Commission adopts rules for the delivery of waste from ships to EU ports

The Directive on port reception facilities, adopted in 2019, prevents marine pollution from ships by ensuring that waste generated on ships, and passively fished waste, is not thrown into the sea but returned to land and adequately managed. As part of this Directive, the Commission is today adopting four implementing regulations, prepared in cooperation with Member State experts, and in consultation with stakeholders:

Storage capacity for waste in a ship

When calling at an EU port, ships must deliver all waste to the port facilities. An exemption to this rule is applied for ships with sufficient capacity to store the waste accumulated during their intended voyage until they reach the next port of call. This Implementing Regulation defines how to determine whether a ship has sufficient storage capacity for this exemption to apply.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/89 of 21 January 2022 laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2019/883 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the method to be used for the calculation of sufficient dedicated storage capacity

Ships that produce reduced quantities of waste and manage it sustainably

Reducing the amount of waste produced on board a ship is as important as the obligation to deliver it to a port. In order to incentivise this, the Directive requires that port fees are lower for ships that produce reduced quantities of waste, and manage it in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner. This Implementing Regulation defines the criteria for determining when a ship is entitled to a reduced fee for producing less waste and managing it well.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/91 of 21 January 2022 defining the criteria for determining that a ship produces reduced quantities of waste and manages its waste in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner in accordance with Directive (EU) 2019/883 of the European Parliament and of the Council

Reporting of waste caught in fishing nets

Ports must collect passively fished waste, i.e. waste caught in fishing nets during normal fishing vessel operations. So that such waste can be monitored, the Directive requires Member States to report on the amount and characteristics of passively fished waste delivered to their ports. This Implementing Regulation defines how to collect and report these data.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/92 of 21 January 2022 laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2019/883 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards monitoring data methodologies and the format for reporting passively fished waste

Selecting which ships to inspect

Member States are required to inspect 15% of ships calling in their ports to verify compliance with waste rules. When doing so, Member States must target those ships for which the risk of non-compliance is highest. This Implementing Regulation defines a mechanism for the selection of ships for inspection, based on common criteria, so that the selection is made in the same way across the EU.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/90 of 21 January 2022 laying down rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2019/883 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the detailed elements of the Union risk-based targeting mechanism for selecting ships for inspection