The European Commission (EC) is trying to reduce the amount of plastic waste dumped by ships and fishing boats by making them pay port delivery fees, even if they have none on board.
The regulatory authority is proposing that all vessels are subject to a 100% indirect fee system for delivery, requiring them to pay for total cost of waste delivery in ports.
The commission said this initiative, the Port Reception Facilities Directive, is considered a key method to discourage waste dumping at sea.
"The current system is not so prescriptive, which has lead to a confusion of different systems for charging for waste delivery which possibly contributed to ship waste dumping," it said.
The proposal would institute changes in how ships will deliver waste in ports and pay for it, modifications campaigned for by environmental NGOs concerned with the impacts of ship waste, the EC said.
Ships contribute an average 32% to marine litter in EU waters and up to to half for some sea basins, according to EC estimates.
The new regulation would also align Europe with the international Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), unlike the prior version adopted 17 years ago.
"The 100% indirect fee system is the best way to decrease marine plastic pollution from ships," said Emma Priestland, marine litter policy officer for Seas at Risk.
Other changes in the directive include an increased focus on reducing waste from recreational craft and fishing vessels.
"We hope the proposal will be strengthened as it proceeds through the legislative process, with the addition of measures such as fishing gear recycling targets and deposit schemes," said Tim Grabiel, senior lawyer at the Environmental Investigation Agency.
The proposal needs to be approved by the Council and European Parliament through a process expected to carry on through this year and perhaps into 2019.
