MARPOL 73/78 Convention
At the end of the 1990s, the International Maritime Organisation's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) requested a detailed assessment of the different sources of oil contamination in the marine environment from maritime activities from the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP). The conclusions of the study showed: “Estimates of oil entering the marine environment from sea-based activities” (GESAMP, 2007) estimate that, of the 1,245,000 t/year of oil fed into the world's oceans, around 50% originate from natural seepage of crude oil on the seabed, in second place were operational discharges of oil, accounting for 15% (around 205,650 t/year), followed by accidental spills, with a mean of 163,200 t/year (13% of the total), those from coastal facilities (10% of the total), etc. Spillages from pleasure craft or
fishing vessels accounted for 4% of the total (53,000 t/year).In order to maintain the trend towards a reduction in operational discharges from ships, essential in coastal waters and in special or particularly sensitive zones, or zones of international importance for the conservation of biodiversity, the periodic inspection of vessels and the monitoring of the waste management activities of receiving port facilities is fundamental, as a consequence of the MARPOL Convention 73/78. This International Convention for the prevention of contamination by seagoing vessels was approved by the International Maritime Organisation, in its International Conference on Marine Contamination in 1973; this was modified by the 1978 Protocol, approved in the International Conference on Tanker Safety and Pollution Prevention, called by the IMO in February 1978.
The documents are known jointly as the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, of 1973, modified by the Protocol of1978: MARPOL 73/78.
The MARPOL 73/78 Convention regulates discharges from ships at sea and comprises, initially, of five annexes:
- Annex I: Regulation for the prevention of pollution by oil.
- Annex II: Regulation for the control of pollution by noxious liquid substances.
- Annex III: Regulation for the prevention of pollution by harmful substances carried by sea in packaged form.
- Annex IV: Regulation for the Prevention of pollution by sewage from ships.
- Annex V: Regulation for the Prevention of pollution by garbage from ships.
The 1997 Protocol to the MARPOL Convention incorporated:
- Annex VI: Regulation for the Prevention of air pollution from ships.
The MARPOL 73/78 Convention requires States Parties to ensure the provision of adequate reception facilities in ports. To this end, Directive 2000/59/CE of the European Parliament and the Council, of 27 November 2000, on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues, establishes that EU member States, having ratified the Convention, "shall ensure the availability of port reception facilities adequate to meet the needs of the ships normally using the port without causing undue delay to ships". The directive was transposed into Spanish Law by means of Royal Decree, of 20 December, on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues, modified by Order FOM/1392/2004, of 13 May, and Royal Decree 1084/2009, 03 July.
The port Authority currently has a number of different companies holding licences to provide the port reception service for ship generated waste, which includes: the reception of waste residues from Annexes I, IV, V and VI of the MARPOL 73/78 Convention.
Companies providing the Marpol service
Click here to view the list os companies providing the Marpol service.
Plan for the reception and handling of Marpol waste
In accordance with Directive 2019/883, of the European Parliament and of the Council, of April 17, 2019, regarding port reception facilities for the purpose of the delivery of ship-generated waste, which modifies Directive 2010/65/EU and as determined by Royal Decree 128/2022, of February 15, on port facilities for receiving waste from ships, the Port Authority of A Coruña, managing entity of the port of A Coruña, cataloged as a state-owned port, is obliged , to the approval and application of a "Plan for the reception and handling of waste from Ships" that guarantees correct environmental management.
In article 11.3 of the R.D. 128/2022, on Ship Waste Reception and Handling Plans, the opening of a period of public information is established in the approval procedure of the aforementioned plans, in accordance with article 83 of Law 39/2015, of 1 October, Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations.
In the "Downloads" section you can consult the Reception and Handling Plan for ship-generated waste, subject to public information.
Documents
Plan for reception and handling of waste from ships in the Port of A Coruña (only available in spanish)Notification Form MEPC.1/Circ.469