At a meeting of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on Thursday 3 September, MEP Javi López (S&D, Spain) presented his draft opinion on an own-initiative report aimed at urging the European Commission to take action to make maritime transport cleaner and more efficient.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) recently stated (EUROPE 12543/7) that maintaining ‘business as usual’ would mean that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from this sector could increase by up to 50% by 2050 compared to 2018 levels.
In order to avoid this happening, López is calling on the Commission to urgently include the maritime sector in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which is an option the institution has considered, and to regulate access to EU ports for the most polluting ships.
He is also calling for “all available operational and technical measures to be implemented to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions in the short term”, and mentions reducing speeds, wind propulsion, digitalisation and logistical optimisation.
His draft opinion also stresses the importance of supporting investment and research into new technologies and sustainable fuels for long-term decarbonisation solutions such as electrification and green hydrogen.
Lastly, the document recommends extending emission control zones to all of the EU’s maritime areas.
In response to López's presentation, the various political groups broadly welcomed the draft opinion.
Anna Zalewska (Poland), the representative from the ECR group, nevertheless expressed reservations about including the sector in the ETS, as she was concerned that this would lead to an additional economic burden for some maritime companies in the middle of the coronavirus crisis.
The Commission confirmed its support for the opinion, and reiterated its intention to present a legislative initiative on ship fuel by the end of the year.
The own-initiative report to which the draft opinion refers was drawn up by Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France), chair of the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), and is scheduled for early October.
The French version of the draft opinion can be consulted at: https://bit.ly/2GqFnff (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)