As of next month, marine-fuel ships calling at the ports of Israel must adhere to a new sulphur limitation. The maximum amount of sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships visiting Israeli ports should not exceed 0.10% mass by mass. This initiative comes pursuant to the new EU directive that seeks to make the Mediterranean Sea an Emission Control Area (ECA) for sulphur oxides and particulate matter. The directive, which was one of the outcomes of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting held last month, aims at reducing the use of sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships in the entire Mediterranean Sea to 0.10%. The new rule in Israel will enter into force on 23 February. Israeli ports have been struggling with heavy pollution, and the marine sector has been a key contributing factor, according to a study conducted by the government. Being a relatively small state, the main ports of Israel are located in heavily populated areas such as Haifa, Jaffa and Tel Aviv. The study conducted in November last year acknowledged the damaging effect of marine sector emissions on the country as a whole. As a result, the government decided to formulate an action plan to set reduction targets for 2025 and 2030. According to the press release published by the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection, the potential plan could require “the more polluting vessels stand-by for porting at a distance of at least 5 km from each port."