ECSA and the green group Transport & Environment (T&E) have joined forces to call on EU countries and the members of the European Parliament to introduce necessary amendments to the FuelEU Maritime Regulation proposal, with the aim to align it with EU Climate Law and Paris Agreement goals.
In particular, ECSA and T&E warn that the Commission proposal falls short of ambition and fails to address the responsibilities of other stakeholders such as the fuel suppliers. If adopted in its current form, the proposal might do more harm than good to shipping’s climate ambition.
#1 Support more ambitious targets under Article 4.2 in order to align them with the decarbonisation pathway compatible with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement and the EU Climate Law.#2 call to introduce robust requirements on Member States under the FuelEU Maritime to ensure that fuel suppliers in European ports deliver compliant fuels to ships in sufficient quantities in order to meet the regulatory objectives (shared responsibility). In addition, fuel suppliers should have more concrete responsibilities under the Renewable Energy Directive.
#3 Earmark the revenues generated under the EU ETS and the FuelEU Maritime to facilitate the energy transition of the sector and contribute to bridging the price differential between conventional fuels and sustainable, and scalable alternatives, inter alia, through the carbon contracts for difference. In this regard, the establishment of a dedicated fund under the EU ETS to leverage the revenues so that sustainable fuels become commercially available is strongly supported.
#4 Introduce a high multiplier for the use of sustainable and scalable marine fuels under the FuelEU Maritime Regulation in order to render them cost-competitive vis-a-vis other alternatives.
European shipowners are ready to contribute their fair share in addressing the climate crisis at EU level as well. But we need all hands on deck. The current FuelEU proposal does not address the responsibilities of the fuel suppliers and how cleaner and safe fuels will become available in Europe. We look forward to further cooperation with the Commission, the MEPs and the Member States to come up with workable solutions
said Sotiris Raptis, ECSA’s Secretary-General.
The EU’s shipping fuels proposal has the potential to bring the renewables revolution to the shipping industry. But the current proposal by the Commission risks doing more damage than good. To seize this historic opportunity, the European Parliament and Member States should align FuelEU’s regulatory targets with the Paris Agreement, EU Climate Law and other international commitments and incorporate into the law incentives that promote sustainable and scalable fuels like green hydrogen
said Faig Abbasov, T&E’s shipping programme Director.
