New rules on monitoring emissions from ships will come into force from 1st January 2018, following recent agreement at European level. Ship owners will need to monitor emissions for each ship on a ‘per voyage’ basis and annually. The European Parliament formally adopted the proposed Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport, and amending Directive 2009/16/EC, on 29th April 2015. The rules will apply to ships of over 5000 tons (gross) but there is a range of exemptions including warships and naval auxiliaries, Government ships used for non commercial purposes, fish catching or processing ships, ships not propelled by mechanical means and wooden ships of ‘primitive build’. For more information on the background to this new regulation follow this link and to read the ‘Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 on the monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport, and amending Directive 2009/16/EC (Text with EEA relevance)’ follow this link