Government proposes amendments to Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport

On 17 October 2024, the Government submitted a legislative proposal to Parliament on amending the Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport and the related acts. The proposed amendments would implement the Government Programme, EU regulation and regulation of the International Maritime Organization IMO.

 The Government proposes national ship discharge prohibitions that are based on the Government Programme. By these amendments, discharges of sulphur scrubber washing water and residues separated by scrubbers, treated sewage and greywater in Finland’s territorial waters would be prohibited. Greywater means water from showers, washing machines and kitchens. 

The prohibition concerning sulphur scrubbers would enter into force at the same time as similar prohibitions expected to be imposed by Sweden and Denmark. Washing water from open-loop equipment is discharged into the sea, and discharges from such equipment will be prohibited as from 1 July 2025. In closed-loop equipment residues are separated from washing water. Discharges of closed-loop washing water and residues into the sea will be prohibited as from 1 January 2029. The ban concerning greywater discharges would enter into force in the beginning of 2030.

The proposal would also complement the FuelMaritime Regulation on the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime transport in the EU. The Government proposes that Finland would introduce an island exemption according to which energy used in passenger ships in the shipping routes and ports of Åland would be excluded from the scope of the Regulation. Finland will make full use of the island exemption, which means that the exemption would be in force until the end of 2029. Provisions would also be laid down concerning sanctions as required by the Regulation, and the competent authority would be designated.

From the beginning of 2030, the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) ports should offer shore-side electricity to large container and passenger ships as laid down in the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation of the EU (AFIR). 

The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation imposes the obligation for Member States to offer shore-side electricity, and now this obligation would be imposed on the national ports. The Ministry of Transport and Communications would supervise the realisation of the obligation. 

Amendments to IMO regulation into force

The amendments would adopt and bring into force the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. The EU Regulation concerning the recycling of ships is already being applied in Finland, which means that the impacts of the implementation of the Convention are very small. The Convention will enter into force internationally on 26 June 2025 and the aim is that it would enter into force with respect to Finland at the same time. 

In addition, Finland would commit to the amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) concerning e.g. the carbon intensity of ships and obligation to keep a garbage record book. The carbon intensity requirements and energy requirements concerning the present vessels under the MARPOL Convention would become applicable to Finnish vessels as well. The obligation to keep a garbage record book would be extended to apply to vessels of 100 gross tonnes or over, instead of vessels of 400 gross tonnes or over as it is does at present.

The amendments would also approve the amendment to the London Protocol concerning the dumping of wastes to the sea, which prohibits the dumping of sewage sludge at sea worldwide. In Finland this is already prohibited.

What’s next?

A referral debate on the Government proposal now submitted to Parliament will be held in a Parliament plenary session. The date of the session will be announced on the Parliament website (upcoming plenary sessions). 

After the referral debate, the proposal will be taken to the Parliamentary Committee. Once the Committee’s report is ready, the processing of the matter will continue in a plenary session.

Inquiries:

Laura Sarlin, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 342 063, [email protected]