INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO) SHIP RECYCLING

UNCLAS ATHENS 000751

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EIND ETRD EWWT IMO KTIA PREL SENV GR
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO) SHIP RECYCLING
CONVENTION - JOINT DEMARCHE WITH AUSTRALIA TO GREECE

REF: A. 09 STATE 41904; B. 08 STATE 20631


1. (SBU) On May 8, A/EconCouns and Julienne Hince, Deputy Chief of
Mission for the Australian Embassy in Greece, discussed reftel
points with Captain Elias Sabatakakis, Directorate for the
Protection of the Sea Environment, Greek Ministry of Mercantile
Marine, Aegean Sea & Island Policy. Sabatakakis will head the GoG
delegation to the IMO Diplomatic Conference to be held 11-14 May in
Hong Kong to adopt the final text of the Convention for the Safe
and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. He has been part of
the IMO discussion on this Convention since its inception.
Sabatakakis told us that the Greek government has supported "in
principle" the U.S. position against the provision that would
implement a blanket restriction on the recycling of ships flying
the flag of a Party State in the facilities of a non-Party state.
He said that the GoG position against adoption of this blanket
provision was developed in concert with GoG trade authorities.
Furthermore, Sabatakakis indicated that he personally agrees with
the Australian paper that proposes the IMO adopt amendments to
apply "equivalency provisions" that would require non-parties to
meet or exceed the standards set out in the Convention in a less
trade-restrictive manner.


2. (SBU) Despite the GoG's agreement in principle with the U.S. and
Australian positions, Sabatakakis stated that the GoG would remain
silent during the Hong Kong meeting and defer to the EU common
position, which will be to support the Convention with the
provision that implements the blanket restriction in tact. He
indicated that while the GoG is very eager to discuss the
potentially negative implications of this blanket restriction on
the Greek shipping industry, Greece does not want to break rank
with the EU. Sabatakakis urged the U.S. and Australia to seek
support for their positions with non-EU IMO member states instead.
SPECKHARD