(11)The amendments to Appendix V to MARPOL Annex VI clarify that ships that meet the MARPOL Annex VI requirements as regards the sulphur content of fuel in (sulphur) emission control areas (‘(S)ECAs’) through equivalent means (exhaust gas cleaning systems (‘EGCS’)), may permit the supplier, following the purchaser's notification, to declare in the BDN that the fuel is intended to be used by a ship which meets the sulphur requirements through equivalent means. In view of the increasing number of ships equipped with EGCS, the amendments to Appendix V to MARPOL Annex VI are necessary in order to align the standard text of the BDN with the fact that ships may continue to use fuels with a higher sulphur content even after the entry into force of the 0,10 % sulphur content requirements in (S)ECAs as of 1 January 2015. The MARPOL Annex VI requirements as regards the limitation of SOx emissions are implemented in Union law by means of Directive (EU) 2016/802 of the European Parliament and of the Councilnote. Article 6(9)(b) and (c) and Article 13(2)(a) of that Directive refer to the BDN as the principal mechanism for ensuring compliance with that Directive. Equivalent means of compliance are regarded as alternative emission abatement methods, as defined in Article 2(o) of that Directive, and may be used provided that the ships using the emission abatement method continuously achieve reductions of sulphur dioxide emissions that are at least equivalent to the reductions that would be achieved by using marine fuels that meet the requirements of that Directive.