EU sets sulphur emission limits for ships

EU sets sulphur emission limits for ships    The environment council of the European Union, which represents EU governments, agreed today to impose tighter restrictions on the emission of sulphur dioxide by ships in Europe.
   Following the European Commission’s marine fuel sulphur proposal, the environment council decided to reduce ships’ sulphur dioxide emissions in the EU by more than 500,000 tons every year from 2007.
   Marine fuel has a maximum sulphur content of 5 percent, or 50,000 parts per million (ppm), compared with a limit of 10ppm for cars from 2007.
   The EC proposal was a 1.5-percent sulphur limit for fuels used by all ships in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and Channel. Today’s political agreement incorporates this provision, and sets implementation dates starting in May 2006 for the Baltic Sea.
   The EC also recommended the same 1.5-percent sulphur limit for fuels used by passenger vessels on regular services between EU ports, from July 1, 2007. EU government ministers have now decided to bring this deadline forward to May 19, 2006.
   The Brussels-based executive body also proposed a 0.2-percent sulphur limit on fuel used by inland vessels such as barges and by seagoing ships at berth in EU ports. The environment council supported this, but agreed a tighter 0.1-percent limit delayed until Jan. 1, 2010, to allow single-fuel ships time to adapt their fuel tanks. A further two year-delay was offered to 16 unifuel ferries serving the Greek islands
   The EC said ships have become the single biggest source of sulphur dioxide in the EU, and that “the maritime sector has lagged behind land-based industry in terms of environmental performance.”
   “I believe that EU countries can and must do more internationally to improve environmental standards for ships,” said Margot Wallstr'm, EC environment commissioner.” Twenty countries have still not yet ratified the International Maritime Organization’s 1997 convention on air pollution,” she added. The only five EU countries that have ratified MARPOL Annex VI, the International Maritime Organization’s 1997 air pollution convention, are Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain and Sweden.