Annex VI.
89 The newly-released EnviSum study on the impact of stricter emissions
standards for ships in the Baltic Sea area
90 vindicates the concerns of the 1980s and
demonstrates the immediate positive impact brought about by reducing harmful
emissions. The study estimates that the regulations have not only prevented
500–1000 premature deaths in the Baltic every year, they has also improved the
environment and health in countries further away.
91 The regulations, imposed in
2015, accompany the declaration of the Baltic as a sulphur emission control area
(SECA)
92 where all ships are subject to a maximum of 0.1% sulphur content in the
fuel used.
The Baltic Sea area SECA and the EnviSuM study demonstrate the importance of
port state control in the enforcement of ship safety, security, and marine environmental standards, including MARPOL Annex VI. Since a preponderance of ships
engaged in inter-regional trade in the Baltic are presumably flagged in non-Baltic
states, these operate mainly beyond the scrutiny of flag inspectors as these call in
Baltic ports. In as much as only “PSC inspections offer a candid snapshot of the
actual status of operational safety aboard the vessel,”
93 ports offer the optimum
venue not only for enforcement, but also data collection. Port states, through the PSC
inspection regime, play an important and effective complementary role in the
credible enforcement of Annex VI standards on international shipping, a sine-quanon for environmentally sustainable world trade and commerce.
References
ATAG (2008) The economic and social benefits of air transport 2008. http://www.aerohabitat.eu/
uploads/media/ATAG_-_The_Economic_of_Social_Benefits_of_Air_Transport_2008.pdf
Bang H-S (2008) Is port state control an effective means to combat vessel-source pollution? An
empirical survey of the practical exercise by port states of their powers of control. Int J Marine
Coast Law 23(4):715–759. https://doi.org/10.1163/157180808X353911
Becker R (1998) MARPOL 73/78: an overview in international environmental enforcement.
Georgetown Int Environ Law Rev 10:625–642
Bellona (2008) Shipping emissions underestimated by as much as three times, says leaked UN
report. https://bellona.org/news/climate-change/2008-02-shipping-emissions-underestimatedby-as-much-as-three-times-says-leaked-un-report. Accessed 5 May 2019
89 IMO (2019d).
90 EnviSuM (Environmental Impact of Low Emission Shipping: Measurements and Modelling
Strategies) is a European Union-funded project studying the technical efficiency and socioeconomic impacts of clean shipping solutions. It addresses measurement and modelling strategies
to assess present and future cost and the health and environmental effects of ship emissions in view
of the IMO emission regulations that entered into force in January 2015. EnviSuM released its
“Final Report 2019, Clean shipping: exploring the impact of emission regulation” on April 2009.
See https://blogit.utu.fi/envisum.
91 Repka et al. (2019), p. 66.
92 Lähteenmäki-Uutela et al. (2019), p. 62; see also n. 46 and n. 47 above.
93 Mejia et al. (2007), p. 411.
542
M. Q. Mejia, Jr.
89 The newly-released EnviSum study on the impact of stricter emissions
standards for ships in the Baltic Sea area
90 vindicates the concerns of the 1980s and
demonstrates the immediate positive impact brought about by reducing harmful
emissions. The study estimates that the regulations have not only prevented
500–1000 premature deaths in the Baltic every year, they has also improved the
environment and health in countries further away.
91 The regulations, imposed in
2015, accompany the declaration of the Baltic as a sulphur emission control area
(SECA)
92 where all ships are subject to a maximum of 0.1% sulphur content in the
fuel used.
The Baltic Sea area SECA and the EnviSuM study demonstrate the importance of
port state control in the enforcement of ship safety, security, and marine environmental standards, including MARPOL Annex VI. Since a preponderance of ships
engaged in inter-regional trade in the Baltic are presumably flagged in non-Baltic
states, these operate mainly beyond the scrutiny of flag inspectors as these call in
Baltic ports. In as much as only “PSC inspections offer a candid snapshot of the
actual status of operational safety aboard the vessel,”
93 ports offer the optimum
venue not only for enforcement, but also data collection. Port states, through the PSC
inspection regime, play an important and effective complementary role in the
credible enforcement of Annex VI standards on international shipping, a sine-quanon for environmentally sustainable world trade and commerce.
References
ATAG (2008) The economic and social benefits of air transport 2008. http://www.aerohabitat.eu/
uploads/media/ATAG_-_The_Economic_of_Social_Benefits_of_Air_Transport_2008.pdf
Bang H-S (2008) Is port state control an effective means to combat vessel-source pollution? An
empirical survey of the practical exercise by port states of their powers of control. Int J Marine
Coast Law 23(4):715–759. https://doi.org/10.1163/157180808X353911
Becker R (1998) MARPOL 73/78: an overview in international environmental enforcement.
Georgetown Int Environ Law Rev 10:625–642
Bellona (2008) Shipping emissions underestimated by as much as three times, says leaked UN
report. https://bellona.org/news/climate-change/2008-02-shipping-emissions-underestimatedby-as-much-as-three-times-says-leaked-un-report. Accessed 5 May 2019
89 IMO (2019d).
90 EnviSuM (Environmental Impact of Low Emission Shipping: Measurements and Modelling
Strategies) is a European Union-funded project studying the technical efficiency and socioeconomic impacts of clean shipping solutions. It addresses measurement and modelling strategies
to assess present and future cost and the health and environmental effects of ship emissions in view
of the IMO emission regulations that entered into force in January 2015. EnviSuM released its
“Final Report 2019, Clean shipping: exploring the impact of emission regulation” on April 2009.
See https://blogit.utu.fi/envisum.
91 Repka et al. (2019), p. 66.
92 Lähteenmäki-Uutela et al. (2019), p. 62; see also n. 46 and n. 47 above.
93 Mejia et al. (2007), p. 411.
542
M. Q. Mejia, Jr.