Vilja Savisaar-Toomast, rapporteur for the opinion of the Committee on Transport and Tourism. – (ET) Mr President, the sulphur content of marine fuels undoubtedly has a significant effect not just on the European environment and on air quality, but also on the transport sector. According to various estimates, the secondary particulates produced by sulphur and nitrogen oxides arising from air pollution from ships cause up to 50 000 premature deaths in Europe every year.

Given the above, and in view of the agreement that is on the table today, it must be said that the objectives that were set have largely not been achieved. We need to set equal rates that apply to all of Europe’s seas, in order to guarantee clean air not only for Northern Europeans, but also for other coastal areas of Europe. It is also important to guarantee fair and equal competition in the transport sector, and to avoid the unequal treatment of shipping companies operating in different regions.

The European Commission and the Member States should follow the example of the United States and Canada, which jointly established a sulphur monitoring area within 200 nautical miles of their entire coastlines, and they should set firm deadlines for establishing a pollution monitoring area covering the whole of Europe. Although I take a critical view of the agreement concluded between the Council and Parliament, I support the adoption of this report, because the indecision that has existed since 2008 must be brought to an end, and a clear signal must be given about the future. Finally, I would like to thank the rapporteur, Satu Hassi, and our other colleagues.