International Maritime Organisation

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO)is an agency of the United Nations established in 1948 by a convention which came into force in 1958. Today it has 158 Member States plus two Associate Members.

The Organisations chief task, especially in the early years, was to develop a comprehensive body of international conventions, codes and recommendations in the area of International shipping, particularly shipping safety, which could be implemented by all Member Governments.

The most important convention regulating and preventing marine pollution by ships is the IMO International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto, commonly known as MARPOL 73/78. It covers accidental and operational oil pollution as well as pollution by chemicals, goods in packaged form, sewage, garbage and air pollution.

For more information, please see the IMO website here.

Northeast Atlantic Emission Control Area

An Emission Control Area (ECA) is a specific sea area in which stricter controls are established to minimize airborne emissions from ships. This involves the adoption of special mandatory limits for emissions from ships to prevent, reduce and control air pollution from sulphur oxides (SOx), particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). ECAs are established under Annex VI of the International Maritime Organization’s International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) which deals specifically with the prevention of air pollution from ships.

Emissions of SOx, PM and NOx from ocean-going ships contribute to ambient concentrations of air pollution in cities and coastal areas around the world. Adverse public health and environmental effects associated with air pollution include premature mortality, cardiopulmonary disease, lung cancer, chronic respiratory ailments, acidification, and eutrophication. Introducing limits for these emissions from ships can have a positive effect on human health as well as the wider environment.

Ireland has been working with coastal states in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, including Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal since late 2022 to explore the potential for an ECA in the Northeast Atlantic. If adopted at the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee in October 2025, the proposed Northeast Atlantic ECA would connect with existing ECAs in the Atlantic, North Sea and Artic waters, facilitating both a level playing field and regulatory consistency.

SME Test for Northeast Atlantic Emission Control Area

The SME Test is a policy assessment tool designed to ensure that the interests and capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are adequately considered during the development of new policies, legislation, and regulatory compliance requirements. Due to its potential effects on SMEs, the Northeast Atlantic ECA was subject to an SME Test, which was conducted by the Department of Transport.

The IMO operates through committees which are assigned specific functions. Marine Environment together with the Marine Survey Office (MSO) and Attorney Generals Office are involved with the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and the Legal Committee. The MEPC is IMO's senior technical body on marine pollution related matters.

The Sea Pollution Act, 1991, enabled Ireland to ratify MARPOL, and Regulations to give effect to it were introduced in 1994 and updated in 1997, 2002, 2003 and 2006.

The Sea Pollution (Amendment) Act, 1999, gives effect to the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990 (OPRC).

Other instruments will be given effect in the Sea Pollution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003. These include a Protocol to OPRC adopted at IMO in March 2000, Annex VI to MARPOL (air pollution from ships) and the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships.

On 1 May 2026, the International Maritime Organization formally adopted the Northeast Atlantic Emission Control Area (ECA) which will mandate stricter limits on airborne emissions from ships in Irish waters upon its entry into force in September 2027.

The adoption of these limits will help prevent, reduce and control air pollution from sulphur oxides (SOx), particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Emissions of SOx, PM and NOx from ships contribute to air pollution in cities and coastal areas around the world. Adverse public health and environmental effects associated with air pollution include premature mortality, cardiopulmonary disease, lung cancer, chronic respiratory ailments.

Ireland has been working at the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency focused on regulating maritime transport, ensuring safety, maritime protection and legal matters in shipping. Ireland’s focus has been to reduce emissions from ships and to progress the IMO's 2023 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) strategy, to achieve net zero GHG emissions from international shipping by or around 2050.

By introducing an ECA in Irish waters, Ireland will avoid up to 180 premature deaths between 2030 and 2050, while the estimated value of health benefits to Ireland is up to EUR 73 million by 2030 and up to EUR 1.9 billion between 2030 and 2050.

The implementation of this ECA will also improve visibility and protect marine ecosystems by mitigating acidification and eutrophication, particularly in coastal areas.

The Northeast Atlantic ECA will connect with the existing ECAs in the Atlantic, North Sea and Arctic waters, facilitating a level playing field and policy consistency in the area.

Ireland has been working with coastal states in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, including Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal since late 2022 to explore the potential for an ECA in the Northeast Atlantic. The successful conclusion of this agreement is a considerable win and landmark for Ireland’s negotiations at the IMO.