EMEA News
HELCOM Continues to Work Toward Baltic Sea NOx Control Area
The Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Wednesday announced that Russia hosted a two-day workshop in St. Petersburg on May 24 and May 25 in order to advance next steps following an agreement by the countries of both Baltic Sea and North Sea areas to put forth parallel applications for a Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) Emissions Control Area (ECA), or NECA, from the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
As Ship & Bunker previously reported in March, HELCOM agreed to a roadmap that includes a proposal for a NECA for the Baltic Sea, set for submission to the IMO at the Marine Environment Protection Committee's (MEPC's) 70th session in October.
The two-day session is said to have been attended by a number of stakeholders, including governance bodies and administrators, technology developers, ship owners, and port authorities.
HELCOM notes that the initiative for a Baltic Sea NECA came out of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, which was agreed to by HELCOM's nine coastal countries and the European Union (EU) in 2007.
"Since then, HELCOM has carried out the necessary environmental and economic studies, finalised the needed submission papers as well as carried out the negotiations on the right timing for a final submission to IMO," explained HELCOM
"This anticipated reduction is significant and corresponds to more than the entire country-wise Nitrogen pollution load reduction commitment of several Baltic Sea countries – four out of nine – according to the HELCOM Country Allocated Reduction Target (CART) scheme agreed in 2007, and updated in 2013."
HELCOM notes that the deadline for a North and Baltic Sea simultaneous application to IMO is July 1, 2016.
In March, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and INTERTANKO issued a call for the IMO's MEPC to agree in principle at its 69th session, that a final decision on a date for implementation of the a global 0.5 percent sulfur cap for shipping should be made at its 70th session.
