European Union transport ministers approved rules which aim to prevent ships from dumping waste at sea. The new law will require all EU ports to build adequate facilities to store and dispose of waste, ranging from basic garbage to leftover oil and residues from cargo. All vessels docking at EU ports will be obliged to use the waste facilities unless they have enough storage space on board, and will pay port fees, set nationally and variable depending on the quantity and type of waste. Separately, ministers approved a plan to include inland and coastal ports among the transport projects which benefit from EU “Trans-European Networks” financing, a program to improve transport links across the Union.
