Environment

Attention towards environmental matters has been formed one of the most important operational requirement beside the safety by the development of the legislation. Environmental permits of port operation define the requirements of the environmental protection. Environmental reports are based on the monitoring and survey obligations of the environmental permits.

The most important environmental aspects in ports are vessel and land transportation, the safety of dangerous goods and chemical transportation, limitation and reduction of emissions, sustainable development of the port operation together with port operators and other parties. The goal is to restrain harmful environmental effects, and also influence the environmental activity of all parties among port operation.

Marine environmental law requires ports to implement waste management plan for vessel originated waste. Waste management plans take also into account the solid waste management of ports.

Safety

The main goal of the port safety is to secure the safety of the cargo and operational parties. By means of the legislative security functions, criminal and also terrorism actions can be effectively repelled. Safety and security means may some how aggravate the fluent motion of cargo and individuals. For this reason the seamless co-operation among the all parties, can reduce essentially the effects caused by the security means.

Safety and security requirements concerning ports arise from EU and national acts and decrees. They require that all transportation in port security areas is controlled according to their security risk level. In practise the permit procedure and security observation are the only methods that effectively prevent irrelevant transportation in port area.

ISPS – regulations

General requirements of EU Security Regulation and ISPS Code

Regulation No. 725/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council incorporated the ISPS Code of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) into European Union legislation. In 2005, the code was supplemented with Directive 2005/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. As a result, national legislation was amended and the term “security area” was introduced. For that reason, the obligations of the Port of Helsinki to control its fenced areas were expanded in some parts of the port.

The ISPS Code requires that access to security areas and their core sections, and ISPS areas in particular, should be controlled in proportion to the estimated threat.

The purpose of the Code is to enhance the security of the international sea transport and the ports serving it, particularly against acts of terrorism.

Measures required by the ISPS Code will also improve the general safety of ports.