Spain backs creation of Mediterranean ECA

Spain has backed the creation of an emissions control area (ECA) in the Mediterranean, as long as certain conditions are met.
It is the first time the country as a whole has leant its backing to the long-mooted proposal and follows a call by Barcelona City Council in December to create such zone.
Spain supports the creation of an ECA, provided that all its coastal countries support this, and is discussed and approved within the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Such approval is particularly important given the large volume of international traffic that transits the water and the status of the Strait of Gibraltar as an international strait.