Development of Economic Instruments Regarding Collection, Transport, Treatment and Disposal of Used Oil and Oily Waters from Ships in the Adriatic Region - Pilot Project for Kvarner Bay

This pilot project is focused on the issue of prevention of marine pollution by oily wastewaters from ships by using the economic instruments. The project is concerned with the area of Kvarner Bay, but it also aims to be implemented in other parts of the Adriatic Sea. Ships entering the ports of Kvarner Bay (Rijeka, Bakar, Omišalj, Raša) pose a potential threat to the sea, which might be polluted by used oils and oily wastewaters, as long as an adequate system and procedure for the reception, transport, treatment and disposal of ships generating oily wastes are not introduced and at the same time supported by the adequate economic instruments.

A detailed diagnostic analysis has been accomplished in order to reveal the main shortcomings of the present situation and to propose the needed improvements. The economic analysis of relevant activities has been prepared and the examples of some good experiences of other European ports have been proposed to be incorporated into the practice with the support of current international and domestic regulations covering this important field of sea protection from oil pollution.

Communication among the different parties (local authorities; port authorities; ship-owners; repair shipyard authorities; firms dealing with reception, transport and treatment of oily wastewaters from ships; and others) is often very weak, although these parties are concerned with the same problem. Therefore, one of the very important tasks of the project is to find out a sustainable solution for the implementation of economic instruments that would be acceptable for all the parties concerned.

The basic proposals for economic instruments to be implemented concerning the problem of collection, transport, treatment and disposal of oily wastewaters from ships, are the following:
- The costs recovery for the relevant activities and works would be based on the combined "Polluter Pays" principle, i.e.: all ships entering the ports should be charged for a part of these costs regardless of the fact if they are using or not reception facilities and the relevant services. The rest of costs would be paid by ships whose oily wastes have to be collected, treated and disposed in the port.
- Collection, transport and storage of oily wastes would make a part of costs paid by all ships entering the port, whose recovery would be based on the proposed economic instruments. According to the relevant economic analysis, a share of these costs makes about 50% of the total costs. The other part of costs, i.e. the costs for treatment and disposal of oily wastes should be paid by ships requiring this port service, depending on the quantity and quality of wastes.
- The following three solutions for the implementation of relevant economic instruments in this phase of the project, are based:
1. on the existing port fees;
2. on the existing lighthouse fees; and
3. on new environmental fees, which would be specially introduced for this purpose.

In order to chose the best solution, which would be successfully implemented in the practice, a close collaboration is needed between the two state ministries in the next phases of the project, i.e.: the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning, and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communication.

To that end, two workshops were organised to present and discus project results and proposals, as well as a meeting for the representatives of MEPPP and MMATC. The choice of one of the above-mentioned solutions and the trial implementation of economic instruments is expected in the next phases of this pilot project.

Publications / Documents

Ms. Mirjana Papafava
Head of Economic Incentives Department
Ministry for Environmental Protectionand Physical Planning
Ulica grada Vukovara 78
10000 Zagreb

Tel: +385 1 610 6563
Fax: +385 1 611 2073
E-mail: mirjana.papafava@duzo.tel.hr
Web site: http://www.mzopu.hr/

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