While the EU aims for « zero pollution » of its waters by 2030, its member states are struggling to tackle the impacts of maritime activities. This is the conclusion of a report from the European Court of Auditors, published on Tuesday.
The reasons: infrequent controls and insufficient sanctions for those polluting European seas.
Europe is navigating troubled waters. As ocean protection will be at the heart of discussions next June during the United Nations conference on the topic (UNOC-3) in Nice, the European Court of Auditors is sounding the alarm. In a report published on Tuesday, March 4th, it is stated that the seas of EU member states remain far too polluted. The issue: defective enforcement of European legislation by the 27 member states.
« Marine pollution caused by ships and boats remains a major problem, and despite some improvements in recent years, Europe’s actions are failing to steer us out of these troubled waters, » said Nikolaos Milionis, a member of the Court responsible for the audit, during a press conference. « The reality is that more than three-quarters of European seas are facing pollution problems. »
A « Zero Pollution » Goal Out of Reach
Marine pollution in Europe is caused by numerous activities in the territorial seas and exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the member states. Among the main sources of pollution are the aging of ships, lost containers at sea, shipwrecks, sulfur emissions into the atmosphere, and illegal oil discharges. According to a report from the European Environment Agency published in 2019, 80% of EU maritime waters are classified as « problematic areas » due to high levels of contaminants, and 75% are polluted by marine litter.
A Particularly High Rate Despite the EU’s « Zero Pollution » Goal for Water by 2030
While the EU has set the ambitious goal of achieving « zero pollution » for its waters by 2030, the application of its strict maritime laws by member states remains insufficient, according to the European Court of Auditors. Despite having some of the strictest rules globally, the EU’s member states struggle to implement them effectively. According to the Court, the countries are underutilizing the « tools and services » available from the European Maritime Safety Agency, which hinders progress toward achieving the « zero pollution » target to protect human health, biodiversity, and fish stocks. Nikolaos Milionis from the Court pointed out that this makes the goal of « zero pollution » essentially out of reach.
Gaps in Tackling Oil Spills
Among the most significant issues in European seas are oil discharges and oil spills. Globally, between 1 and 4.5 million tonnes of oil are spilled annually, mainly due to deliberate discharges like tank cleaning operations and waste dumping. However, the European Court of Auditors’ audit shows significant gaps within the EU in tackling this issue.
The 27 EU member states rely insufficiently on the CleanSeaNet program, a satellite-based monitoring system set up by the EU to detect oil discharges. The tool, which provides high-resolution images, is meant to help states detect and intervene quickly in the event of a spill. However, less than half of the reports lead to operations at sea, with an average of just 44% in the EU. In France, the number is even lower—only 30% of the 607 reports made between 2022 and 2023 were followed up on, and only 6% of pollution alerts were verified.
This lack of action leads to a low rate of penalties for polluters, allowing them to continue their activities without fear of consequences. The report criticizes that perpetrators of illegal discharges are rarely sanctioned or prosecuted, and that the actual amount of hydrocarbons, contaminants, and marine waste dumped by ships remains largely unknown, as does the identity of the polluters.
This problem also extends to violations related to abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear. In this area, France is particularly lagging. Between 2015 and 2019, out of 93 reported violations involving lost fishing gear, Spain reported 86, while France reported none. Yet, according to the European Parliament, waste from fishing and aquaculture accounts for 27% of marine waste.
Lost Containers Never Recovered
Another issue highlighted by the European Court of Auditors is the loss of shipping containers. Hundreds of containers are lost at sea every year due to poor stowage, accidents, or bad weather. These containers can then release hazardous substances or plastic pellets that pollute the seas and beaches, as seen in mid-January along the southern French coast, particularly around the Arcachon Basin.
The problem has become so significant that the European Commission, in its impact assessment on microplastic pollution published in 2021, identified the loss of plastic pellets at sea or on land as the third-largest source of unintended microplastic discharge into the environment.
In France alone, authorities estimate that 1,200 containers were lost in the Atlantic and the Channel/North Sea zones between 2003 and 2014, with only 49 recovered, a mere 4% of those lost. Despite EU legislation requiring states to ensure that the captain of a vessel immediately reports any lost containers to the relevant coastal state, this guideline is rarely followed in practice.
Recycling: A Black Spot in EU Legislation
Another pollution issue the EU struggles to regulate is ship dismantling. According to the audit, shipowners are still finding ways to evade their recycling obligations, despite the fact that since December 21, 2018, European-flagged commercial vessels with a gross tonnage of 500 or more must be recycled in EU-approved facilities. However, many circumvent this rule by changing the flag of their vessel at the end of its life to that of another country.
