Barcelona and Catalonia’s other ports will soon be the first to charge ports in Spain a tax on large ships for the air pollution they produce. Generalitat has made public its new tax proposal, which it plans to increase to 34 million euros per year, according to some reports.
tax will be applied tourist cruise ships, container cargo ships, oil tankers and other large-tonnage vessels for pollution due to nitrogen oxide emissions and suspended microparticles, two of the elements that these ships expel from their chimneys.
The bill is a pioneer in Spain and complements the Climate Change Law, which the central government approved last year but avoids taxing these polluting emissions when berthing and mooring large ships.
application of the tax, which resulting in alarm and rejection in some of Catalonia’s economic and tourism sectors, will be progressive. Its collection will serve to feed the fund for the preservation and improvement of air quality.
The tax will be paid by shipping companies and shipowners, and To be applied on ships larger than 5,000 tons: oil tankers, cruise ships and ocean liners, bulk carriers, freighters and other similar vessels, which make up the majority of ships calling at major Catalan ports.
Maritime traffic is one of the most important causes of greenhouse gas emissions., according to all studies. Large ships release large amounts of nitrogen oxides, sulfur and soot into the atmosphere from their fossil fuel engines. These emissions are particularly intense during berthing operations.
Experts also say that these emissions It also has effects on human health., both for those who are directly on the deck of these ships and those who receive this pollution directly, as well as for those living in port cities. According to the latest scientific research, a single cruise ship, for example, emits more pollutants than thousands of cars.
Other Spanish Mediterranean ports, e.g. Palma de Mallorca also imposed restrictions on sea voyages. Specifically, since last year, the Balearic capital only allows up to three cruise ships to dock per day.
Given that this measure, as a backlash, has caused an increase in voyages to neighboring ports such as Ibiza, the mayor of the second city has announced his intention to limit the arrival of these floating cities as well.
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Contact details of the environment department: [email protected]