It is to be the largest Emission Control Area (ECA) in the world. It will extend along coastlines from Portugal to Greenland, joining the Controlled Areas located near the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean.
The setting up of the new North-East Atlantic ECA, scheduled for 2027, is the latest decision taken by the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), currently meeting in London to address a number of issues.
Other proposals on the agenda include a universal greenhouse gas (GHG) tax or levy and setting higher quality standards for the use of marine fuels.
As is well known, the US decided not to take part in the talks, expressing strong misgivings about attempting to impose economic measures on shipping based on greenhouse gas emissions or the choice of shipping fuel.
Translation by Giles Foster
