Starting May 1, 2025, the Mediterranean Sea will officially become a Sulphur Emission Control Area (ECA), making it the fifth such zone in the world after the Baltic Sea, North Sea, North American coasts, and the Caribbean.
Under the new environmental regulations, all vessels operating in the region must use marine fuel with a sulphur content not exceeding 0.1%, compared to the current global limit of 0.5%. This measure aims to protect the environment and public health in coastal areas.
Sulphur oxide emissions contribute to the acidification of marine and terrestrial environments and the formation of fine particulate matter, which is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Since the introduction of ECAs in Northern Europe, sulphur emissions in the EU have already decreased by approximately 70%. A similar impact is expected in the Mediterranean region.
Meanwhile, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in the EU rose by 10% between 2015 and 2023, including an 8% increase in the Mediterranean. In response, the European Commission and Mediterranean states are currently evaluating measures to reduce these emissions.
A new ECA covering the northeastern Atlantic — targeting both sulphur and nitrogen emissions — is expected to be adopted by the end of 2025 and come into effect in 2027. It will include EU coastal countries, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and the United Kingdom.
For context: since 2020, the global sulphur limit in marine fuel has been set at 0.5%, while ECA zones enforce a stricter 0.1% cap. By comparison, the sulphur content in road fuel for trucks or cars is limited to just 0.001%.
