BRUSSELS, July 2 - The EU has issued a set of guidelines June 26 for its member countries to pursue the development of a regional unified maritime policy that covers transportation, energy, manpower, environment and other strategic issues.
The document is entitled “Guidelines for an Integrated Approach to Maritime Policy: Towards best practice in integrated maritime governance and stakeholder consultation.” In its introduction, the paper said that this approach lies at the core of the Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union (the “Blue Paper”) proposed by the Commission in October 20071 and, since then, endorsed by the European Council and the European Parliament.
The EU said the strategy is also driven by the recognition that there is a maritime dimension to virtually every major issue facing Europe today, including energy, climate change, environmental protection and conservation, research and
innovation, competitiveness and job creation, international trade, transport and logistics
The report noted an unmistakable trend among major maritime powers to ensure a cohesive development of maritime policy such as: in the USA, a Committee on Oceans Policy has been set up in the Executive Office of the President to implement an Ocean In Action Plan. Australia, lead responsibility for coordinating oceans policy lies with the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, while the National Oceans Office coordinates efforts to deliver oceans Canada’s Oceans Act, Strategy and Action Plan provide the policy initiatives. framework for ocean-related programs and policies.
Japan’s “Basic Act on Oceans Policy” of 2007 provides for an integrated approach to maritime affairs. It established a “Maritime Policy Headquarters” under the responsibility of the Prime Minister. The Chief Cabinet Secretary and a newly assigned Minister for Ocean Policy will serve as Headquarters Deputy Chiefs. An Ocean Action plan has been adopted9. Norway presented a Maritime Strategy in October 2007. The work is coordinated by a network of State Secretaries, led by the State Secretary for Transport.
The EU guidelines said as part of its efforts to promote steps towards integrated maritime policymaking at different levels of governance, the Commission will provide information about action in this direction at global, European, Member State and regional levels, in order to facilitate this process and provide guidance to stakeholders looking for models of best practice. The Commission invited EU institutions and member states to share information about the steps they are taking towards integrated maritime governance. As called for in the Blue Paper on an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, the Commission will report on progress towards an integrated
approach to maritime affairs by the end of 2009.
----------------
MOL TESTS ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY ANTIFOULING TREATMENT ON FERRIES
TOKYO, July 3 – Mitsui OSK Lines today announced that its Technology Research Center has successfully completed tests of a water-based antifouling treatment technology called Water Coat on six ferries. The test was a joint project with MOL Group company M.O. Engineering Co., Ltd. and NM Corporation Watercoat enterprise.
Water Coat has already been widely adopted on buildings, automobiles, electric railcars, and so on. However, this is the first time that it has been used on large-scale vessels. And, this is the world’s first adoption of the water-based antifouling treatment technology to large-scale vessels. The function is semi-permanent after application with a high-pressure washer. There is no alligatoring or streaking because it is not a continuous coating. It reduces cleaning and coating frequencies and eliminates the need to clean with detergent, etc., reducing water consumption and the overall environmental burden. The coating reflects ultraviolet rays and increases weather resistance.
The system, developed by the University of Fukui and NM in an industry-academic project, utilizes the characteristics of a special ceramic containing about 10 kinds of minerals found in nature to apply electrolysis to water, and uses that mechanism to produce a coating on the concave-convex surfaces of a target object, using the principle of electrolysis.
This coating technology is completely different from conventional chemical coatings including fluoride and silicon resin. It electrodeposits 100% inorganic glass ingredients (boric acid silica) to the molecules of a target object, crystallizing them by carbon dioxide in the air. The aggregation of crystallized glass molecules becomes the coating and covers the target molecules. This prevents fouling over a prolonged period of time.
----------------
OSLO MEETING PREPARES GROUND ON GHG REDUCTION MECHANISMS
OSLO, July 2 - Progress towards developing a mandatory regime to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping was made during the first intersessional meeting of IMO's Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships, held in Oslo, Norway June 23-27. The meeting was attended by more than 210 delegates, comprising experts from all over the world.
The week-long session was tasked with developing the technical basis for reduction mechanisms that may form part of a future IMO regime to control GHG emissions from international shipping, and with developing drafts of the actual reduction mechanisms themselves, for further consideration by IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), which next meets in October 2008 and, notwithstanding the importance of the Oslo meeting, will have the final, decisive role to play on the issue. In particular, the Oslo meeting made progress on developing a mandatory CO2 Design Index for ships and an interim CO2 operational index, and held extensive discussions on best practices for voluntary implementation and economic instruments with GHG-reduction potential
Although, to date, no mandatory GHG instrument for international shipping has been adopted, IMO has given extensive consideration to the matter and is currently working in accordance with an ambitious work plan, due to culminate, in 2009, with the adoption of a binding instrument. IMO is working to have measures in place to control GHG emissions from international shipping before the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of 2011. The meeting developed further a formula and the methodology, as well as draft text for the associated regulatory framework, for a proposed mandatory CO2 Design Index for new ships. Once finalized, the index will serve as a fuel-efficiency tool at the design stage of ships, enabling the fuel efficiency of different ship designs, or a specific design with different input such as design speed, choice of propeller or the use of waste heat recovery systems, to be compared.
The design index will contain a required minimum level of fuel efficiency related to a baseline, which will be established based on fuel efficiency for ships delivered between 1995 and 2005. The actual minimum level, and the frequency with which the limit will be tightened, are among the matters that will be considered by MEPC 58 in October. The Oslo meeting thoroughly considered the different elements in the formula to avoid so-called "paragraph ships", meaning future ship designs optimized for certain conditions but which do not actually deliver greater fuel efficiency. The different correction factors to make the formula relevant for all ship types were given extensive consideration, as was verification of the design index, as there might not be a Flag state dedicated to the ship at the design stage. The meeting encouraged Member States and observer organizations to test the robustness of the agreed draft formula by conducting simulations and submitting the outcome to MEPC 58. With this outcome, MEPC 58 should be in a position to approve the CO2 Design Index for new ships and agree on the final details.
Interim CO2 operational index
MEPC 58 will be held in London from 6 to 10 October 2008 and is expected to consider further the reduction mechanisms developed by the intersessional meeting, with a view to their forming part of the future IMO regulatory regime. MEPC 58 is also expected to consider the related legal aspects and decide whether the GHG regulations should form part of an existing convention or whether an entirely new instrument should be developed and adopted. However, no clear conclusion was reached as to whether any such instrument should apply to all ships, irrespective of flag, or only to ships flying the flag of Parties to the UNFCCC and listed in Annex I to that Convention. MEPC 58 will also decide on the work needed prior to MEPC 59, to be held in July 2009, when final adoption of a coherent and comprehensive IMO regime to control GHG emissions from ships engaged in international trade is planned.
No comments:
Post a Comment