Current progress in developing a MARPOL Annex VI enforcement strategy in the Bonn Agreement through remote measurements

The harmful environmental and human health consequences of air pollution from ships are widely acknowledged, leading to their regulation under IMO’s MARPOL Annex VI, setting limits on the emission of SOx and NOx from ships. This article provides an overview of the current progress made by the Bonn Agreement (BA) in adopting a MARPOL Annex VI monitoring strategy. In 2019, the North Sea Ministers of the parties of the BA formally agreed to include MARPOL Annex VI within the jurisdiction of the BA. Through cooperation on MARPOL Annex VI enforcement at sea, the BA aims to attain a significant decrease in air pollution violations, similar to the accomplished outcomes observed in the past three decades regarding oil pollution. Subsequently, in 2021, a BA MARPOL Annex VI expert workshop was convened, which identified a series of action points. To effectively address these action points, two working groups (WGs) were established: the Strategic Operational WG and the Technical WG. The primary objective of the WGs is the exchange of best practices, monitoring outcomes and the harmonization of enforcement practices among the Parties of the BA, with the aim of implementing an efficient monitoring and enforcement strategy within the BA. The BA has recognized that remote monitoring operations play a pivotal role within this strategy. This article explores the extent to which remote measurements can contribute to the development of a regional enforcement strategy for MARPOL Annex VI within the framework of the BA.