Brussels, 15/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - In order to improve air quality in the EU, the shipping industry has to take action because if things remain as they are, then by 2020, shipping alone will produce more pollution than all sources of land-based air pollution combined. The European Commission therefore wants to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions from ships in the EU by 90% by 2020 and fine particles from shipping fuel by 80% by the same year, and it published proposals to this end on Friday 15 July. The Commission will update the directive on the sulphur content of liquid fuel (Directive 93/12/EEC) and introduce into EU law the latest shipping fuel standards approved by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Under the proposals, the maximum permissible sulphur content of maritime fuels used in sensitive areas such as the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel will fall from the previous level of 1.5 % to 0.1 %, as of 1st January 2015. Other areas are to achieve an even bigger cut, from 4.5 % down to 0.5 % by 1st January 2020. Ships will be allowed to use equivalent technologies such as exhaust gas cleaning systems as an alternative to using low sulphur fuels. Other important changes proposed include more unified reporting and verification, and sampling provisions aligned with international standards.
The benefits for public health will be between €15 and 34 billion, far exceeding the expected costs, which are in the range of €2.6 to 11 billion. These are urgent short-term measures to resolve persistent problems encountered by the member states in complying with air quality standards. In the meantime, the Commission will develop, in 2012, a series of medium and long-term measures to foster sustainable and competitive short sea shipping and a comprehensive review of the EU's air quality strategy will be prepared for 2013. (A.N./transl.fl)