MARPOL special areas across Annexes I, II, IV, V and VI
A cross-Annex register of MARPOL special areas and emission control areas: which areas apply under which Annex, their dates, and what each one restricts.
A MARPOL special area is a sea area in which, for oceanographic, ecological or traffic reasons, stricter discharge rules apply than the Annex’s general baseline. Designations are made Annex by Annex, so a sea can be a special area under one Annex and not under another, and a designation often takes effect only once the coastal States confirm that adequate reception facilities exist.
The full article will list the special areas under Annexes I, II, IV and V and the emission control areas under Annex VI, with their effective dates, and explain what a designation changes for each discharge stream. Under Annex V, for example, dry cargo residues may not be discharged in a special area and hold washing water only under the conditions of Reg 6.1.2, described in Annex V HME cargo residues, E-waste and hold-wash water .