The plenary session of the European Parliament adopted a draft non-legislative resolution on cleaner and more efficient shipping on Tuesday 27 April by 453 votes to 92 with 154 abstentions.
The text calls for a carbon-neutral transition by 2050, a reduction in emissions from maritime transport, the decarbonisation of European ports and the phasing out of heavy fuel oil.
It was around this point that tensions had polarised in the parliamentary committee (see EUROPE 12667/9), with Green MEPs arguing, as the initial text specified, for a total ban on heavy fuel oil in ships.
The proposal for a blacklist to prevent ships that do not meet EU environmental and social standards from entering European ports was also dropped.
None of the Greens/EFA MEPs - including Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France), who initiated this own-initiative report, and Vera Tax (S&D, Netherlands), rapporteur - supported this non-legislative resolution in the committee on 25 February.
Finally, following an amendment supported by Renew Europe, the EPP and the ECR, the report provides for a preference for liquefied natural gas (LNG), pending the development of other reliable green alternatives. On this aspect, some 100 MEPs, mainly from the Greens/EFA and S&D groups, tabled an amendment on 21 April, insisting that LNG should be considered a short-term solution and not contribute to the increase of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
International maritime transport activity accounts for almost 2.5% of GHG emissions each year. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)