The European Court of Auditors regrets, in a report published on March 4, that member states do not enforce stricter rules and oversight on ship pollution in ports across the Union.
« Protect the ocean, » is the French executive’s rallying cry, with only three months to go before the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, scheduled from June 9 to 13, 2025. Oil spills in the water, lost containers, and fishing gear drifting at sea… As the state of the marine world continues to deteriorate, European countries still have a lot to do when it comes to addressing pollution from ships, confirms a report from the European Court of Auditors, made public on Tuesday, March 4. The administration responsible for overseeing the proper management of EU funds concludes that the Twenty-Seven, aiming for a pollution-free territory by 2050, are still « sailing in murky waters. »
Overall, the rules « governing ship pollution are improving, » but their « implementation and enforcement show weaknesses, » say the auditors, who evaluated ten years of public measures, from 2014 to 2024. They particularly point out a « underuse » by member states of the « tools and services » from the European Maritime Safety Agency. By the end of 2027, they recommend « improving their functioning and efficiency, » among other suggestions. CleanSeaNet is one example. Since 2007, this system has used satellites to detect oil spills at sea.
Source: lemonde
