Legislative Decree No. 197/2021 implementing Directive (EU) 2019/883 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships, amending Directive 2010/65/EU and repealing Directive 2000/59/EC.

This Legislative Decree is organised in 5 headings and Annexes and aims to protect the environment from the negative effects of waste discharges from ships in ports, as well as to ensure the smooth functioning of maritime traffic by improving the availability and use of adequate port collection waste facilities and waste delivery systems. The Decree applies to waste from ships (including residues from cargo, bilge water and waste water produced during service operations or during loading, unloading operations, cleaning) as well as accidentally caught waste (waste collected from nets during fishing operations). Cargo residues are the remains of any material which constitutes the cargo contained on board that disciplined separately. Art. 5 of the Decree establishes that within twelve months from the date of entry into force of the Decree the competent Authorities must prepare, approve and implement the "Waste collection and management Plan" in compliance with the provisions of the Decree and the criteria indicated in the Annex 1 to the decree.