COP 22 secured consensus on curbing emissions of Sulphur Oxides from ships in the Mediterranean
COP 22 adopted a ground-breaking decision on the Designation of the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, as an Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides (Med SOX ECA) pursuant to Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
This decision is the culmination of intense consultations among the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention that were facilitated by UNEP/MAP and two of its Regional Activity Centres, namely REMPEC and Plan Bleu.
It cleared the way for the submission on 4 February 2022, by France, currently holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, of the joint and coordinated proposal on the designation of the Med SOX ECA, on behalf of all Mediterranean coastal States, along with all EU Member States, and the European Commission, for consideration at the 78th session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 78) (6-10 June 2022).
Once designated, the Med SOX ECA is expected to generate significant benefits for human health and for the integrity of ecosystems, which both suffer from harmful SOX emissions from the maritime transport sector, one of the pillars of the blue economy in the Mediterranean.