During a meeting it was decided that a Mediterranean Sulphur Emission Control Area (Med SECA) is to be created by 2024, aiming to the protection of the Mediterranean region from shipping emissions.
Specifically, the Barcelona convention met in the Italian city Naples the previous week to discuss about the protection of the Mediterranean region from the ongoing shipping emissions which pose great risk to the environment.
The attendees of the meeting decided that the implementation of a timetable to further investigate the creation of a Med ECA, further submitting the final decision to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
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According to Italian “ecologistas en accion”, the agreement proposal to the IMO comes two years later than what France originally planned, meaning that the application of the sulfur emission control area (SECA) would not be effective before March 2024.
Sönke Diesener, expert in shipping from the German organization NABU commented that the Organization applauds the decision, expressing their concern on the slow process of implementing the SECA; He urged political parties to “not waste a single day in order to reduce the atmospheric pollution of the vessels of the region.”
For the time being, France and Italy have been the most firm supporters of the implementation of a Med ECA, highlighting the importance of protecting the environment.
