for the effective work carried out by the European Maritime Safety Agency". The funds from the Union's transport budget will allow continued detection, monitoring and cleaning up of spills from ships and for phase-in activities to fight spills from oil and gas installations given the extended mandate of the Agency1 following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. EMSA's assistance may also be granted to third countries sharing a regional sea basin with the Union. For the first time, Member States ...

The European Parliament (EP) adopted its report on the Commission proposal for a Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) Regulation of CO2 emissions from ships calling at EU ports

Moden rules on marine equipment in the EU The European Parliament has adopted the Commission's proposed new Directive on marine equipment.Better rules on marine equipment in the EU will result in safer journeys for the ships and their crew, less red tape for Member States, reduced costs for business, and increased competitiveness of the EU industry.European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said "These new rules are an important development in this sector as marine equipment represents a significant fraction of the value of a ship, and its quality and safe operation are critical for the safety of the ship and its crew. It is equally important for the prevention of maritime accidents and pollution of the marine environment".The law that has been adopted contains three main innovations:The possibility to introduce an electronic tag or electronic wheel mark: This is an electronic version of the wheel mark proof of conformity for compliant marine equipment traded within the European Economic Area. The electronic tag should be cheaper for users and administrations to deal with than the physical mark, which can be hard to affix on products. The electronic version can be read at a distance and will help with stock ...

European Parliament's vote for renewed resources The European Parliament adopted a financial package of 160.5 million for a period of over seven years (2014-2020) for the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to allow continued action to combat marine pollution. This vote follows an informal agreement reached with the Council in March and shows the support and confidence in the European system to combat pollution at sea established in EMSA. This system which has proven its added-value and cost-efficiency relies on satellite services to detect pollution and a network of specialised anti-pollution vessels available to Member States to recover pollutantsSiim Kallas, Vice-President responsible for Transport said: "The European system to combat pollution at sea has proven its added-value and cost-efficiency. I welcome the European Parliament's continued support for the effective work carried out by the European Maritime Safety Agency".The funds from the Union's transport budget will allow continued detection, monitoring and cleaning up of spills from ships and for phase-in activities to fight spills from oil and gas installations given the extended mandate of the Agency1 following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. EMSA's assistance may also be granted to third countries sharing a regional sea basin with the Union. For the ...