Members of the European Parliament approved measures to strengthen maritime security in the EU

This Wednesday, the European Parliament approved measures to strengthen maritime safety in the European Union (EU), allowing for faster investigations of maritime incidents, improved safety and environmental performance of ships and stricter pollution prevention.

The proposals, overwhelmingly approved Thursday, would allow for broader safety checks and stricter pollution rules, adding to the current list of pollutants that are banned from dumping, such as oil, ship sewage discharges, garbage and waste. exhaust gas purification systems (scrubbers).

MEPs have secured an EU commitment to review the rules five years after they are incorporated into national law to assess whether marine plastic litter, loss of containers and plastic pellet spills from ships should also be punished.

“We need tougher sanctions for those who pollute and fail to comply with the rules, stronger oversight, better surveillance and preventative measures to avoid future environmental disasters,” MEP Sara Cerdas, one of the speakers, said in a statement.

An update to EU rules governing maritime accident investigations was also overwhelmingly approved, as was the adoption of changes to flag states’ inspection obligations.

Flag States, which have primary responsibility for ensuring that ships flying their flag comply with safety standards, will be required to inspect their ships at least once every five years.

EU countries will have 30 months to transpose the new provisions into national legislation and prepare for their implementation.

MEPs also overwhelmingly approved new rules to improve the treatment and reuse of municipal wastewater, including better monitoring of pollutants, greater reuse of treated municipal wastewater, and what pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturers and member states will have to fund costs for additional treatment of micropollutants.