TEXTE Environmental Impacts of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems for Reduction of SOx on Ships — Analysis of status quo 
Report compiled within the framework of the project ImpEx 
Many ports are already impacted by different kinds of industrial discharges from a variety of 
sources. At present, there is no internationally regulated procedure from the IMO to designate 
special areas or a distance to the nearest land for the prohibition of EGCS discharge water as 
there are for other discharges such as wastewater, waste, NOx and SOx. For this reason, national 
authorities or individual ports have decided to implement restrictions on the EGCS discharge 
water so-called "scrubber bans". For instance, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore 
(MPA, 2018) commented about the local ban on discharges that the aim is to protect the marine 
environment and ensure that port waters are clean and not contaminated. A summary of the 
current countries and ports applying special restrictions or prohibition for EGCS discharge 
water is presented by EGCSA (2019), BRITANNIA P&I (2020) and North (2020). 
Recently, the EU Committee on Transport and Tourism submitted a motion for a European 
Parliament resolution to prohibit the use of heavy fuel oil and water discharges from EGCS into 
the sea (Delli, 2020). According to Argus Media, the European Parliament's environment 
committee voted for a "phase-out", rather than simple prohibition of OL-EGCS (Manifold Times, 
2020). The proposal is still to be subject to the parliamentary procedure. 
In order to address the issue of different and unilateral local rules, MEPC 74 proposed a new 
output on “Evaluation and harmonization of rules and guidance on the discharge of discharge 
water from EGCS into aquatic environment, including conditions and areas” (MEPC, 2019). In this 
regard, Member States and organizations of the related IMO Committees (MEPC and PPR) have 
submitted several documents. Many Member States, together with various stakeholders, 
requested the consideration of scientific and evidence-based data for the development of future 
regulatory measures (MEPC, 2019). At the same time, there are diverse proposals for the 
harmonization of rules. Japan (2019) suggested the development of guidelines to provide 
recommended procedures for environmental impact assessments and criteria that Member 
States should follow when setting local or regional regulations on discharge of EGCS discharge 
water into sensitive waters. China et al. (2019) recalled precedents on MARPOL regulations on 
how to manage and allow discharges of pollutants below threshold limits and under stipulated 
conditions, as for instance, when the ship is at a certain distance from the nearest land and/or is 
proceeding en route at a certain speed. This new output is planned to be concluded during PPR 8 
in 2021. 
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