HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 14/8

Adopted 4 February 1993 having regard to Article 13, Paragraph c) and Article 24, Paragraph 2 of the Helsinki Convention  

AMENDMENT TO ANNEX IV OF THE HELSINKI CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF INCINERATION OF SHIP-GENERATED WASTES ON BOARD SHIPS IN THE TERRITORIAL SEAS OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES 

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING the Baltic Sea Declaration adopted at Ronneby in 1990,

CONVINCED that measures on a global basis should be initiated by the issuing of relevant regulations by the International Maritime Organization (IMO),

WELCOMING the work of IMO on the development of new regulations on the prevention of air pollution from ships,

WELCOMING ALSO the ongoing revision of ISO standards on fuel oil quality concerning environmental aspects,

RECOGNIZING the vulnerability of the Baltic Sea Area,

RECOGNIZING ALSO the need to maintain the biodiversity of the coastal areas and shallow waters of the Baltic Sea,

RECOGNIZING FURTHER that the presence of chemicals in the exhaust gases emanating from incineration is harmful to the environment and human health,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that adequate reception facilities for ship-generated wastes are available in all ports of the Baltic Sea Area,

TAKING ALSO INTO ACCOUNT that the incineration of ship-generated wastes is excluded from the scope of the definition of "incineration" in the 1992 Helsinki Convention,

TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION the amendment procedure for the annexes of the Helsinki Convention, as contained in Article 24 of the Convention,

RESOLVES:

a)to adopt a new Regulation 9 to Annex IV of the Helsinki Convention appearing in the Attachment to this Recommendation;

b)to ask the Depositary Government to communicate the amendment to the Contracting Parties with the Commission's Recommendation for acceptance;

c)to determine that the amendment shall be deemed to have been accepted unless prior to 31 December 1993 any of the Contracting Parties has objected to the amendment; and

d)to determine that the accepted amendment shall enter into force on 1 January 1995.

RECOMMENDS to the Governments of those Contracting Parties which establish an exclusive economic zone also to apply this regulation within this zone in accordance with international law.

Attachment

 The following text is added to Annex IV of the Helsinki Convention:

" Regulation 9

Incineration of ship-generated wastes on board ships

A.Definition

For the purpose of this Regulation "incineration of ship-generated wastes on board ships" means the deliberate combustion of ship-generated wastes, incidental to the normal operation of ships, for the purpose of thermal destruction of such wastes.

B.Prohibition

The Contracting Parties shall prohibit any incineration of ship-generated wastes on board ships, irrespective of their nationality, operating in their territorial seas. "