Development of a Bunker Norm for Ships

2. Purpose and Application

The purpose of establishing a new bunker norm is to provide criteria, definitions for bunker oil which are consistent with the criteria – parameters – according to which shipowners generally buy bunker oil, and which may henceforth be used in the legislation: directives, executive orders, regulations, etc., concerning aspects such as restrictions on the sulphur content of bunker oil.

Any reduction of the emission of sulphur dioxide from the combustion of certain petroleum-based liquid fuels is to be achieved by setting limits for the sulphur content of such fuels – as a condition for their being used within EU territory.

However, the limits on the sulphur content in certain petroleum-based liquid fuels do not apply to fuels which:

1. are contained in the fuel tanks of vessels crossing a frontier between a third country and a Member State,
2. are intended for processing prior to final combustion, or
3. are used for processing in the refinery business.