Recent discussions of European regulation on the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of CO2 emissions, as well as the differences between US Coast Guard (USCG) ballast water treatment regulations and the IMO's ballast water management convention, have brought the fitness of regional regulation of a global industry into sharp focus.
The argument is a simple one: the IMO should apply global regulation to the industry to enable a level playing field, reduce red tape and prevent overlapping regulations introduced when bodies such as the EU and the USCG set rules for the waters.
It was no surprise then that when journalists gathered in Brussels last week to meet with unit heads from the Directorate-General for Transport and Mobility (DG Move), Brussels was vocal in its support for global regulation at the IMO in London. Furthermore, to ensure European interests were properly represented on the global stage, Europe needed to be united at the IMO to influence the future of the maritime industry.
Fotis Maramtisos, director of logistics, maritime and land transport and passenger rights at DG Move outlined the potential power Europe holds, with 40% of the world fleet under "European influence", and 20-25% of it under an EU member flag. Europe lacks the lobbying power in the IMO that should come with such influence and could take a lesson from the US, which has a disproportionate impact on global regulation for its fleet size, according to Maramitsos.
As DG Move was showing its wares to the maritime press, Russia was uniting Europe in Novoozerne against the sinking of its own warship to blockade the Ukrainian Navy, and dividing Europe in Brussels with its lobbying to delay the implementation of IMO tier III NOx regulations in the North Sea and English Channel Emissions Control Area.
"We have a big problem with the Russians," Maramitsos stated, "We agreed in 2008 that NOx [regulation] would start in 2016. This has been supported unanimously by EU member states, and now the Russians want to move it to 2021."
"There are a couple of members thinking that this is not a community competence and they try to, in this current climate, support the Russians." Calling the idea ridiculous, Maramitsos pointed out the $1bn of investment already made by the shipping and equipment industries to meet the regulations, adding that "we want to support IMO in 2008 on this particular topic."
While environmentalists outlined the potential damage to environment and health if the fleet continued to grow without a curb on NOx emissions, it was difficult not wonder what other future headaches will arise in Brussels if Europe remains divisible on such a key piece of legislation.
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