Countries may be fined due to ship wastes

Seven European countries have been sent final warnings of possible court action for failing to fully implement a 2000 Directive on port facilities for ship waste. The European Commission complained that Belgium, Finland, France,Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia had not set up – or at least had failed to prove that they had done so – waste reception and handling plans for all ports. The legal deadline for what it called this “key element”of the directive passed on 27 December 2002. If these countries do not implement the Directive in the near future, fines will be imposed on them.