Policy discussions and alignment of policies

Whilst it is preferable for international shipping regulations to be adopted at global level within the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the EU will continue to assess whether action is required at EU level or specifically within the Baltic Sea region, depending on how negotiations on several key issues progress. Due to the topic’s complexity, dialogue with relevant non-EU actors is considered a priority and it is recognised that ‘clean shipping’ also entails the enforcement of environmental regulations concerning the sea, including environmental surveillance and emission control systems.

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  the work of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regarding air emissions from ships and clean shipping, and in particular the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and its annexes;
  
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  the relevant EU environmental legislation;
  
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  the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan adopted in 2007;
  
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  the Integrated Maritime Policy of the EU. Under this policy, turning the Baltic Sea into a model region for ‘clean shipping’ is an umbrella for a range of measures aimed at reducing the environmental impact of shipping, including innovations in the shipbuilding industry and manufacturing of marine equipment, supply of shore side electricity in ports;
  
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  the work of the priority area serves to reinforce and supplement these policies at the regional level, while avoiding duplication of efforts. Due to its global nature, international rules and standards are usually preferable for shipping industry. While respecting this principle, certain challenges may apply to Baltic Sea region only or can be addressed better or faster at a regional level, from which new forms of cooperation and solutions could be conveyed to the global level.
  

This action aims to reduce ship pollution, entailing measures on board vessels as well as the required infrastructure on land. International cooperation in such fora as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the EU and HELCOM has led to the introduction of new rules, which help to protect the sea and further the transition towards clean shipping. The ‘Baltic Sea Action Plan’ (BSAP) adopted by HELCOM on 15 November 2007⁵⁴ contains a specific section on maritime activities such as technologies to reduce pollutions in harbours. At the international level in 2008, the MARPOL (Annex VI) introduced stricter conditions for emissions of sulphur dioxide (SOx) in the Baltic Sea (the sulphur content of any fuel oil used on board ships within the Baltic Sea – which is a SOx Emission Control Area – from 1 July 2010 emissions of SOx shall not exceed 1.00% m/m and from 1 January 2015 the limit will be 0.10% m/m). Hence, SOx emission will be reduced substantially by 2015.

There is a greater scope for reducing pollution from ships. Action to do so could encompass a broad range of initiatives including the type of fuel used for propulsion and auxiliary engines, technical installations onboard to clean exhausts, routines and behaviour on board to reduce fuel consumption, action concerning antifouling and ballast water and hull construction. The establishment of upgraded reception facilities for sewage in passenger ports of the Baltic Sea region is a major challenge, and hence an important objective in the EUSBSR.

Incentives to opt for the cleanest transport option available are also of importance. There are several ways to offer such incentives including indexing providers of transport according to their environmental impact. Optimising information from land to the vessel regarding its intended route and speed to reach its destination just in time is another example of a land-based activity that could help reduce fuel consumption.

Promote measures to reduce emissions from ships and enhance the development of shore-side electricity facilities or for emission treatment in all major ports around the Baltic Sea. Their use should be promoted, including through economic incentives, in order to achieve a level playing field. This flagship project consists of two major activities:

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  Clean Baltic Sea Shipping – CLEANSHIP. The Cleanship project aims to identify solutions to reduce ship emissions in order to achieve a sustainable shipping industry and land transportation links as required by the new IMO regulations. To this end, the project seeks to facilitate the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and is planning to develop a general clean shipping strategy through six pilot projects. A key element in the project is the coordinated implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and joint efforts to develop environmentally friendly infrastructure, such as shore-side electricity, LNG capabilities and waste-water reception facilities in ports. The project will be implemented in cooperation with the private sector on a voluntary basis. Lead: Port of Trelleborg. Deadline: 31 December 2013.
  
