Sweden takes tough line on 0.1% sulphur requirement
A 0.1% sulphur fuel limit for ships at berth in European Union ports came into effect on 1 January, 2010.
Swedish authorities have taken a tough stance on the implementation of a 0.1% sulphur fuel limit for ships at berth in European Union (EU) ports, which came into effect from 1 January, 2010.
According to an announcement from the Swedish Transport Agency, the Swedish government has no intention to allow any exceptions or introduce a lenient approach to vessels that cannot change to 0.1% sulphur fuel for technical reasons.
The announcement referred to the European Commission (EC) recommendation, dated 21 December, 2009 on the safe implementation of the use of low sulphur fuel by ships at berth in Community ports. The EC recommendation invited member states to consider the existence of a compliance plan for ships when assessing the degree of penalties to be applied to ships that cannot comply with EU Directive 2005/33, which introduced the at berth low 0.1% sulphur requirement.
“This means that the Swedish government can decide whether any relaxation in the legislation regarding a vessel in Swedish port that cannot meet the requirement to use fuel with a maximum. 0.1% sulphur will be introduced,” the Swedish Transport Agency said.
Sweden introduced the EU Directive into Swedish legislation four years ago, and the Swedish Transport Agency's Maritime division said it was not aware of any change in the law. According to paragraph 12 of the Regulation in Sweden, which came into force on 1 January, 2010, a ship scheduled to be in port for more than two hours must not use a fuel that contains more than 0.1% sulphur. The fuel changeover should be made as soon as possible after arrival and as late as possible before departure.
“The current wording of the regulation leaves no room for interpretation,” the announcement from Sweden said. “As the regulation is part of the Swedish Environmental Code the Swedish Transport Agency's personnel are obligated to report any suspected violation to public prosecution,” it added.
The message from the Swedish Transport Agency is another example of EU countries and even ports interpreting EU Directive 2005/33 slightly differently. Some countries have taken the EC recommendation to mean that vessels, where using 0.1% sulphur fuel could cause operational problems and be a safety risk, should be shown some lenience for the first eight months of 2010, providing they provide documentation of a compliance plan.
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