EU losing patience with IMO over ship pollution

The European commission has given the strongest indication yet that it is losing faith in the ability of the International maritime organisation (IMO) to curb air pollution from ships.

"Time is running out and we are running out of patience," environment directorate chief Mogens Peter Carl told a shipping conference in Brussels on Wednesday. He was referring to efforts in the UN-sponsored body to cut three "classical pollutants": particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide.

"If the IMO does not move successfully within a few months, the pressure on the commission to come forward with proposals for unilateral action will be such that we have to prepare such proposals," Mr Carl warned.

Turning to efforts to cut carbon dioxide from shipping, Mr Carl said there was still no sign of binding measures to cut emissions ten years after the UN had given the IMO responsibility for developing these.

"Should IMO not agree binding reductions by 2009, [the environment directorate] will try to persuade the European commission to propose measures. An obvious one is to include [shipping] in the EU's emission trading scheme." Earlier commission statements had suggested these proposals might come even sooner (EED 17/04/07 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/23021).

Portuguese junior environment minister Humberto Rosa, representing the EU presidency, said member states were in less of a hurry to take action outside the IMO. "The IMO seems to be moving on the classical pollutants," said Mr Rosa. The EU should await the outcome of a review of air pollution under the IMO's Marpol convention, he urged.

The review is due to end by April 2008 but could be delayed. Mr Rosa acknowledged that "not much" had been achieved by the IMO on CO2. It was "very likely" that maritime emissions would be subject to trading in some form in future, he said. Ministers have no clear policy on the issue yet, he said.

The conference was jointly organised by green transport NGO T&E, the German environment ministry, the Portuguese presidency, and the International council for clean transport.

Follow-up: T&E http://www.transportenvironment.org/ and conference programme

http://www.transportenvironment.org/docs/events/2007-10_17_seminar_on_ship_emissions.pdf.

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