COMPLETE workshop held on the subject of in-water cleaning of boats and ships in the Baltic Sea Region

27–28 May 2019

COMPLETE invited authorities, cleaning companies, interest organizations, experts and other stakeholders from the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) to attend the workshop “National regulation and approval processes concerning in-water cleaning of boats and ships in the Baltic Sea Region – current procedures and future needs” held at the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency in Hamburg.

Participants from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Poland, Sweden and the HELCOM Secretariat joined the two-day workshop. Information on the legal aspects and regulation of in-water cleaning in the BSR countries was gathered, and practical implementations as well as examples of good practices regarding hull cleaning of commercial ships and recreational crafts were discussed.

The participants agreed that the regulation of in-water cleaning of ships and boats should be harmonized in the BSR. There are still gaps in knowledge relating to issues such as how to proceed with the waste obtained from cleaning, and the current situation in those BSR countries that have not participated in the workshop is particularly problematic. Further actions are needed, including a common interpretation of the existing regulations (e.g. the Water Framework Directive) and the development of respective rules and processes.

Workshop participants and organizers. Photo: BSH