The Irish Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport issued a notice providing guidance on compliance with the EU regulations regarding sulphur content of marine fuels.
The European Union (Sulphur Content of Marine Fuels) Regulations 2015 signed by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport on 20 August 2015, which, from that date onwards, implement in Irish law certain provisions of Directive 2012/33/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 amending Council Directive 1999/32/EC (otherwise known as the ‘Sulphur Directive’) as regards the sulphur content of marine fuels.
One of the main objectives of Directive 2012/33/EU is to align EU legislation with existing global marine fuel sulphur content by mass limits or, subject to the fitting of appropriate emission abatement technology, the resultant sulphur dioxide emissions from such fuels, as set out in the Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships contained in the 2008 revised Annex VI to the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as amended by the Protocols of 1978 and 1997 (otherwise known as ‘MARPOL’), to which Ireland and the other EU Member States are parties. The 2008 revised MARPOL Annex VI entered into force on 1 July 2010 and was given effect in Irish law by the Sea Pollution (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 313 of 2010) – Marine Notice No. 20 of 2010 – MARPOL Annex VI amendments (Air Pollution) refers.
However, in some areas, Directive 2012/33/EU goes beyond the revised MARPOL Annex VI regime concerning the sulphur content of marine fuels for use on board ships, or, the resultant sulphur dioxide emissions. Therefore, in more specific terms, the purpose of the European Union (Sulphur Content of Marine Fuels) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 361 of 2015) is:
firstly, to transpose those marine fuel provisions of Directive 2012/33/EU which have not already been implemented in Irish law
secondly, to specify, where necessary, those provisions owhich still apply in order to avoid any legal ambiguity or uncertainty; and
thirdly, to amend other relatively minor provisions for the sake of clarity and alignment.
Further details may be found by reading related Marine Notice
Source: www.dttas.ie
