Heavy fuel oil is considered more environmentally hazardous than other marine fuel oils because it is slow to break down in the environment, particularly in icy Arctic waters and coastal areas.
The resolution from the Committee on Foreign Affairs passed the European Parliament last week.
The Parliament underlines the major importance of safety and security as the new trade route develops from Europe to Asia through the Arctic. As the ice-cap melts due to the rapid climate changes, the world’s shipping industry is entering with full speed.
2010 was the breakthrough year for shipping along the Northern Sea route, with several cargo vessels and a non-Russian flagged bulk-carrier in transit to Asia. Also, several oil tankers sailed the route, including the 100,000 tonner tanker “Baltika.”
Even more vessels are expected to sail the route this year. Rosatomflot, Russia’s fleet of nuclear powered icebreakers that assist other vessels, says it has already received 15 applications to accompany voyages across the Arctic in 2011, reports Reuters.
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When suggesting a ban on usage of heavy fuel oil, the European Parliament points to a similar ban in Antarctica to enter into force on 1st August this year. The heavy fuel oil ban in Antarctica is approved by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The Parliament recommends the European Commission and the Council, to coordinate EU and Member States’ policies on Arctic shipping safety with IMO and the Arctic Council.
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A spill of heavy fuel oil from a vessel sailing in the Arctic could have a devastating impact on wildlife, particularly the thousands of seabird colonies on Svalbard, Franz Josef’s Land, Novaya Zemlya and all along the northern coast of Siberia. In the European Union geographical terms, Northern Norway and Russia’s Kola Peninsula are also recognized as a part of the Arctic.
Read the report from the European Parliament (external document link).
