EMEA News
European Leaders Seek Flexibility on Sulfur Limits
European regional leaders at a conference organised by the Conference of Maritime and Peripheral Regions (CMPR) say the timetable for implementing European Union (EU) rules on ships' sulfur emissions is too short, regional news magazine the Parliament reports.
While the delegates to the conference said they support more environmentally friendly shipping, they said in a final declaration that they want to "contribute to a better implementation of these provisions in supporting ship owners and stakeholders in their adaptation efforts."
Jean-Marc Roué, president of France's Brittany Ferries, said that companies must invest in ships with 25 to 30 years of planning, but the sulfur emissions rules have only been on their radar since 2008.
"Ship owners can respect this directive from now for new vessels, but for old vessels an extension is needed, if we are to avoid an economic catastrophe," he said.
The European Parliament voted in September to reduce the sulfur limit on fuel used in European seas from 3.5 percent to 0.5 percent by 2020.
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) rules call for a 0.10 percent limit in Emissions Control Areas (ECAs) by 2015 and a general limit of 0.5 percent by 2020.
CMPR called for the IMO and member states to show "flexibility" in implementing the rules.
