On May 1st, the Mediterranean Emission Control Area (ECA) for sulfur oxides will come into effect, introducing stricter emission limits for maritime transport compared to global standards. This new regulation will require ships to use fuel with a sulfur content of no more than 0.1%, compared to the global limit of 0.5%. The Mediterranean will become the fifth sulfur oxide ECA in the world, following the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel, North America, and the Hawaiian Islands, along with Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In 2021, the European Union and Mediterranean countries reached an agreement to protect the marine environment of the Mediterranean by establishing this emission control area. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) welcomed the designation call in 2022. In April, the IMO also approved the creation of a North-East Atlantic emission control area to reduce sulfur and nitrogen oxides, with adoption expected by the end of this year, and it will come into effect in 2027. This new area will include the coastal states of the European Union, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and the United Kingdom.
Source: informare
