Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) voiced their concerns about the consequences of extending the Emissions Trading System (ETS) to the maritime sector on Wednesday 9 April. Discussions have been held with the European Commission over the establishment of a list of neighbouring container transhipment ports.
“Any call at these ports cannot be considered as the beginning or the end of a voyage with the EU, which therefore reduces the incentive for shipping companies to stop at these ports so that they can avoid or minimise the cost incurred under the legislation”, explained Polona Gregorin, Head of Unit at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA).
This extension of the ETS has given rise to disagreements within the EU Council (see EUROPE 13540/10). However, its implementation shows no significant trend towards evasion or circumvention, according to the European Commission’s report published on Wednesday 19 March (see EUROPE 13605/8).
While Borja Giménez Larraz (EPP, Spanish) raised the risk of carbon leakage, Sérgio Gonçalves (S&D, Portuguese) noted the risk of freight escaping. Carlo Ciccioli (ECR, Italian) and Jan-Christoph Oetjen (Renew Europe, German) urged the European Commission to negotiate with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in favour of a global system. Ms Gregorin assured them that such negotiations were currently taking place alongside the 83rd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (see EUROPE 13616/19). (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)