Council Of The European Union News

ClassNK recently released FAQs on the FuelEU Maritime (1st Edition), an overview and necessary preparation for FuelEU Maritime, regulations newly introduced by the European Union (EU) to promote the decarbonization of fuels used on board ships.The EU has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to the 1990 levels, with the aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.As part of a comprehensive climate policy package "Fit for 55" for achieving this goal…

This article will focus on conflicts of laws stemming from the EU Blocking Statute and U.S. antiboycott law, both of which are intended to prevent parties from complying with a disfavored sanctions regime. The article will highlight some of the inherent conflicts in dealing with multiple conflicting sanctions regimes. It follows our comprehensive summary of sanctions and shipping, which covered several of the issues herein in some detail.Antiboycott law: in generalAntiboycott law is essentially the inverse of sanctions law.

Norway's bulk and shipping company Grieg Star said that its cargo vessel Grieg Star, is the first vessel in the company to be sent for recycling, under the new EU recycling regulations.According to the Norwegian shipping company, the vessel began the recycling at Leyal Ship Recycling Group in Turkey, on February 20."We recycled our first vessel 18 years ago at a yard in China. Ever since, we have been committed to a sustainable recycling of our vessels. Since 2010, we have trusted on Grieg Green to secure sustainable recycling of our vessels. As such, Star Gran follows our standard practice. What is new with Star Gran, is that she is one of the first vessels to be recycled under the EU regulation on Ship Recycling (EU SRR)…

The headquarters of the EU’s anti-piracy missions off the coast of Somalia will be moved from the UK to Spain next year as EU leaders revealed the latest consequence of Brexit."EU NAVFOR confirms that following the decision from the Council of the European Union the mandate of Operation ATALANTA will continue until 31 December 2020," said a press release. EU NAVFOR Somalia, also known as Operation Atalanta, is a current counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, that is the first undertaken by the European Union Naval Force.The mandate extension signals the EU’s commitment to continuing counter-piracy operations off the Somali coast.

In 2024, Denmark will be hosting European Maritime Day with more than 1,000 participants. With its maritime surroundings, the city of Svendborg will be the setting of the conference, said a press release from Danish Maritime Authority. European Maritime Day is one of Europe's largest maritime conferences. The Council of the European Union has awarded Denmark the honour of hosting the conference in 2024. Earlier this year, the Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs nominated Svendborg as the Danish candidate city. It will be the first time that the conference is held in Denmark, and the Municipality of Svendborg will be at the centre of it all.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim joined Ministers responsible for shipping from various EU States and other countries to discuss the future of shipping, at a conference in Valletta, Malta. Speaking at the High Level Ministerial Stakeholder Conference on Maritime Affairs, Mr. Lim highlighted IMO’s key role as the global regulator for international shipping . He emphasized the importance of the industry for future sustainable development around the world, and that the key to this will be the roadmap, agreed at IMO’s MEPC 70 meeting last October, to consider and develop a comprehensive IMO Strategy for the reduction of GHG emissions from ships.

The Presidency of the Council of the European Union has granted official patronage to the forthcoming European Shipping Week (ESW) which will be held in Brussels during March 2‐6, 2015. This support joins the European Parliament’s official patronage by its President, Martin Schulz, and that of the European Commission. In a letter to Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), Anrijs Matiss, Latvian Minister of Transport, gave his full support to the week-long event.

Ship owners are facing a number of regulatory gauntlet in coming years regarding emissions and ballast water treatment systems. But ship owners with EU-flagged vessels who incur unnecessary operating costs need to ensure that their onboard refrigeration units are leak-tight, said WSS’ Svenn Jacobsen, as new EU Regulations on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (F-Gas), look to fundamentally change the use of refrigeration gases onshore and at sea, with estimated cost increases at 5-10 times their current level.

Iran's main oil tanker firm NITC will struggle for some time to call at European ports, get foreign insurance and overcome obstacles under western sanctions, even after a top court has annulled its blacklisted status in the European Union. An interim deal between Iran and world powers signed in November has provided the Islamic Republic with some sanctions relief, helping to boost oil sales. But continued restrictions on shipping and insurance have meant that a return to Tehran's pre-sanction export level of over 2 million barrels per day (bpd) is still some way off. The European court ruling "will not give them carte blanche to transport cargos…

The Council of the European Union (EU) adopted a regulation amending regulation 1013/2006 on shipments of waste, which lays down requirements for shipments of waste within the EU and between the EU and third countries in order to protect human health and the environment (PE-CO S 69/14, 8792/14 ADD1). The new regulation contains strengthened measures to ensure more uniform implementation of the waste shipment regulation throughout the EU. By January 1, 2017, member states will have to establish inspection plans, which must include the objectives and priorities of the inspections, the geographical area covered by the inspection plans and the tasks assigned to each authority involved in the inspections. The inspection plans must be based on a risk assessment.

Following the decision taken on 23 March 2012 by the Council of the European Union to allow the EU Naval Force to take disruption action against known pirate supplies on the shore, EU forces recently conducted an operation to destroy pirate equipment on the Somali coastline. The operation was conducted in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1851 and has the full support of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. The focused, precise and proportionate action was conducted from the air and all forces returned safely to EU warships on completion.

Denmark is a leader in implementing well-designed policies for renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change, according to a review of Danish energy policies published today by the International Energy Agency (IEA).<http://www.iea.org> The review applauded Denmark's long-term vision for a low-carbon future - all Danish energy supply is to come from renewable sources by 2050 - and its achievements to date, but also sounded some notes of caution regarding the implementation of such an ambitious strategy. "The IEA commends Denmark and its people for the scope of their vision and their many successes in adopting sustainable energy policies," said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven as she presented the review.

INTERTANKO’s European Reference Group continued its promotion of INTERTANKO’s policies in Brussels last week. Numerous meetings were arranged with Members of the European Parliament from Spain, France, Germany, Italy, with transport or shipping attaches from Malta, Cyprus and the U.K., as well as with senior officials from the Maritime Transport Directorate. INTERTANKO’s main message remains that shipping is international and should be regulated through international rules agreed in IMO, while regional or national regulation, however well intended, often proves counterproductive. INTERTANKO underlined the need for much faster ratification of the IMO conventions, which would remove some of the pressure for regional or national regulation.

The Council of the European Union said that it adopted a common position on a draft directive establishing a framework for Community action in the field of marine environmental policy. The text will be sent to the European Parliament under the co-decisional procedure. Source: HK Law

The Council of the European Union issued a Provisional Version of its 2499th Council meeting, which focused on transport issues. Under the plan, which must still be approved by the European Parliament, single-hull tankers over 5,000 dwt carrying heavy oils would be banned from EU ports. Single-hull tankers between 600 and 5,000 dwt carrying heavy oils would be banned from 2008. Pre-MARPOL single-hull tankers over 5,000 dwt would be banned from 2005. MARPOL single-hull tankers would be banned as from 2010. In press release issued by the EC, Vice-President Loyola de Palacio welcomed the action. The Council also considered proposals to increase sanctions for ship-source pollution…

The Council of the European Union released the Provisional Version

The European Commission (EC) lauded a recent decision of the Court of Justice holding that the European Community has the power to require member states to adopt criminal penalties for the purpose of protecting the environment. The decision, Commission of the European Communities v. Council of the European Union, holds that protection of the environment constitutes one of the essential objectives of the Community and, thus, the Council is without authority to block the legislation. Although the legislation at issue was not strictly maritime, the decision indicates which body the Court of Justice believes to be in control of environmental enforcement matters within the European Community. (HK Law)