GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Sep 9, 2026
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic in northern Europe, connected to the North Sea through the Danish straits, the Kattegat and the Skagerrak.
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Source: IMO, Emission Control Areas under MARPOL Annex VI (https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/Pages/Emission-Control-Areas-(ECAs)-designated-under-MARPOL-Annex-VI.aspx); HELCOM
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Definition & Explanation
The Baltic Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic in northern Europe, connected to the North Sea through the Danish straits, the Kattegat and the Skagerrak. Its riparian states are Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden. Three features shape logistics in the region. Shallow sills and narrow approaches cap vessel size, so much of the container traffic reaches the Baltic as feeder cargo via the North Sea hubs; only a few terminals can handle large vessels directly. In winter, ice in the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland can disrupt traffic and require ice-class tonnage and icebreaker assistance. And the entire Baltic has been a SOx Emission Control Area (SECA) since 2006 and additionally a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) since 2021 under MARPOL Annex VI, imposing stricter fuel and engine requirements. Beyond container and feeder services, ro-ro, ferry and bulk traffic dominate the region.
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