European Commission proposes excluding ports of Tangiers and Port Said from ‘ports of call’ list to prevent carbon leakage

On Tuesday 14 January, the European Commission published the draft implementing regulation identifying neighbouring container transhipment ports under the ‘Maritime FuelEU’ regulation on the use of low-carbon and renewable fuels in maritime transport.

The list of ports closely mirrors the existing implementing regulations under the Emissions Trading System (ETS) Directive. The exclusion of the ports of Tanger Med, in Morocco, and East Port Said, in Egypt, from the definition of “port of call” is intended to prevent carriers from circumventing the FuelEU rules through evasion strategies.

Coming into force on 1 January (see EUROPE 13551/25), the ‘FuelEU Maritime’ regulation requires shipping companies to progressively reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of their vessels calling at EU ports. To streamline implementation and compliance, the regulation aligns its scope with that of the ‘ETS’. The draft list of neighbouring container transhipment ports is open to consultation until Tuesday 11 February.

To read the draft regulation, go to https://aeur.eu/f/f4e (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)