North Sea SECA in force - 11 August 2007

The EU Sulphur Directive 1999/32 (amended by 2005/33) brought into force the North Sea Sulphur Emissions Control Area (SECA) on 11 August 2007. Ships operating within the SECA are required to use bunkers with a sulphur content of no more than 1.5% by mass or have in place an approved exhaust gas cleaning system. The new SECA means that such restrictions are now in force in an area extending from the western end of the English Channel to the Baltic Sea, where the Baltic SECA has been in force since May 2006.
 
Further details are available on the Air Pollution pages within the Marine Environment section on the IMOs website: www.imo.org.