EMEA News
Talks Advance on Mediterranean NOx Emission Limits for Shipping
Mediterranean states are discussing whether to designate the entire Mediterranean Sea as a nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission control area for ships.
The latest round of talks took place at a regional experts' meeting held in Malta on November 18-19, organised by REMPEC under the IMO's technical cooperation programme, the UN body said in a press release on Friday.
More than 40 representatives from 20 Mediterranean countries and several international organisations met to review REMPEC's draft technical and feasibility study on the proposal.
The study assesses the environmental, health, technical and economic implications of introducing stricter NOx limits across the region.
The work builds on the 0.1% sulfur emissions control area (ECA) in the Mediterranean, which came into force on May 1 and forms part of wider discussions on establishing a combined Med ECA that would cover both SOx and NOx emissions.
Delegates highlighted the potential air-quality and public-health benefits of reducing NOx emissions and discussed compliance options, implementation timelines and lessons learned from the sulphur ECA.
The meeting's recommendations will be forwarded to the next REMPEC Focal Points Meeting in 2027.
