• EU sulphur limits to be revised

    The Commission has launched a consultation on updating the existing directive that limits the sulphur content of fuels used in ships.

    [mailchimp_signup][/mailchimp_signup]The directive dates from 1999 and needs revision to bring it in line with the stricter standards agreed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) two years ago. The Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC), of which T&E is a leading member, has been pressing the EU for some time to adopt the stricter IMO limits. Under IMO rules, the maximum sulphur content of marine fuels will drop to 3.5% in 2012 and to 0.5% in 2020 with tighter limits applying in certain designated sulphur emission control areas, such as the Baltic Sea, the English Channel and the North Sea. T&E is calling on the EU to expand the emissions control areas to include NOx and seas such as the Mediterranean.