According to the Court of Auditors’ figures, in 2022, 14.2% of the global fleet flew the flag of an EU state, but only 6.1% of ships at the end of their life did. This loophole allows shipowners to send their vessels to non-EU-approved demolition sites, which are cheaper and have shorter waiting times, but are dangerous and environmentally harmful.
These sites, mainly located in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Turkey, often dismantle ships on beaches, leaking hazardous chemicals and exposing workers to deplorable conditions. This issue has been condemned by the NGO The Shipbreaking Platform and described by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as a « major environmental and health problem worldwide. » To address these practices, the Hong Kong International Convention is set to come into force in June, implementing a recycling control mechanism. This convention has been ratified by ten EU coastal states and one non-coastal EU member state.
A Particularly High Rate Despite the EU’s « Zero Pollution » Goal for Water by 2030
While the EU has set the ambitious goal of achieving « zero pollution » for its waters by 2030, the application of its strict maritime laws by member states remains insufficient, according to the European Court of Auditors. Despite having some of the strictest rules globally, the EU’s member states struggle to implement them effectively. According to the Court, the countries are underutilizing the « tools and services » available from the European Maritime Safety Agency, which hinders progress toward achieving the « zero pollution » target to protect human health, biodiversity, and fish stocks. Nikolaos Milionis from the Court pointed out that this makes the goal of « zero pollution » essentially out of reach.
Gaps in Tackling Oil Spills
Among the most significant issues in European seas are oil discharges and oil spills. Globally, between 1 and 4.5 million tonnes of oil are spilled annually, mainly due to deliberate discharges like tank cleaning operations and waste dumping. However, the European Court of Auditors’ audit shows significant gaps within the EU in tackling this issue.
The 27 EU member states rely insufficiently on the CleanSeaNet program, a satellite-based monitoring system set up by the EU to detect oil discharges. The tool, which provides high-resolution images, is meant to help states detect and intervene quickly in the event of a spill. However, less than half of the reports lead to operations at sea, with an average of just 44% in the EU. In France, the number is even lower—only 30% of the 607 reports made between 2022 and 2023 were followed up on, and only 6% of pollution alerts were verified.
This lack of action leads to a low rate of penalties for polluters, allowing them to continue their activities without fear of consequences. The report criticizes that perpetrators of illegal discharges are rarely sanctioned or prosecuted, and that the actual amount of hydrocarbons, contaminants, and marine waste dumped by ships remains largely unknown, as does the identity of the polluters.
This problem also extends to violations related to abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear. In this area, France is particularly lagging. Between 2015 and 2019, out of 93 reported violations involving lost fishing gear, Spain reported 86, while France reported none. Yet, according to the European Parliament, waste from fishing and aquaculture accounts for 27% of marine waste.
Lost Containers Never Recovered
Another issue highlighted by the European Court of Auditors is the loss of shipping containers. Hundreds of containers are lost at sea every year due to poor stowage, accidents, or bad weather. These containers can then release hazardous substances or plastic pellets that pollute the seas and beaches, as seen in mid-January along the southern French coast, particularly around the Arcachon Basin.
The problem has become so significant that the European Commission, in its impact assessment on microplastic pollution published in 2021, identified the loss of plastic pellets at sea or on land as the third-largest source of unintended microplastic discharge into the environment.
In France alone, authorities estimate that 1,200 containers were lost in the Atlantic and the Channel/North Sea zones between 2003 and 2014, with only 49 recovered, a mere 4% of those lost. Despite EU legislation requiring states to ensure that the captain of a vessel immediately reports any lost containers to the relevant coastal state, this guideline is rarely followed in practice.
Recycling: A Black Spot in EU Legislation
Another pollution issue the EU struggles to regulate is ship dismantling. According to the audit, shipowners are still finding ways to evade their recycling obligations, despite the fact that since December 21, 2018, European-flagged commercial vessels with a gross tonnage of 500 or more must be recycled in EU-approved facilities. However, many circumvent this rule by changing the flag of their vessel at the end of its life to that of another country.
According to the Court of Auditors’ figures, in 2022, 14.2% of the global fleet flew the flag of an EU state, but only 6.1% of ships at the end of their life did. This loophole allows shipowners to send their vessels to non-EU-approved demolition sites, which are cheaper and have shorter waiting times, but are dangerous and environmentally harmful.
These sites, mainly located in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Turkey, often dismantle ships on beaches, leaking hazardous chemicals and exposing workers to deplorable conditions. This issue has been condemned by the NGO The Shipbreaking Platform and described by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as a « major environmental and health problem worldwide. » To address these practices, the Hong Kong International Convention is set to come into force in June, implementing a recycling control mechanism. This convention has been ratified by ten EU coastal states and one non-coastal EU member state.
Source: tf1info
