Sea Beirut-case: Turkey steps ups measures against France on toxic waste export

Just before the Basel Convention COP6 meeting, Turkey has taken action on the French toxic ship Sea Beirut (based on Decision V/23) by informing the Basel Convention Secretariat about the Sea Beirut case. The French toxic ship "Sea Beirut", which attempted to enter Turkey illegally for scrap because it contained toxic waste, is to be sent back to France after a court decision.

This came after the new rejection of the Turkish Administrative court in November of the appeal of the Turkish shipbreaking company on the earlier decision of the Local Administrative Court to reject the suspension the send-back decision of the Turkish Minister of Environment from May 2002.

With this last rejection CEMSAN, the importing company in this illicit enterprise, has now exhausted its appeal with regard to its attempts to suspend the court decision. It must now send back the Sea Beirut to France.

The Court confirms that Turkish minister of Environment has taken the right decision by not accepting the toxic ship import. The Court has also ordered the ship to be sent back to France before 23 December. Yet inspite of this and other official communications from Turkey, France continues to rectify the illegal traffic of hazardous waste it sent to Turkey up to now.