On 18 December, the European Commission has adopted a clean air package for Europe, aiming at reducing the emissions of air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), methane (CH4) and others.

The main components of the package are the following:

• A Clean Air Programme for Europe, which describes the problem and sets out new interim objectives for reducing health and environmental impacts up to 2030. It also defines the necessary emission reduction requirements for the key pollutants and the policy agenda that will be necessary to achieve the objectives;

• A revised National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD), containing updated national ceilings (caps) for six key air pollutants (PM, SO2, NOx, VOCs, NH3 and CH4) for 2020 and 2030;

• A new Directive for Medium-sized Combustion Plants between 1 and 50 MWth.

• A ratification proposal for the amended Gothenburg Protocol under the 1979 UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution.

Although not specific to shipping, the Clean Air package contains elements that might impact on the maritime transport industry. Through the revision of the National Emission Ceilings Directive, the Commission is attempting to incentivize the reduction of NOx and SOx emissions as well as the emission of particulate matters from shipping.

The Directive had hitherto established a national ceiling for emissions at national level. The proposal foresees that if, by 2025, it becomes apparent that the 2030 national targets for emissions reductions cannot be met, Member States will be allowed to use reductions of shipping emissions that occur in the Member States’ territorial seas, exclusive economic zones or in pollution control zones to offset emissions from land-based sources.

ECSA will assess the proposal’s impact on the shipping sector.

More information (press release, Q&A, text of the proposal) can be found here.