North Sea low-sulphur shipping zone enters force

2373, 15/08/07

An EU limit of 1.5 per cent sulphur content in marine fuels used by vessels plying the North Sea entered force on Saturday. The restriction was agreed in 2005 in defiance of industry pleas to agree uniform worldwide restrictions through the International maritime organisation (IMO) (EED 13/04/05 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/18581). A similar limit for the Baltic Sea was introduced a year ago.

The measure was agreed in a bid to cut air pollution from the shipping sector, whose share of the overall pollution load has been rising as emissions from land-based sources have fallen. The Dutch transport ministry said on Monday a study by research institute TNO showed the new limit would cut sulphur oxide emissions by 40 per cent and particulate emissions by 10 per cent.

* Meanwhile EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas has repeated warnings that the EU will take similar unilateral action to cut carbon dioxide from shipping in its waters if global action does not materialise quickly enough through the IMO (EED 17/04/07 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/23021). The comments came in an answer to a written question from Greek MEP Georgios Papastamkos, according to shipping news service Lloyd's List. Last month the IMO's environment committee began investigating CO2 abatement options (EED 16/07/07 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/23612).

Follow-up: See Dutch transport and water ministry release

http://www.verkeerenwaterstaat.nl/actueel/nieuws/zwavelarmebrandstofvoorzeeschepeninnoordzee.aspx

and Lloyd's list article

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=1925&topicId=100002042&docId=l:654299967&start=7&dateId=20070810.

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