Tougher rules on marine pollution to enter force

A directive setting criminal penalties for the most serious cases of maritime pollution will enter force in mid-November following their publication in the EU's official journal on Tuesday. Member states have until 16 November 2010 to transpose them into national law

The rules oblige EU states to impose criminal charges for intentional, reckless or seriously negligent polluting discharges http://www.endseurope.com/21268?referrer=bulletin&DCMP=EMC-ENDS-EUROPE-DAILY by ships. However they do not specify

penalty levels. The rules replace a 2005 directive http://www.endseurope.com/14814?referrer=bulletin&DCMP=EMC-ENDS-EUROPE-DAILY requiring penalties but not necessarily criminal charges.

Follow-up: Directive 2009/123/EC

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:280:0052:0055:EN:PDF

ENDS Europe Daily is Europe's leading environmental news service. A free trial is available by clicking on the following link: http://www.endseuropedaily.com/web/helcom.