2023-06-29
STUDIES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EMISSIONS CONTROL AREA (ECA) IN THE NORTH-EAST ATLANTIC OCEAN ARE ALREADY BEING DEVELOPED BY PORTUGAL WITH THE SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT OF ICCT
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) is carrying out a free of charge technical and feasibility study for the creation of an emission control area (ECA) in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean for SOx, particulate matter and NOx which will take into account, inter alia, the analytic requirements and criteria set out in Appendix III, Annex VI of MARPOL Convention, such as the impact assessment on public health and a cost-benefit analysis.
A study will also be carried out by the Faculty of Engineering from University of Porto, under the coordination of ICCT, about the impacts associated with pollutants reduction following the designation of an ECA, relative costs of reducing emissions from ships when compared with land-based controls and economic impacts on shipping engaged in international trade. This study costs will be supported by Portugal.
At the end of 2022 and under the coordination of Portugal, maritime administrations from Northeast Atlantic Ocean coastal States started preliminary discussions on the potential feasibility of designating an ECA in their waters and, so far, the initiative has already received support from Austria, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and the European Commission.
A potential future ECA in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, for SOx, particulate matter and NOx linking the existing ECAs in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel with the recently adopted Mediterranean Sea ECA for SOX, will constitute a fundamental step towards tackling air pollution from international shipping.
This measure builds upon the need to protect the environment and human lives throughout the European continent, but it would also ensure consistent and uniform regulation across sea areas with high density traffic in a geographical scope covering parts of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.
On April this year, Portugal submitted an INF document to the International Maritime Organisation to be presented at the 80th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) which will be held next July, thus making clear the intentions and will to carry out this work to its successful conclusion, which will be the creation of an ECA in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean to protect human health and the ocean.
