HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 23/1

This Recommendation supersedes HELCOM Recommendation 19/11

Adopted 6 March 2002, having regard to Article 20, Paragraph 1 b) of the Helsinki Convention

NOTIFICATION OF SHIP’S WASTES

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING the adoption, in 1996, by the Seventeenth Meeting of the Helsinki Commission of the Strategy for Port Reception Facilities for Ship-generated Wastes and Associated Issues (the Baltic Strategy) as the basic tool for substantial decrease of operational discharges and elimination of illegal discharges in the Baltic Sea area by all ships irrespective of their nationality,

RECALLING ALSO the adoption, in 1998, by the Nineteenth Meeting of the Helsinki Commission of several HELCOM Recommendations as a follow-up to the Baltic Strategy, and among these HELCOM Recommendation 19/11 concerning notification of ship’s wastes,

MINDFUL that the notification of the intended use of a reception facility is a prerequisite to ensure the use and efficient operation of port reception facilities,

BEING AWARE that Directive 2000/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on Port Reception Facilities for Ship-generated Waste and Cargo Residues (EC Directive on Port Reception Facilities) has entered into force on 28.12.2000 and shall be implemented by Member States before 28.12.2002,

BEING AWARE ALSO that Annex II to the EC Directive on Port Reception Facilities contains a notification format to be used by ships before entering a port,

WISHING to avoid, as far as possible, different formats for the same purpose,

RECOMMENDS that the Governments of the Contracting Parties apply also within the Baltic Sea area the notification format as contained in Annex  II to the EC Directive on Port Reception Facilities, adding a column regarding delivery of sewage,

RECOMMENDS ALSO that the Governments of the Contracting Parties, not later than 28.12.2002, will define the type of ships, visiting their ports, which should fill in the notification format. The masters of the ships, who should fill in the notification format, should be informed via port regulations. The notification format should be forwarded to the appropriate Port Authority/ Port Operator in the next port of call in the Baltic Sea area, 24 hours prior to arrival, or if not possible as early as achievable,

RECOMMENDS FURTHER that ships exempted, in accordance with Regulation 7, C, 1. of Annex IV of the Helsinki Convention, from the mandatory discharge of all wastes to a port reception facility should be exempted from the mandatory notification of ship’s wastes,

RECOMMENDS FURTHERMORE that the Governments of the Contracting Parties report on the implementation of this Recommendation in accordance with Article 16, Paragraph 1 of the Helsinki Convention. 

ATTACHMENT

INFORMATION TO BE NOTIFIED BEFORE ENTRY INTO THE PORT OF .........................

1.       Name, call sign and, where appropriate, IMO identification number of the ship:

2.       Flag State:

3.       Estimated time of arrival (ETA):

4.       Estimated time of departure (ETD):

5.       Previous port of call:

6.       Next port of call:

7.       Last port and date when ship-generated waste was delivered:

8.       Are you delivering    all  ¨    some  ¨    none  ¨    * of your waste into reception facilities?

9.       Type and amount of waste and residues to be delivered and/or remaining on board, and percentage of maximum storage capacity:

If delivering all waste, complete second column as appropriate.

If delivering some or no waste, complete all columns.

*       Tick appropriate box                              **May be estimates

I confirm that the above details are accurate and correct and there is sufficient dedicated onboard capacity to store all waste generated between notification and the next port at which waste will be delivered.

Date .....................         Time .....................         Signature ..................................................................