EU Court of Auditors Report Reveals Continued Pollution of Maritime Waters

Despite significant resources and financial investments, the European Court of Auditors found in a new report that ships continue to pollute EU maritime waters with shortcomings in tracking and enforcement. The auditors are calling for further steps and possible enhancements in the environmental action program to meet the EU’s zero pollution ambition.

Focus on Ship-Sourced Pollution

The audit focused on ship-sourced pollution and the more than a decade of regulations from the EU. It examined EU actions between January 2014 and September 2024. The report highlighted that while the EU’s efforts were well-designed and continue to improve, implementation had weakened, and efforts of the 22 member states “is far from satisfactory.”

“Pollution at sea caused by ships remains a major problem, and despite a number of improvements in recent years, EU action is not really able to steer us out of troubled waters,” said Nikolaos Milionis, the ECA Member responsible for the audit.

Underutilization of Tools

The auditors found that EU countries underuse the tools provided to them, such as those from the European Maritime Safety Agency. Member states failed to act on identified spills, preventative inspections of ships were lacking, and penalties for polluters remained low.

The auditor warned that actions to prevent, tackle, track, and penalize ship-source pollution are not adequate. The lack of tracking of EU funds used to combat seawater pollution further exacerbates the issue.

Recycling Obligations and Lost Containers

The audit highlighted shortcomings in regulations, including recycling obligations for end-of-life vessels and the handling of containers lost overboard. The report called for improving monitoring and effectiveness of pollution alert tools, enhancing member state checks, and better tracking of EU-funded projects.

Call for Enhanced Legislation

The findings from the audit suggest a need to enhance legislation and the eighth environmental action plan released in 2022. The goal is to achieve zero pollution of the EU’s waters by 2030. The complete report is available for download online.