Further development of Port Waste and Sewage Reception in the Baltic Sea region to help reduce/minimise discharges at sea

Organisation: European Cruise Council

Time: 1/1/2010 – 9/21/2012

Description:

The European Cruise Council and its members are committed to the following:

1. To protecting the environment and evaluating the environmental impact of business activities on the regions and destinations which they visit.

2. To achieving the overall goal of establishing adequate port reception facilities throughout the Baltic consistent with the needs of the cruise industry in the coming years.

3. To working with IMO, HELCOM, the Baltic Sea Action Group, the EU (particularly via the application its Baltic Sea Strategy), Environment groups, Ports and other stakeholders to reduce eutrophication by the reduction of nutrients in the region.

4. To discharging sewage ashore at Baltic ports with adequate port reception facilities which operate under a ‘no special fee’ agreement. Port reception facilities are considered to be adequate where a port can receive all such effluent produced from the previous port visit with adequate reception facilities via direct line/shoreside pipe connection at its cruise berth which can then be effectively treated at the municipal waste water treatment plant.

5. To actively working with the above stakeholders to undertake a comprehensive inventory/assessment of, and future needs for, port reception facilities in the Baltic. As far as consistent with commercial confidentially and EU competition rules, this would involve the exchange of all relevant technical information.

6. To keeping under active review all technical possibilities for the cost effective on board treatment of waste and to liaising closely with manufacturers to assess and share information on the needs and performance of technological developments in that context. Such co-operation would be in strict compliance with commercial confidentiality and the competition rules of the European Union.

7. To exploring with the above stakeholders, particularly the EU via the application of existing European schemes, the possibilities of public funding of such facilities in the region.

The implementation strategy for the ECC Commitments involves the ongoing review at regular intervals of such by the different decision making arms of the ECC, namely its Board, Executive Committee and Environmental Sub-Committee.