. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99/570
19 November 1999
(99-5051)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Transport and Public Works
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:   National Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):
Article 12: barges/river vessels
Article 13: cleaning products
Articles 37 to 39: suction system
Article 76: water treatment installation
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Ship's Waste
Decree with Regard to Navigation on the Rhine and Inland Waterways.
6. Description of content:   The draft Decree sets down standard rules for the collection of
ship's waste on board ships and the delivery to and collection by transshipment installationsand receiver units, the above being related to navigation on inland waterways.  A dumping
ban with a number of exemptions has also been included.  The draft Decree covers three
areas, being:
A. Ship's waste containing oil and grease;
B. waste from the cargo;  and
C. other ship's waste, such as household waste and small-scale, harmful waste.
Within section A, Article 12 contains a few regulations concerning collection reservoirs for
ship's waste containing oil and grease on board inland craft and Article 13 contains a ban on
the use of certain cleaning products which will complicate waste processing at a later stage,
which may enter the bilge of the engine room or the bilge water.  Article 37 in section Bprescribes that before a ship is made available for the transport of liquid cargo, it must have
a suction system which meets a number of specifications laid down in Articles 38 and 39.
Section C provides in Article 76 for an exemp tion to the dumping ban of industrial water
originating from larger hotel and passenger ships, for cases in which waste water is treated
in a water treatment installation which meets the specifications laid down in this article.G/TBT/Notif.99/570
Page 2
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The purport of the draft Decree is to implement a convention concluded under the auspices
of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCR) between Belgium,
Germany, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.  It concerns thenavigation on the Rhine and a large number of waterways directly or indirectly connected
with the same.
The convention aims to protect the environment and is made up of the following
basic ideas:
- A ban on dumping waste;
- a reduction in waste production;
- the polluter pays;- no unfair competition
8. Relevant documents:   The Convention on the collection and delivery of waste in the
navigation of the Rhine and inland waterways, concluded in Strasbourg on 9 September
1996.
- The text of Article 2f (not yet entered into force) of the Surface Water
Pollution Act, on which the articles listed under 4 of this notification in
question will be based.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  February 2000
Proposed date of entry into force:  The date of entry into force of the Convention
(depends on ratifications)          
10. Final date for comments:   17 January 2000
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:           