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  Baltic Sea cooperation for reducing ship and port emissions through knowledge & innovation-based competitiveness – INNOSHIP. The Innoship project promotes an innovative transnational approach to mitigating the different needs and interests of the maritime sector and ensuring a level playing field for more sustainable and economically viable management of Baltic Sea resources. The project will provide the needed knowledge and best practices to policy and decision makers in the development and joint implementation of national and transnational policies, strategies and concrete measures to implement the international low emission requirements. Practical models and tools will be designed to estimate the economic implications of the required emission reductions targets and to encourage voluntary measures and economic incentives for low emission solutions at local, national and the Baltic Sea level.⁵⁵ Lead: Baltic Institute of Finland. Deadline: 31 December 2013.
  
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  Promote measures to collect ship-generated waste (enhanced application of HELCOM’s ‘no special-fee’ system for port reception facilities especially for oily wastes from machinery spaces, sewage and rubbish). It is important that the main ports implement a uniform and transparent approach. Furthermore, the availability of port reception facilities in the Baltic Sea ports should be further enhanced covering the delivery of all wastes, including sewage. The HELCOM member states have agreed to a Roadmap for the upgrading of port reception facilities for sewage in passenger ports in the Baltic Sea area. This Roadmap should be implemented as soon as possible, preferably by 2013, and at the latest by 2015.⁵⁶ The project has been developed in close correlation with the now completed flagship project entitled ‘Eliminate the discharge of sewage from ships’, see annex. Lead: HELCOM. Deadline: 2015.
  
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  Introduce Differentiated Port Dues depending on the Environmental Impact on Ships (enhanced application of HELCOM’s ‘no special-fee’). The HELCOM ‘Baltic Sea Action Plan’ (BSAP) contains a specific section on maritime activities promoting for example technologies to reduce air pollution by ships. At the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Moscow in May 2010 it was decided to work towards submitting a joint proposal by the Baltic Sea countries to IMO in order to apply for a NOx Emission Control Area status for the Baltic Sea, taking into account the results of the study by HELCOM on economic the impacts of a Baltic Sea NECA and to welcome and support the idea of NECAs in other sea areas, in particular the North Sea. Two submissions by the Baltic Sea countries to the IMO are planned: the NECA submission and the technology overview submission. Both submissions are ready and the final submission of the documents is planned for the IMOs Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting no. 65 (scheduled for July 2013). Lead: HELCOM. Deadline: 2013.
  
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  Build competences on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) installations in the region (MarTech LNG – Marine Competence, Technology and Knowledge Transfer for LNG in the South Baltic Sea region). The project aims to ensure that knowledge of LNG technology is transferred to the countries in the region that are currently building LNG terminals. It is important to ensure capacity building and to transfer knowledge on the topic to companies in the region, in order to ensure that future operation and maintenance can be done locally. The project addresses the potential supply chain of small-and medium-sized enterprises in the region that have an opportunity to gain competence in LNG technology during the construction of LNG terminals, as well as scientific institutions. The anticipated result is a regional cluster with competence on LNG that can utilize business opportunities offered in the emerging LNG market. Lead: Klaipeda Science and Technology Park, Lithuania. Deadline: December 2014.
  
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  Indexing the environmental impact of vessels (Clean Shipping Index – real time, quantified insight into the environmental performance of ships). Cargo owners increasingly influence the logistic chains for their goods. The drivers are efficiency and costs, but also reliability and sustainability. In the Clean Shipping Index database ships and ship owners are ranked in accordance with their environmental performance. In order to minimize their corporate environmental footprints, cargo owners may use the information from the Clean Shipping Index during the procurement of sea transport. The project has already close to 50 shipping companies involved and nearly 2000 vessels are indexed. The intention is to expand the cargo owner network and attract more shipping companies and simultaneously extend the concept to other parts of Europe with a view to becoming a self-sustaining organisation in 3-5 years. Lead: Clean Shipping Network Association. Deadline: 2015.
  

The above projects address a broad range of issues pertaining to clean shipping, but not all topics are covered yet. The coordinator of priority area welcomes proposals for new flagship projects in particular regarding the use of renewable or less polluting types of fuel for propulsion; statistics on and definition of sewage and ship-generated wastes and the associated infrastructure in ports; ballast water and other issues that have not yet been addressed.