The Industry Committee, ITRE, of the European Parliament today reached an important agreement concerning the revision of the EU emission trading system (ETS) directive. The report of MEP Fredrick Federley (ALDE / Sweden) was adopted with a clear majority of 45 against 13 votes.

European shipowners support the balanced report that calls upon the European Commission to monitor that international sectors contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement. This includes the shipping sector, where targets and measures are agreed at the level of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

“This is an important signal from the European Parliament and we fully agree that IMO now has to deliver a workplan and set a timeline for the further reduction of the sector’s CO2 emissions”, said ECSA Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven. “IMO’s next Marine Environment Protection Committee, MEPC, meets two weeks from now and we expect that decisive steps will be taken. All mechanisms aimed at tackling CO2 emissions from shipping must remain global and apply equally to all ships”, he concluded.

The shipping industry has a mandatory global CO2 reduction regime which has been in force since 2013. IMO will now build on the substantial CO2 reductions already achieved by shipping, introducing a global CO2 data collection system, which will be operational by 2018. Based on the data collected and a real understanding of the emissions, realistic targets for CO2 emission reduction can be set for the sector.

For more information, please contact:

Patrick Verhoeven
Secretary General
Rue Ducale, Hertogstraat 67/B2, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
T +32 2 510 61 26
patrick.verhoeven@ecsa.eu

Karoliina Rasi
Director – Public Affairs & Communications
Rue Ducale, Hertogstraat 67/B2, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
T +32 2 510 61 34
M +32 476 349 263
Karoliina.rasi@ecsa.eu