EnvironmentEuropeOperations

France proposes making the Mediterranean an ECA

France is pushing to create an emissions control area (ECA) in the Mediterranean, Splash has learnt.

Sources tell Splash that France first proposed the idea at a meeting of the European Council at the start of this month. Since then government officials have begun to flesh out the idea to a number of environmental NGOs.

Exisiting ECAs around the world are across the Baltic and North Seas in Europe, coastal areas off the US and Canada and the US Caribbean Sea area while China has been trialling a number of ECAs in key port cluster areas.

Bill Hemmings, from NGO Transport & Environment, applauded today’s news, telling Splash: “Now that the global sulphur standard will be 0.5% in 2020 it’s right that the remaining EU seas including the Mediterranean should do more.”

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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