Plans to Clean up Air Quality

Shipping is estimated to cause around 30,000 premature deaths in the EU thanks to the air pollution they create according to the European Parliamentary Labour Party. Labour MEPs have recently voted in support of an EU-wide legislation to help reduce the sulphur produced from ships.

This legislation states that from 2015 the fuel used in ships will have to contain a maximum of 0.1% sulphur contents. This will apply to waters designated Sulphur Emission Control Areas at the International Maritime Organisation (the IMO) - this includes the North Sea, the Channel and the Baltic Sea. In all other waters, the sulphur limit will be reduced to 0.5% by 2020.

"Ship fuel is currently one of the dirtiest fuels on the planet ," said Labour's Linda McAvan MEP, a member of the European Parliament's Environment committee. "Even after these regulations come in, the new fuel is 100 times dirtier in terms of sulphur than car fuel".

"This level of death from diseases like asthma, bronchitis, heart failure and other respiratory illness is completely unacceptable in 2012.

"The effect of worldwide agreement on sulphur will be to reduce sulphur emissions from ships, and consequently improve air quality in the UK as pollution from ships can travel long distances and far inland.

"The health benefits will be significant in terms of reducing respiratory illnesses and heart disease," Linda McAvan said.

Today's "Sulphur in Marine Fuels Directive" was set to pass its first reading with the votes of a majority of MEPs and support from the EU's 27 Governments .

The Directive incorporates into EU law the commitments that were agreed with the IMO. Back in 2008, the UK and all other member countries of the International Maritime Organisation agreed on the stricter limits for sulphur in shipping fuels.