MARPOL Annex Amendment

MARPOL Annex amendments are adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee under the tacit-acceptance procedure of Article 16 of MARPOL 73/78. The MEPC adopts the amendment, sets a date by which parties may object, and a date of entry into force; absent objections from a specified number of parties, the amendment enters into force automatically for all parties. This procedure let the IMO bring in the 0.50 percent global sulfur cap (MEPC.305(73)) and the EEXI and CII requirements (MEPC.328(76)) without reopening the convention. Tacit acceptance is the reason MARPOL can keep technical limits current.