DNV

OSPAR is the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, and it is the mechanism by which 15 governments and the EU cooperate to protect the marine environment of the region. The OSPAR contracting parties are Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the EU.

Shipping is under growing scrutiny for the environmental impact of vessel discharge water from Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCSs). The discharge of wash water from EGCSs shall be banned in inland waters and port areas of OSPAR member states, following the road map below:

- 1 July 2027: ban on open loop discharge
- 1 July 2029: ban on all discharge.


https://www.dnv.com/news/2025/ban-on-discharge-of-water-from-open-loop-egcss-in-coastal-waters-of-the-north-west-europe-from-1-july-2027/