Ioannis Generalis of Y. Georgiades & Associates LLC
looks at the designation of the Mediterranean as a SOx
ECA
Last December, 22 Mediterranean States joined forces in deciding
to submit a joint proposal to the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) for the designation of the Mediterranean as an
Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides (Med SOx ECA). This
outcome has been in the making since 2005, and translates, if and
when adopted by the IMO, into a lowering of the allowed sulphur
content in bunkers used on ships from 0.50% to 0.10%, as of 1
January 2025.
The landmark decision was reached during deliberations of the
22nd meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 22) to the
Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the
Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (
Barcelona Convention) and its Protocols, held in Antalya,
Turkey. The Barcelona Convention was adopted in 1995, within the
framework of the 1975 Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), in
