The aim of this paper is to evaluate the results of a survey of the availability and uptake of port reception facilities within the North Sea area. The evaluation is based primarily on original survey data from the autumn of 2002 which followed on from a similar survey conducted in the summer of 2000. The EU Directive on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste etc. (Directive 2000/59/EC) was due to enter into force in December 2002, and required all EU ports to provide reception facilities to meet the needs of the vessels normally calling in at them. This paper examines the readiness of North Sea ports to meet that requirement and also considers the actual uptake levels of facilities, where ports were able to provide such information.