The OSPAR commission – the regional seas convention for protecting and conserving the North-East Atlantic and its resources – has long been a leader in regional marine protection, upholding the precautionary principle to safeguard our oceans. In recent years, technical work has been done to prepare a 12-nautical-mile discharge ban for wastewater from exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) (also referred to as scrubbers). However, some parties have suggested that OSPAR would await international consensus in the IMO.
In a letter to the OSPAR Secretariat, co-signed by Seas At Risk, we emphasise the urgency of adopting this ban at the 2025 Ministerial Meeting, regardless of ongoing IMO discussions. Next week, we present our case at the OSPAR’s Environmental Impacts of Human Activities Committee which is expected to propose a timeline for the issue. Read our full letter here and proposal here.
Posted on: 1 April 2025
