News

Following an appeal from Intercargo, the IMO now has eased rules on hold waste water dumping when no compliant portside facilities exist, and allow – in some cases - its discharge outside designated areas, 12 miles from shore until 2016.

Following difficult negotiations, the European Parliament (EP) and the Council (EU Member States) reached an agreement on the proposed EU Ship Recycling Regulation on 27 June 2013. Opposition throughout the negations notwithstanding, many EU Member now welcome the compromise text as being rather aligned with the Hong Kong Convention (HKC). It brings into force an early implementation of the requirements of the 2009 Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, therefore contributing to its global enforcement.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) demands that the sulphur content in maritime fuel be decreased from 1.0 % to 0.1 % after 1 January 2015. This regulation applies for fuel use in the North Sea, the English Channel, and the Baltic Sea – Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA), affecting the overall competitiveness of short sea shipping and that of industries relying on cost-efficient transportation.

Euroshore Honorary Chairman Wim Hulshof, retired after forty years as a commercial director of waste processor ATM, and fifteen years of building, inspiring and driving Euroshore. Wim was one of the founding members of Euroshore in 1988, and chaired the organisation just before his retirement. Last year he was unanimously chosen as the first Honorary Chairman of Euroshore. During a celebratory dinner Hulshof was thanked for his numerous contributions to the successes of both ATM and Euroshore.

On the 31st of May, ESPO held the tenth edition of its annual conference in Varna. The main highlight was a debate on the new ports policy regulation and communication of the European Commission, which were issued mid-May. During the conference, ESPO also presented the second edition of its port performance dashboard.