New ECA proposals to be submitted at MEPC 81

The ECAs could enter into force as soon as 2027, subject to approval within the IMO. 

Canada and Norway confirmed plans to submit formal ECA proposals to the 81st session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81), while work is underway on a North-East Atlantic Ocean ECA proposal which may also be ready for MEPC 81. 

If these proposals are approved at MEPC 81, scheduled for April 2024, Canada said “adoption could occur by spring 2025”. As MARPOL amendments enter into force 16 months after adoption, and ECAs take effect 12 months after entering into force, the ECA requirements could apply from as early as early 2027. 

Canadian ECA

The intended Canadian Arctic ECA designation includes Canada’s Arctic waters and Arctic waters under Canada’s jurisdiction. The proposed Canadian Arctic ECA boundary begins near the Mackenzie River Delta in the Yukon and stretches to the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador. The eastern boundary meets the boundary of the existing North American ECA.

The proposal under development would cover both SOx and NOx and aim to reduce air pollution, including Black Carbon (BC).

North-East Atlantic ECA

The potential ECA in the North-East Atlantic would link the existing ECAs in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel with the upcoming Mediterranean ECA. The Mediterranean ECA, adopted at MEPC 79 in December 2022, will take effect on 1 May, 2025.

“Importantly, in view of upcoming designation of additional ECAs in the area by Norway, it would also ensure consistent and uniform regulation across sea areas with high density traffic with a geographical scope covering parts of the North-East Atlantic Ocean,” it said.

The new ECA proposals need to be accompanied by analytical work to assess costs and benefit, in line with requirements and criteria set out in Appendix III of MARPOL Annex VI.

Depending on the outcome of this work, a joint coordinated proposal for the designation of an ECA in the North-East Atlantic Ocean could be submitted by the littoral States to MEPC 81.

Norwegian Plans

While the incoming Mediterranean ECA covers only SOx, Norway indicated that it intended to expand the existing ECA for both NOx and SOx currently established in the North Sea to cover the remaining Norwegian coast. The new North-East Atlantic ECA may also include the NOx element, meaning ships constructed on or after the date of adoption (or a later specified date) would also have to comply with NOx Tier III limits as specified in MARPOL Annex VI.